Respiratory Therapist Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of respiratory therapists to grow 8.5% from 2025 to 2035 (about 12,100 more jobs), with about 8,600 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $82,280 a year ranks 204th of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +8.5%
- Openings a year
- 8,600
- Median pay
- $82,280
- Pay rank
- 204th of 825
Is employment of respiratory therapists growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of respiratory therapists to rise 8.5% (about 12,100 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is about the same as the +8.0% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 71 healthcare practitioners and technical occupations with a projection. That change ranks 89th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 142,000 |
| Employment, 2035 | 154,200 |
| Projected change | +8.5% |
| Openings a year | 8,600 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 142,000 jobs here differ from the 139,790 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 8,600 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 292nd most of 830 occupations. About 86% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 1,210 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for respiratory therapists rank?
The median of $82,280 a year ranks 204th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on both pay and openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: associate's degree.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians | +3.7% | 3,400 | $74,310 |
| Paramedics | +5.7% | 4,300 | $60,600 |
| Registered Nurses | +5.6% | 180,800 | $97,550 |
| Radiation Therapists | +2.8% | 700 | $105,310 |
| Physical Therapists | +11.9% | 13,400 | $102,760 |
| Physician Assistants | +21.1% | 11,500 | $135,880 |
| Cardiologists | +4.8% | 500 | $496,010 |
| Pediatric Surgeons | +2.0% | 0 | $559,030 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.