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Respiratory Therapists in California

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Respiratory Therapists in California

Considering a career as a Respiratory Therapist in California?

25.3% Jobs Projection
$78,560 Median Salary
1,310 Job Openings

You’re in luck! Jobs for Respiratory Therapists in California are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.

  • Projected employment for Respiratory Therapists in California is growing faster than average.

  • Respiratory Therapists in California earn higher salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.

What Major Will Prepare You For a Respiratory Therapist Career?

How Many Respiratory Therapists Work in California?

There were approximately 17,260 workers employed as Respiratory Therapists in this state in 2018.

There were 17,530 Respiratory Therapists employed in this state in 2017.

That’s a decline of 270 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

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The typical state has 1,500 Respiratory Therapists working in it, which means California has more Respiratory Therapists than average.

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Job Projections for California

Jobs for Respiratory Therapists in this state are growing at a rate of 25.3% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 23.3%.

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California Annual Job Openings

The BLS estimates there will be 1,310 annual job openings, and 21,300 total jobs in 2026 for Respiratory Therapists in this state.

Nationwide, the prediction is 9,800 annual jobs and 160,600 total jobs in 2026.

What do Respiratory Therapists Make in California?

In 2018 wages for Respiratory Therapists ranged from $53,190 to $108,760 with $78,560 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $25.57 to $52.29. The median hourly rate was $37.77.

In 2017 the median pay for this field was $37.83 an hour.

The hourly rate declined by $0.06.

The median salary in California is higher than the nationwide median salary.

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Top California Metros for Respiratory Therapists

The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Respiratory Therapists.

Metro Number Employed Annual Median Salary
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 6,890 $75,570
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 2,020 $93,440
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 1,760 $73,630
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 1,670 $78,910
Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA 960 $95,920
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 920 $80,770
Fresno, CA 400 $47,850
Bakersfield, CA 280 $75,970
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA 280 $80,120
Modesto, CA 220 $82,860
Stockton-Lodi, CA 200 $80,870
Chico, CA 190 $75,730
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 140 $72,350
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA 120 $91,110
Santa Rosa, CA 120 $75,800
Salinas, CA 100 $97,760
Visalia-Porterville, CA 100 $69,890
Redding, CA 90 $91,060
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA 70 $83,220

Top States for Respiratory Therapists Employment

The table below shows the states where most Respiratory Therapists work.

State Number Employed Annual Median Salary
California 17,260 $78,560
Texas 11,250 $58,930
Florida 8,200 $57,660
Ohio 6,200 $56,430
Pennsylvania 5,810 $56,550
New York 5,740 $75,030
Michigan 4,580 $57,060
North Carolina 4,390 $56,410
Georgia 4,220 $57,140
Illinois 4,150 $59,540
Indiana 4,010 $55,390
Tennessee 3,520 $51,040
Missouri 3,210 $53,980
New Jersey 3,090 $73,080
Arizona 2,560 $58,180
Virginia 2,550 $59,160
Kentucky 2,480 $49,480
Alabama 2,450 $49,590
Louisiana 2,380 $53,830
Massachusetts 2,370 $72,740

Below are the states where Respiratory Therapists get paid the most:

State Annual Median Salary
California $78,560
Alaska $75,910
District of Columbia $75,870
New York $75,030
New Jersey $73,080
Nevada $73,050
Massachusetts $72,740
Hawaii $71,640
Oregon $69,700
Rhode Island $69,480

You may also be interested in the following careers:

Occupation California Employment Total
Physical Therapists 20,630
Speech-Language Pathologists 13,220
Occupational Therapists 9,580
Recreational Therapists 1,630
Radiation Therapists 1,060
Exercise Physiologists 480

References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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