Respiratory Therapists in California
Considering a career as a Respiratory Therapist in California?
You’re in luck! Jobs for Respiratory Therapists in California are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.
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Projected employment for Respiratory Therapists in California is growing faster than average.
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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.
The typical state has 1,500 Respiratory Therapists working in it, which means California has more Respiratory Therapists than average.
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%.
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 |
Related Careers in California
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
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
- College Factual
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
More about our data sources and methodologies.