| Respiratory therapy is a very good field to get | | | | therapists at number four. The other top employers |
| involved in. According to the Bureau of Labor | | | | are general medical and surgical hospitals, special |
| Statistics (BLS), employment growth is expected to | | | | hospitals, nursing care facilities, and consumer goods |
| be faster than average and job prospects are very | | | | rental. So if you are looking for a high paying industry |
| good for respiratory therapists. Once you have your | | | | with a lot of job openings, your best bet would be |
| degree and pass the licensure exams there shouldn't | | | | employment services. |
| be any problem finding a job. | | | | The states where respiratory therapist pay is the |
| The BLS says that the mean annual respiratory | | | | highest are California ($61,810), New Jersey |
| therapist pay was $50,930 in 2007, with the lowest | | | | ($60,660), Hawaii ($60,150), Nevada ($60,060) and |
| paid 10% of respiratory therapists making less than | | | | New York ($59,500). However, when you are |
| $36,650 and the highest 10% making an annual wage | | | | considering the differing rates of pay in different |
| of more than $66,680. That is quite a wide range of | | | | locations, you need to be sure to also consider the |
| salaries, but as with any career there are many | | | | cost of living, as places like California and Hawaii tend |
| factors that can affect the amount of respiratory | | | | to have higher costs of living, making it so that even |
| therapist pay that is received. This includes location, | | | | though the salary is higher you might not be able to |
| the type of office where the respiratory therapist | | | | purchase as much with that salary as you could in |
| works, and years of experience. | | | | another location with a lower salary and a lower cost |
| The industries where respiratory therapist pay is the | | | | of living. |
| highest are junior colleges ($73,210), employment | | | | According to PayScale, the median respiratory |
| services ($60,420), local government ($58,500), | | | | therapist pay for those with less than one year of |
| offices of other health practitioners ($53,670), and | | | | experience is $41,422. The median respiratory |
| outpatient care centers ($52,630). Of course there | | | | therapist pay for those with 20 years or more of |
| aren't necessarily a lot of jobs in these industries. Out | | | | experience is $56,335. This shows that experience |
| of these five industries, only employment services is | | | | does make a difference in this industry, so the longer |
| one of the top five industries for respiratory | | | | you work the more you are likely to make. |