Respiratory Therapists Salary
Respiratory Therapists in Dover, DE make a median of $84,410 a year, or about $40.58 an hour. The range runs from $72K at the entry level to $106K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.51), that's roughly $86,565 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,470/month, or 27.7% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $84K get you in Dover?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Dover’s Regional Price Parity (97.51). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About respiratory therapists
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Dover
Respiratory therapists pay in Dover tracks closely to the national median, $84K locally vs. $82K nationwide, a 3% difference. Rent runs $1,470/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 27.8% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 97.51) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for respiratory therapists in metros near Dover, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $89K | $87K |
| Pittsburgh | $75K | $80K |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | $88K | $84K |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $80K | $80K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Dover, DE
Entry-level respiratory therapists (10th percentile) start around $72K. Mid-career wages sit at $84K. Top earners bring in $106K or more, a $33K spread from bottom to top.
Respiratory Therapists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Respiratory Therapists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $112K | +36% | 430 |
| New York | $108K | +31% | 7,010 |
| California | $105K | +27% | 18,650 |
| Massachusetts | $102K | +24% | 2,220 |
| Washington | $101K | +23% | 1,860 |
| New Jersey | $101K | +23% | 3,350 |
| Oregon | $101K | +22% | 1,340 |
| Minnesota | $99K | +20% | 1,250 |
| Alaska | $98K | +19% | 180 |
| New Hampshire | $96K | +17% | 360 |
| Hawaii | $94K | +14% | 510 |
| Delaware | $91K | +11% | 500 |
| Maryland | $89K | +8% | 1,800 |
| Rhode Island | $87K | +6% | 260 |
| Colorado | $86K | +5% | 2,110 |
| Nevada | $85K | +4% | 1,270 |
| Connecticut | $85K | +4% | 1,370 |
| Wisconsin | $84K | +2% | 1,940 |
| Illinois | $84K | +2% | 4,880 |
| Vermont | $84K | +2% | 210 |
| Georgia | $84K | +2% | 5,150 |
| Virginia | $83K | +1% | 3,340 |
| Maine | $82K | +0% | 520 |
| Nebraska | $82K | -1% | 840 |
| North Dakota | $81K | -1% | 270 |
| Montana | $81K | -1% | 390 |
| Florida | $81K | -1% | 8,820 |
| Utah | $81K | -2% | 1,170 |
| North Carolina | $80K | -3% | 4,630 |
| Ohio | $80K | -3% | 6,640 |
| Michigan | $80K | -3% | 4,520 |
| Arizona | $80K | -3% | 3,500 |
| Indiana | $80K | -3% | 3,170 |
| Texas | $80K | -3% | 12,130 |
| Wyoming | $79K | -4% | 160 |
| Oklahoma | $79K | -4% | 2,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $78K | -5% | 6,530 |
| Idaho | $78K | -5% | 820 |
| Missouri | $78K | -5% | 3,030 |
| South Carolina | $78K | -6% | 1,960 |
| Kansas | $77K | -6% | 1,450 |
| Louisiana | $75K | -9% | 2,520 |
| Iowa | $75K | -9% | 910 |
| Arkansas | $74K | -10% | 1,400 |
| Kentucky | $73K | -12% | 2,530 |
| Tennessee | $72K | -12% | 3,440 |
| New Mexico | $69K | -16% | 840 |
| West Virginia | $69K | -17% | 1,140 |
| South Dakota | $68K | -17% | 430 |
| Alabama | $66K | -20% | 2,350 |
| Mississippi | $63K | -23% | 1,670 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 states
Track respiratory therapists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Dover numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a respiratory therapist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Dover?
Yes — at the median salary of $84K, rent takes 27.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,470/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for respiratory therapists in Dover?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new respiratory therapists typically earn — is $72K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,345/month. At HUD’s $1,470/month FMR, rent would take 34% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is respiratory therapist a high-paying job in Dover?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $84K locally vs. $82K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Dover compare to the national average for respiratory therapists?
Dover pays $84K median vs. the U.S. average of $82K — that’s +3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.51), the purchasing-power equivalent is $87K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do respiratory therapists make in Dover, DE?
The median is $84,410 a year, that works out to about $41 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $72,420, and experienced respiratory therapists can clear $105,670. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $84K enough to live in Dover?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,287/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,470/month, which eats 27.8% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a respiratory therapists salary go in Dover?
Dover has a Regional Price Parity of 97.51 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median respiratory therapists salary is worth about $86,565 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do respiratory therapists get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.