Respiratory Therapists Salary
Respiratory Therapists in Fort Collins-Loveland, CO make a median of $83,880 a year, or about $40.33 an hour. The range runs from $68K at the entry level to $99K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 101.13), that's roughly $82,943 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,759/month, about 32.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $84K actually covers in Fort Collins-Loveland, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Fort Collins-Loveland’s Regional Price Parity (101.13). 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
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What this looks like in Fort Collins-Loveland
Respiratory therapists pay in Fort Collins-Loveland tracks closely to the national median, $84K locally vs. $82K nationwide, a 2% difference. Rent runs $1,759/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 33.1% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 101.13) 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 Fort Collins-Loveland, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $86K | $81K |
| Colorado Springs | $88K | $87K |
| Boulder | $92K | $87K |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $80K | $77K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Fort Collins-Loveland, CO
Entry-level respiratory therapists (10th percentile) start around $68K. Mid-career wages sit at $84K. Top earners bring in $99K or more, a $31K 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 (all 50 states + DC)
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a respiratory therapist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Fort Collins-Loveland?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $84K, rent takes 33.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,759/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for respiratory therapists in Fort Collins-Loveland?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new respiratory therapists typically earn — is $68K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,450/month. At HUD’s $1,759/month FMR, rent would take 40% 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 Fort Collins-Loveland?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $84K locally vs. $82K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Fort Collins-Loveland compare to the national average for respiratory therapists?
Fort Collins-Loveland pays $84K median vs. the U.S. average of $82K — that’s +2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 101.13), the purchasing-power equivalent is $83K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do respiratory therapists make in Fort Collins-Loveland, CO?
The median is $83,880 a year, that works out to about $40 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $68,260, and experienced respiratory therapists can clear $99,240. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $84K enough to live in Fort Collins-Loveland?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,309/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,759/month, which eats 33.1% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a respiratory therapists salary go in Fort Collins-Loveland?
Fort Collins-Loveland has a Regional Price Parity of 101.13 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median respiratory therapists salary is worth about $82,943 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.