Respiratory Therapists Salary
Respiratory Therapists in Greenville, NC make a median of $69,310 a year, or about $33.32 an hour. The range runs from $68K at the entry level to $85K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.4), which stretches that salary to about $78,405 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,095/month, or 23.6% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $69K get you in Greenville?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Greenville’s Regional Price Parity (88.4). 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 Greenville
Pay for respiratory therapists in Greenville runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $82K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,095/month, 24.3% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.4 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Greenville can be a reasonable trade-off for respiratory therapistss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for respiratory therapists in metros near Greenville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $82K | $84K |
| Winston-Salem | $80K | $87K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $88K | $89K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $80K | $86K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Greenville, NC
Entry-level respiratory therapists (10th percentile) start around $68K. Mid-career wages sit at $69K. Top earners bring in $85K or more, a $17K 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)
Track respiratory therapists salary changes
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Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a respiratory therapist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Greenville?
Yes — at the median salary of $69K, rent takes 24.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,095/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for respiratory therapists in Greenville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new respiratory therapists typically earn — is $68K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,053/month. At HUD’s $1,095/month FMR, rent would take 27% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is respiratory therapist a high-paying job in Greenville?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $69K here vs. $82K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Greenville compare to the national average for respiratory therapists?
Greenville pays $69K median vs. the U.S. average of $82K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.4), the purchasing-power equivalent is $78K — below the national median.
How much do respiratory therapists make in Greenville, NC?
The median is $69,310 a year, that works out to about $33 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $67,550, and experienced respiratory therapists can clear $84,770. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $69K enough to live in Greenville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,502/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,095/month, which eats 24.3% 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 Greenville?
Greenville has a Regional Price Parity of 88.4 (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 $78,405 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.