Respiratory Therapists Salary
Respiratory Therapists in Jacksonville, NC make a median of $54,790 a year, or about $26.34 an hour. The range runs from $51K at the entry level to $76K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.08), which stretches that salary to about $59,503 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,173/month, about 32% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $55K get you in Jacksonville?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Jacksonville’s Regional Price Parity (92.08). 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 Jacksonville
Pay for respiratory therapists in Jacksonville runs about 33% below the U.S. median of $82K. Rent runs $1,173/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32.3% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.08 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for respiratory therapists in metros near Jacksonville, 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, Jacksonville, NC
Entry-level respiratory therapists (10th percentile) start around $51K. Mid-career wages sit at $55K. Top earners bring in $76K or more, a $25K 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 Jacksonville?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $55K, rent takes 32.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,173/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for respiratory therapists in Jacksonville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new respiratory therapists typically earn — is $51K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,054/month. At HUD’s $1,173/month FMR, rent would take 38% 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 Jacksonville?
Local pay runs 33% below the national median — $55K here vs. $82K nationally. Cost of living is 8% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Jacksonville compare to the national average for respiratory therapists?
Jacksonville pays $55K median vs. the U.S. average of $82K — that’s -33%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.08), the purchasing-power equivalent is $60K — below the national median.
How much do respiratory therapists make in Jacksonville, NC?
The median is $54,790 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $50,900, and experienced respiratory therapists can clear $76,200. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $55K enough to live in Jacksonville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,633/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,173/month, which eats 32.3% 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 Jacksonville?
Jacksonville has a Regional Price Parity of 92.08 (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 $59,503 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.