Respiratory Therapists Salary in Knoxville, TN
Respiratory Therapists in Knoxville, TN make a median of $62,530 a year, or about $30.06 an hour. The range runs from $52K at the entry level to $77K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.57), which stretches that salary to about $67,549 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,471/month — about 33.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $63K get you in Knoxville?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Knoxville’s Regional Price Parity (92.57). 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.
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Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Knoxville, TN
Entry-level respiratory therapists (10th percentile) start around $52K. Mid-career wages sit at $63K. Top earners bring in $77K 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
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $104K | +30% | 360 |
| New York | $104K | +29% | 6,780 |
| California | $102K | +27% | 18,310 |
| New Jersey | $98K | +22% | 3,200 |
| Washington | $97K | +21% | 1,850 |
| Massachusetts | $97K | +20% | 2,140 |
| Oregon | $96K | +19% | 1,410 |
| Hawaii | $95K | +18% | 310 |
| Alaska | $94K | +17% | 170 |
| Minnesota | $88K | +9% | 1,190 |
| Delaware | $87K | +9% | 410 |
| Maryland | $86K | +6% | 1,890 |
| New Hampshire | $84K | +4% | 390 |
| Rhode Island | $84K | +4% | 250 |
| Connecticut | $83K | +3% | 1,540 |
| Wisconsin | $82K | +2% | 1,940 |
| Georgia | $82K | +2% | 5,030 |
| Illinois | $81K | +1% | 5,450 |
| Montana | $81K | +1% | 390 |
| Florida | $80K | -1% | 8,840 |
| Virginia | $80K | -1% | 2,960 |
| Nevada | $80K | -1% | 1,420 |
| Maine | $79K | -1% | 450 |
| Arizona | $79K | -1% | 3,070 |
| Utah | $79K | -2% | 1,020 |
| Nebraska | $79K | -2% | 820 |
| Vermont | $79K | -2% | 230 |
| Ohio | $78K | -3% | 6,460 |
| Indiana | $78K | -3% | 3,330 |
| Texas | $78K | -4% | 11,860 |
| Michigan | $77K | -4% | 4,150 |
| North Carolina | $77K | -4% | 4,440 |
| North Dakota | $77K | -5% | 300 |
| Pennsylvania | $76K | -5% | 5,850 |
| Oklahoma | $76K | -5% | 1,700 |
| South Carolina | $76K | -6% | 1,930 |
| Wyoming | $76K | -6% | 160 |
| Idaho | $76K | -6% | 820 |
| Missouri | $74K | -8% | 3,270 |
| Kansas | $74K | -9% | 1,260 |
| Louisiana | $70K | -13% | 2,280 |
| Iowa | $69K | -14% | 1,050 |
| Arkansas | $68K | -16% | 1,470 |
| New Mexico | $66K | -17% | 600 |
| West Virginia | $66K | -18% | 1,340 |
| Kentucky | $66K | -18% | 2,860 |
| Tennessee | $65K | -19% | 3,070 |
| South Dakota | $65K | -20% | 380 |
| Alabama | $64K | -20% | 2,250 |
| Mississippi | $61K | -24% | 1,690 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track respiratory therapists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Knoxville numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
How much do respiratory therapists make in Knoxville, TN?
The median is $62,530 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $52,090, and experienced respiratory therapists can clear $77,480. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $63K enough to live in Knoxville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,357/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,471/month, which eats 33.8% 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 Knoxville?
Knoxville has a Regional Price Parity of 92.57 (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 $67,549 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.