Respiratory Therapists Salary in Lafayette, LA
Respiratory Therapists in Lafayette, LA make a median of $64,390 a year, or about $30.96 an hour. The range runs from $60K at the entry level to $84K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.21), which stretches that salary to about $73,833 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,019/month, or 24.1% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $64K get you in Lafayette?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lafayette’s Regional Price Parity (87.21). 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, Lafayette, LA
Entry-level respiratory therapists (10th percentile) start around $60K. Mid-career wages sit at $64K. Top earners bring in $84K or more, a $24K 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 Lafayette numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
How much do respiratory therapists make in Lafayette, LA?
The median is $64,390 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $60,430, and experienced respiratory therapists can clear $84,090. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $64K enough to live in Lafayette?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,294/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,019/month, which eats 23.7% 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 Lafayette?
Lafayette has a Regional Price Parity of 87.21 (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 $73,833 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.