Respiratory Therapists Salary
Respiratory Therapists in Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ make a median of $78,600 a year, or about $37.79 an hour. The range runs from $65K at the entry level to $88K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.24), which stretches that salary to about $88,077 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,257/month, or 23.9% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $79K get you in Sierra Vista-Douglas?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Sierra Vista-Douglas’s Regional Price Parity (89.24). 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 Sierra Vista-Douglas
Respiratory therapists pay in Sierra Vista-Douglas tracks closely to the national median, $79K locally vs. $82K nationwide, a 4% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,257/month, 24.4% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.24 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% 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 Sierra Vista-Douglas, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $80K | $77K |
| Tucson | $78K | $81K |
| Yuma | $74K | $79K |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman | $82K | $87K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ
Entry-level respiratory therapists (10th percentile) start around $65K. Mid-career wages sit at $79K. Top earners bring in $88K or more, a $23K 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 Sierra Vista-Douglas?
Yes — at the median salary of $79K, rent takes 24.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,257/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for respiratory therapists in Sierra Vista-Douglas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new respiratory therapists typically earn — is $65K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,917/month. At HUD’s $1,257/month FMR, rent would take 32% 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 Sierra Vista-Douglas?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $79K locally vs. $82K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Sierra Vista-Douglas compare to the national average for respiratory therapists?
Sierra Vista-Douglas pays $79K median vs. the U.S. average of $82K — that’s -4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.24), the purchasing-power equivalent is $88K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do respiratory therapists make in Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ?
The median is $78,600 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $65,290, and experienced respiratory therapists can clear $88,360. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $79K enough to live in Sierra Vista-Douglas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,143/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,257/month, which eats 24.4% 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 Sierra Vista-Douglas?
Sierra Vista-Douglas has a Regional Price Parity of 89.24 (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 $88,077 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.
