Respiratory Therapists Salary
Respiratory Therapists in Tulsa, OK make a median of $80,250 a year, or about $38.58 an hour. The range runs from $64K at the entry level to $95K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.21), which stretches that salary to about $89,956 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,217/month, or 24% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $80K actually covers in Tulsa, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Tulsa’s Regional Price Parity (89.21). 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.
About respiratory therapists
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Tulsa
Respiratory therapists pay in Tulsa tracks closely to the national median, $80K locally vs. $82K nationwide, a 2% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,217/month, 23.7% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.21 (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 Tulsa, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma City | $81K | $89K |
| Enid | $77K | $92K |
| Fort Collins-Loveland | $84K | , |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $80K | $82K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Tulsa, OK
Entry-level respiratory therapists (10th percentile) start around $64K. Mid-career wages sit at $80K. Top earners bring in $95K or more, a $31K 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
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Tulsa numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a respiratory therapist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Tulsa?
Yes — at the median salary of $80K, rent takes 23.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,217/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for respiratory therapists in Tulsa?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new respiratory therapists typically earn — is $64K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,240/month. At HUD’s $1,217/month FMR, rent would take 29% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is respiratory therapist a high-paying job in Tulsa?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $80K locally vs. $82K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Tulsa compare to the national average for respiratory therapists?
Tulsa pays $80K median vs. the U.S. average of $82K — that’s -2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.21), the purchasing-power equivalent is $90K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do respiratory therapists make in Tulsa, OK?
The median is $80,250 a year, that works out to about $39 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $64,020, and experienced respiratory therapists can clear $95,230. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $80K enough to live in Tulsa?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,127/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,217/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 Tulsa?
Tulsa has a Regional Price Parity of 89.21 (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 $89,956 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.