Respiratory Therapists Salary
Respiratory Therapists in Waterbury-Shelton, CT make a median of $89,660 a year, or about $43.1 an hour. The range runs from $74K at the entry level to $101K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 99.78), that's roughly $89,858 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,788/month, about 31.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $90K get you in Waterbury-Shelton?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Waterbury-Shelton’s Regional Price Parity (99.78). 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 Waterbury-Shelton
Respiratory therapists pay in Waterbury-Shelton tracks closely to the national median, $90K locally vs. $82K nationwide, a 9% difference. Rent runs $1,788/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 99.78) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for respiratory therapists in metros near Waterbury-Shelton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford | $82K | $80K |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury | $98K | $92K |
| New Haven | $85K | $82K |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic | $79K | $78K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Waterbury-Shelton, CT
Entry-level respiratory therapists (10th percentile) start around $74K. Mid-career wages sit at $90K. Top earners bring in $101K or more, a $26K 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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Frequently asked questions
Can a respiratory therapist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Waterbury-Shelton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $90K, rent takes 32% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,788/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for respiratory therapists in Waterbury-Shelton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new respiratory therapists typically earn — is $74K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,452/month. At HUD’s $1,788/month FMR, rent would take 40% 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 Waterbury-Shelton?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $90K locally vs. $82K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Waterbury-Shelton compare to the national average for respiratory therapists?
Waterbury-Shelton pays $90K median vs. the U.S. average of $82K — that’s +9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 99.78), the purchasing-power equivalent is $90K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do respiratory therapists make in Waterbury-Shelton, CT?
The median is $89,660 a year, that works out to about $43 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $74,200, and experienced respiratory therapists can clear $100,550. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $90K enough to live in Waterbury-Shelton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,582/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,788/month, which eats 32% 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 Waterbury-Shelton?
Waterbury-Shelton has a Regional Price Parity of 99.78 (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 $89,858 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.