SOC 29-1126 · May 2025 wage baseline
Travel Respiratory Therapist (RT) salary and pay benchmarks
Audit-ready, pre-tax gross-wage benchmarks across 118 covered metros and 52 states or jurisdictions. These figures exclude stipends and premium pay and are comparison data—not live jobs or package quotes.
What this dataset says
Among covered metros, San Jose–Sunnyvale, CA ranks highest at $2,492/week and San Juan–Bayamon, PR ranks lowest at $574/week. The middle metro benchmark is $1,771/week.
As of 2026-07-19, PayBeacon models travel Respiratory Therapist gross wages from May 2025 BLS wages and FY2024 CMS contract-labor filings. Because this is an allied role, the CMS premium is nursing-anchored and should be treated as directional.
What is travel RT pay?
Across PayBeacon's covered metros, the middle modeled travel respiratory therapist (RT) gross-wage benchmark is $1,771/week before tax. San Jose–Sunnyvale, CA is the highest-ranked covered metro at $2,492/week, while San Juan–Bayamon, PR is the lowest-ranked at $574/week.
These are comparison benchmarks—not live jobs, guaranteed salaries, or take-home pay. They exclude stipends, overtime, shift differentials, bonuses, benefits, and reimbursements.
Travel Respiratory Therapist salary and pay by metro
Ranked by modeled weekly gross wage. Open any row for its local wage, state comparison, percentile spread, hospital sample, and downloadable record.
| Metro | Weekly | P25–P75 | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose–Sunnyvale, CA | $2,492 | $2,189–$2,813 | #1 of 118 |
| New York–Newark, NY | $2,434 | $2,221–$2,799 | #2 of 118 |
| Portland–South Portland, ME | $2,393 | $2,118–$2,667 | #3 of 118 |
| Kiryas Joel–Poughkeepsie, NY | $2,355 | $2,200–$2,588 | #4 of 118 |
| Sacramento–Roseville, CA | $2,238 | $1,856–$2,305 | #5 of 118 |
| Bridgeport–Stamford, CT | $2,219 | $1,960–$2,592 | #6 of 118 |
| Boston–Cambridge, MA | $2,217 | $2,039–$2,375 | #7 of 118 |
| Minneapolis–St. Paul, MN | $2,194 | $1,911–$2,254 | #8 of 118 |
| San Francisco–Oakland, CA | $2,168 | $1,770–$2,475 | #9 of 118 |
| Rochester, MN | $2,145 | $2,145–$2,154 | #10 of 118 |
| Milwaukee–Waukesha, WI | $2,132 | $2,000–$2,354 | #11 of 118 |
| Manchester–Nashua, NH | $2,123 | $1,919–$2,300 | #12 of 118 |
| Des Moines–West Des Moines, IA | $2,106 | $1,776–$2,194 | #13 of 118 |
| Providence–Warwick, RI | $2,094 | $1,942–$2,478 | #14 of 118 |
| Omaha, NE | $2,088 | $1,796–$2,181 | #15 of 118 |
| Worcester, MA | $2,080 | $1,869–$2,197 | #16 of 118 |
| Chicago–Naperville, IL | $2,072 | $1,929–$2,304 | #17 of 118 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $2,047 | $1,839–$2,356 | #18 of 118 |
| Indianapolis–Carmel, IN | $2,021 | $1,744–$2,117 | #19 of 118 |
| Denver–Aurora, CO | $2,000 | $1,842–$2,333 | #20 of 118 |
| Washington–Arlington, DC | $1,990 | $1,697–$2,111 | #21 of 118 |
| Philadelphia–Camden, PA | $1,972 | $1,677–$2,154 | #22 of 118 |
| Raleigh–Cary, NC | $1,970 | $1,618–$2,066 | #23 of 118 |
| Toledo, OH | $1,964 | $1,854–$2,252 | #24 of 118 |
| Columbus, OH | $1,954 | $1,901–$2,293 | #25 of 118 |
| Madison, WI | $1,952 | $1,928–$2,353 | #26 of 118 |
| Cincinnati, OH | $1,948 | $1,836–$2,262 | #27 of 118 |
| Dayton–Kettering, OH | $1,944 | $1,848–$2,222 | #28 of 118 |
| Lexington–Fayette, KY | $1,933 | $1,629–$2,216 | #29 of 118 |
| New Haven, CT | $1,930 | $1,871–$2,325 | #30 of 118 |
| Cleveland, OH | $1,918 | $1,861–$2,052 | #31 of 118 |
| Fort Wayne, IN | $1,914 | $1,551–$1,969 | #32 of 118 |
| Buffalo–Cheektowaga, NY | $1,910 | $1,848–$2,125 | #33 of 118 |
| Syracuse, NY | $1,891 | $1,807–$2,249 | #34 of 118 |
| Baltimore–Columbia, MD | $1,888 | $1,757–$2,133 | #35 of 118 |
| Akron, OH | $1,884 | $1,833–$2,171 | #36 of 118 |
| Albany–Schenectady, NY | $1,877 | $1,773–$2,143 | #37 of 118 |
| Seattle–Tacoma, WA | $1,876 | $1,535–$2,182 | #38 of 118 |
| St. Louis, MO | $1,871 | $1,589–$1,974 | #39 of 118 |
| Kansas City, MO | $1,870 | $1,561–$2,129 | #40 of 118 |
| Las Vegas–Henderson, NV | $1,869 | $1,619–$2,329 | #41 of 118 |
| Hartford–West Hartford, CT | $1,851 | $1,816–$2,149 | #42 of 118 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY | $1,849 | $1,598–$1,901 | #43 of 118 |
| Peoria, IL | $1,848 | $1,595–$2,088 | #44 of 118 |
| Charlotte–Concord, NC | $1,840 | $1,759–$2,205 | #45 of 118 |
| Columbia, SC | $1,837 | $1,564–$1,905 | #46 of 118 |
| Lakeland–Winter Haven, FL | $1,830 | $1,684–$1,902 | #47 of 118 |
| Charleston–North Charleston, SC | $1,828 | $1,720–$2,087 | #48 of 118 |
| Rochester, NY | $1,828 | $1,778–$2,155 | #49 of 118 |
| Springfield, MA | $1,824 | $1,751–$2,006 | #50 of 118 |
| Wilmington, NC | $1,818 | $1,475–$1,951 | #51 of 118 |
| Atlanta–Sandy Springs, GA | $1,814 | $1,533–$1,990 | #52 of 118 |
| Greenville–Anderson, SC | $1,805 | $1,552–$1,881 | #53 of 118 |
| Winston–Salem, NC | $1,801 | $1,548–$1,924 | #54 of 118 |
| Greensboro–High Point, NC | $1,797 | $1,729–$1,987 | #55 of 118 |
| Portland–Vancouver, OR | $1,796 | $1,530–$1,866 | #56 of 118 |
| Lancaster, PA | $1,778 | $1,438–$1,865 | #57 of 118 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $1,778 | $1,503–$1,840 | #58 of 118 |
| Allentown–Bethlehem, PA | $1,776 | $1,652–$2,058 | #59 of 118 |
| Tulsa, OK | $1,766 | $1,474–$1,858 | #60 of 118 |
| North Port–Bradenton, FL | $1,762 | $1,606–$1,817 | #61 of 118 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $1,760 | $1,609–$1,909 | #62 of 118 |
| Port St. Lucie, FL | $1,757 | $1,707–$1,760 | #63 of 118 |
| Harrisburg–Carlisle, PA | $1,749 | $1,423–$1,804 | #64 of 118 |
| San Diego–Chula Vista, CA | $1,749 | $1,455–$2,095 | #65 of 118 |
| Los Angeles–Long Beach, CA | $1,742 | $1,417–$1,956 | #66 of 118 |
| Orlando–Kissimmee, FL | $1,740 | $1,491–$1,802 | #67 of 118 |
| Scranton–Wilkes, PA | $1,740 | $1,407–$1,772 | #68 of 118 |
| Wichita, KS | $1,739 | $1,587–$1,939 | #69 of 118 |
| Mobile, AL | $1,738 | $1,462–$1,751 | #70 of 118 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $1,734 | $1,648–$1,750 | #71 of 118 |
| Richmond, VA | $1,734 | $1,658–$2,009 | #72 of 118 |
| Tampa–St. Petersburg, FL | $1,731 | $1,648–$1,940 | #73 of 118 |
| Pensacola–Ferry Pass, FL | $1,729 | $1,568–$1,937 | #74 of 118 |
| Virginia Beach–Chesapeake, VA | $1,717 | $1,685–$1,961 | #75 of 118 |
| Phoenix–Mesa, AZ | $1,716 | $1,499–$1,864 | #76 of 118 |
| Miami–Fort Lauderdale, FL | $1,715 | $1,570–$1,978 | #77 of 118 |
| Springfield, MO | $1,713 | $1,492–$1,943 | #78 of 118 |
| Cape Coral–Fort Myers, FL | $1,711 | $1,672–$1,986 | #79 of 118 |
| Bakersfield–Delano, CA | $1,710 | $1,390–$1,811 | #80 of 118 |
| Detroit–Warren, MI | $1,705 | $1,634–$1,814 | #81 of 118 |
| Oxnard–Thousand Oaks, CA | $1,702 | $1,411–$2,138 | #82 of 118 |
| Stockton–Lodi, CA | $1,699 | $1,657–$2,160 | #83 of 118 |
| Nashville–Davidson, TN | $1,688 | $1,547–$1,794 | #84 of 118 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | $1,685 | $1,685–$1,837 | #85 of 118 |
| Tucson, AZ | $1,685 | $1,445–$1,766 | #86 of 118 |
| Salt Lake City–Murray, UT | $1,677 | $1,441–$1,805 | #87 of 118 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $1,676 | $1,427–$1,775 | #88 of 118 |
| Riverside–San Bernardino, CA | $1,673 | $1,361–$1,754 | #89 of 118 |
| Palm Bay–Melbourne, FL | $1,669 | $1,626–$1,738 | #90 of 118 |
| Deltona–Daytona Beach, FL | $1,667 | $1,465–$1,780 | #91 of 118 |
| Boise City, ID | $1,658 | $1,553–$1,691 | #92 of 118 |
| Grand Rapids–Wyoming, MI | $1,648 | $1,439–$1,714 | #93 of 118 |
| Sioux Falls, SD | $1,628 | $1,242–$1,977 | #94 of 118 |
| Little Rock–North Little Rock, AR | $1,627 | $1,363–$1,691 | #95 of 118 |
| Gainesville, FL | $1,615 | $1,615–$1,703 | #96 of 118 |
| New Orleans–Metairie, LA | $1,612 | $1,359–$1,677 | #97 of 118 |
| Chattanooga, TN | $1,594 | $1,365–$1,606 | #98 of 118 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $1,562 | $1,346–$1,717 | #99 of 118 |
| Shreveport–Bossier City, LA | $1,556 | $1,406–$1,749 | #100 of 118 |
| Dallas–Fort Worth, TX | $1,514 | $1,418–$1,753 | #101 of 118 |
| Huntington–Ashland, WV | $1,510 | $1,428–$1,768 | #102 of 118 |
| Augusta–Richmond County, GA | $1,492 | $1,376–$1,772 | #103 of 118 |
| Austin–Round Rock, TX | $1,490 | $1,410–$1,733 | #104 of 118 |
| Birmingham, AL | $1,475 | $1,248–$1,697 | #105 of 118 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $1,463 | $1,376–$1,606 | #106 of 118 |
| Houston–Pasadena, TX | $1,448 | $1,205–$1,743 | #107 of 118 |
| Memphis, TN | $1,425 | $1,395–$1,686 | #108 of 118 |
| Huntsville, AL | $1,406 | $1,315–$1,655 | #109 of 118 |
| San Antonio–New Braunfels, TX | $1,402 | $1,178–$1,654 | #110 of 118 |
| Knoxville, TN | $1,389 | $1,357–$1,627 | #111 of 118 |
| Jackson, MS | $1,388 | $1,295–$1,597 | #112 of 118 |
| Fresno, CA | $1,387 | $1,374–$1,743 | #113 of 118 |
| Lubbock, TX | $1,378 | $1,200–$1,437 | #114 of 118 |
| El Paso, TX | $1,359 | $1,166–$1,568 | #115 of 118 |
| Killeen–Temple, TX | $1,339 | $1,296–$1,639 | #116 of 118 |
| McAllen–Edinburg, TX | $1,177 | $1,156–$1,344 | #117 of 118 |
| San Juan–Bayamon, PR | $574 | $523–$1,162 | #118 of 118 |
Travel Respiratory Therapist salary and pay by state
| State / jurisdiction | Weekly | P25–P75 | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $2,375 | $2,107–$2,795 | #1 of 52 |
| Maine | $2,283 | $2,008–$2,395 | #2 of 52 |
| Delaware | $2,268 | $2,064–$2,415 | #3 of 52 |
| North Dakota | $2,257 | $1,856–$2,349 | #4 of 52 |
| New Jersey | $2,216 | $1,924–$2,337 | #5 of 52 |
| District of Columbia | $2,185 | $1,930–$2,487 | #6 of 52 |
| New Hampshire | $2,183 | $1,918–$2,302 | #7 of 52 |
| Massachusetts | $2,166 | $1,826–$2,288 | #8 of 52 |
| Minnesota | $2,146 | $1,879–$2,239 | #9 of 52 |
| Wyoming | $2,107 | $1,811–$2,184 | #10 of 52 |
| Alaska | $2,104 | $1,817–$2,175 | #11 of 52 |
| Rhode Island | $2,100 | $2,007–$2,478 | #12 of 52 |
| Nebraska | $2,096 | $1,891–$2,213 | #13 of 52 |
| Iowa | $2,081 | $1,800–$2,247 | #14 of 52 |
| Wisconsin | $2,016 | $1,887–$2,310 | #15 of 52 |
| Colorado | $2,009 | $1,840–$2,333 | #16 of 52 |
| Illinois | $2,001 | $1,843–$2,291 | #17 of 52 |
| Indiana | $1,971 | $1,676–$2,101 | #18 of 52 |
| Montana | $1,968 | $1,633–$2,068 | #19 of 52 |
| Vermont | $1,951 | $1,848–$2,286 | #20 of 52 |
| Connecticut | $1,930 | $1,825–$2,219 | #21 of 52 |
| Maryland | $1,908 | $1,778–$2,173 | #22 of 52 |
| Ohio | $1,907 | $1,797–$2,157 | #23 of 52 |
| Nevada | $1,877 | $1,653–$2,345 | #24 of 52 |
| Kansas | $1,876 | $1,577–$1,980 | #25 of 52 |
| Missouri | $1,852 | $1,531–$1,962 | #26 of 52 |
| Washington | $1,821 | $1,528–$1,911 | #27 of 52 |
| Oregon | $1,805 | $1,532–$1,874 | #28 of 52 |
| North Carolina | $1,797 | $1,526–$1,970 | #29 of 52 |
| South Carolina | $1,790 | $1,552–$1,897 | #30 of 52 |
| Hawaii | $1,760 | $1,610–$1,909 | #31 of 52 |
| Virginia | $1,758 | $1,671–$2,009 | #32 of 52 |
| Kentucky | $1,757 | $1,524–$1,925 | #33 of 52 |
| South Dakota | $1,746 | $1,587–$2,031 | #34 of 52 |
| California | $1,745 | $1,461–$2,148 | #35 of 52 |
| Pennsylvania | $1,743 | $1,486–$1,946 | #36 of 52 |
| Oklahoma | $1,734 | $1,477–$1,840 | #37 of 52 |
| Florida | $1,721 | $1,595–$1,865 | #38 of 52 |
| Arizona | $1,717 | $1,521–$1,852 | #39 of 52 |
| Utah | $1,713 | $1,491–$1,822 | #40 of 52 |
| Michigan | $1,685 | $1,514–$1,752 | #41 of 52 |
| Idaho | $1,658 | $1,535–$1,691 | #42 of 52 |
| Arkansas | $1,596 | $1,363–$1,696 | #43 of 52 |
| Georgia | $1,590 | $1,413–$1,932 | #44 of 52 |
| Louisiana | $1,583 | $1,356–$1,687 | #45 of 52 |
| West Virginia | $1,570 | $1,460–$1,768 | #46 of 52 |
| Tennessee | $1,547 | $1,365–$1,686 | #47 of 52 |
| New Mexico | $1,463 | $1,339–$1,654 | #48 of 52 |
| Alabama | $1,446 | $1,257–$1,681 | #49 of 52 |
| Texas | $1,432 | $1,254–$1,687 | #50 of 52 |
| Mississippi | $1,301 | $1,175–$1,559 | #51 of 52 |
| Puerto Rico | $523 | $452–$1,062 | #52 of 52 |