California · BLS SOC 29-1126
Respiratory Therapist salary in California
Median $109,140 · Top 10% earn $160,240+ · Roughly 15,939 workers in California. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2024.
- California median
- $109,140
- $52.47/hr
- Top 10%
- $160,240
- 90th percentile
- Bottom 10%
- $75,830
- Entry-level range
- Real pay
- $95,905
- CoL-adjusted (RPP 113.8)
California pays meaningfully above the U.S. median for respiratory therapists — $109,140 versus the national median of $77,960. Even after adjusting for California's high cost of living, the real pay still leads the U.S. average. The state employs roughly 15,939 respiratory therapists.
What drives respiratory therapist pay in California
California is the only state that licenses RTs distinctly from the national NBRC credential — the RCP (Respiratory Care Practitioner) license through the California RCB is required and adds 8–16 weeks of paperwork. The pay premium ($25–40K above national median) is the largest state-level RT differential in the U.S., driven by Title 22 staffing rules and union density at Kaiser, Sutter, and HCA-affiliated systems.
Top-paying metros in California
California-area metropolitan areas with the highest respiratory therapist medians.
California metros
10 highest-paying metropolitan areas. Source: BLS OEWS metro tables, May 2024.
| Rank | Metro | Median |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | $122,700 |
| 2 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $119,800 |
| 3 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $124,100 |
| 4 | Vallejo, CA | $128,500 |
| 5 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $109,200 |
California ranks #1 of 50 states
Where California sits in the national distribution for respiratory therapist pay, and the closest comparable states above and below.
| Rank | State | Median | vs. California |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California (this page) | $109,140 | — |
| #2 | Washington | $95,110 | −$14,030 |
| #3 | District of Columbia | $94,330 | −$14,810 |
| #4 | Alaska | $93,550 | −$15,590 |
Find Respiratory Therapist programs near you
We surface accredited programs by state — community college, online, and accelerated. Compare tuition, length, and start dates.
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Education path for California
The typical path is a associate degree + state license; bachelor's preferred for advancement, taking about 24 months. Tuition ranges from $9,000 (community college) to $50,000 (private accelerated). On the California median of $109,140, payback periods are typically 0.6 years or less from a starting income near minimum wage.
For full credentialing detail and the realistic career outlook, see the Respiratory Therapist salary overview. To run your own numbers, use the ROI calculator with California selected.
Respiratory Therapist salary in California — FAQ
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Methodology note
California-level wage data sourced from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 release (SOC 29-1126: Respiratory Therapists), with state pay indexes from BLS area-comparison tables. Cost-of-living adjustments use BEA Regional Price Parities, 2023 release, where California's RPP is 113.8 (U.S. = 100). Last reviewed: May 2026.