Respiratory Therapists (RTs) must be licensed in order to work in the state of Colorado. Licenses are issued and regulated by the Division of Professions and Occupations’ Office of Respiratory Therapy.
Colorado is home to four schools with accredited RT programs from which approximately 101 students graduate each year. Schools are conveniently located in cities like Denver, Aurora and Pueblo. There are also a number of online schools with accredited RT programs.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics maintains that 1,590 RTs were working in Colorado in 2013 and that number is expected to increase by 30 percent, or to 2,050 jobs, by 2018. Respiratory therapist salaries in Colorado tend to fall within this range:
- Lowest annual salary – $43,680
- Annual median salary – $56,130
- Annual mean salary – $57,420
- Average annual salary – $56,640
- Highest annual salary – $72,270
Part-time hourly wages range from a low of $21.00 to a high of $34.74. The average hourly wage is $27.23. Graduates with an associate’s degree and a CRT credential can expect to earn the lowest salaries. Individuals who complete a bachelor’s degree and pass the more difficult NBRC’s Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) exam can command higher salaries.
Salaries vary with location. The median annual salaries of persons with CRT and RRT credentials in different Colorado cities are:
The table below provides 2013 Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) salary information for Respiratory Therapists in Colorado: