According to the Kansas Labor Information Center (LIC), the number of respiratory therapy jobs in Kansas is projected to grow much faster than the national average. Between 2010 and 2020, the LIC expects 25.6% more respiratory therapist jobs to be created in Kansas. Job growth is predicted to be greater than the state’s average in the following regions:
- Northwest region – 38%
- Kansas City region – 32%
- Northeast region – 29%
334 new jobs are expected to become available between 2010 and 2020. More than half of the available jobs are expected to come from growth in the field rather than replacing respiratory therapists who leave the workforce.
Job creation is projected to be highest in the Kansas City region. The projection for 139 new jobs is twice that for any other Kansas region. Respiratory therapy graduates in Kansas are highly successful in finding jobs according to the Commission on the Accreditation for Respiratory Care. Over 86% of these 2013 respiratory therapy graduates found employment.
The state of Kansas reported that 1,307 respiratory therapists were employed in 2010. Over 75% of them were found in these areas:
- Kansas City region – 32.7%
- South central region – 25%
- Northeast region – 16.8%
The Kansas Labor Information Center provides the average 2011 respiratory therapist salary in Kansas. It was $49,340. The median salary for Kansas was $49,220 in 2011. Salary information for Kansas regions is shown below:
2013 salary data for respiratory therapists in major cities is available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Its analysis of Kansas’s respiratory therapist salaries in various parts of the state is shown below: