The field of respiratory therapy is growing throughout the US as its aging population becomes more susceptible to respiratory problems. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development projected that 17.6% more respiratory therapists will be needed in the state between 2012 and 2022. More than half of the positions are expected to be due to growth in the field with the remaining jobs coming from the replacement of workers leaving the field.
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development indicated that 1,626 respiratory therapists were employed in Michigan in 2012. The median respiratory therapist salary in Minnesota was $64,210 in the first quarter of 2014.
Those in the 10th percentile of the field made $49,109 while those in the 90th percentile earned $76,045.
Median salaries were highest in Southeast Minnesota in 2014 as shown below:
- Southeast Minnesota – $66,768
- Central Minnesota – $65,624
- Seven County Minneapolis-St. Paul – $65,187
- Northeast Minnesota – $61,672
- Southwest Minnesota – $59,883
- Southwest Balance of State – $59,010
- Southeast Balance of State – $56,888
- Northwest Minnesota – $52,104
- Northwest Balance of State – $52,021
- Fargo-Moorhead – $51,709
- Grand Forks – $48,131
Minnesota respiratory therapist salaries are projected to increase by 17.8% between 2012 and 2022. Increases are projected to be much greater in the Seven County Minneapolis-St. Paul area and in Southeast Minnesota. These projected increases are 26.4% and 30% respectively.
Minnesota’s five accredited respiratory therapy programs produced 79 graduates in 2012, according to the Commission on the Accreditation for Respiratory Care. Such graduates are well prepared to enter the job market. Nearly 97% of them passed their exam to obtain a Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) credential in 2013, and more than 92% of them found jobs.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides 2013 salary data for respiratory therapists in Minnesota’s major cities. This information is presented below: