The South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation reported that as of June 2014, the annual, average salary for respiratory therapists in South Dakota was $23.92 per hour, with the top 10 percent earning $31.40 per hour and the bottom 10 percent earning $17.46 per hour.
The Department further broke down salaries for respiratory therapists in South Dakota by region:
Sioux Falls:
- Lowest 10 percent: $16.43 per hour
- Highest 10 percent: $28.79 per hour
- Average salary: $22.43 per hour
Central South Dakota:
- Lowest 10 percent: $18.78 per hour
- Highest 10 percent: $35.19 per hour
- Average salary: $27.30 per hour
Eastern South Dakota:
- Lowest 10 percent: $19.25 per hour
- Highest 10 percent: $29.90 per hour
- Average salary: $23.75 per hour
Although salaries for South Dakota respiratory therapists fall below the national average ($27.06 per hour, as of May 2013) in most areas of the state, employment projections for these allied health professionals are strong.
The South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation reports that as of 2012, there were 335 respiratory therapists employed in the State; by 2022, this number is expected to increase to 380, a 13.4 percent increase, far greater than the statewide employment projected growth of just 7 percent. There are about 9 annual openings per year for respiratory therapists in South Dakota.
As of June 2014, the Sioux Falls area of South Dakota had the most respiratory therapist jobs, at 160, followed by Eastern South Dakota at 70 and Central South Dakota at 20.
Additional statistical information on respiratory therapist salaries in South Dakota can be found in the following table, provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics: