The Utah Department of Workforce Services, through its statewide star rating, has given the respiratory therapist occupation a five-star rating, which is reserved only for occupations with the strongest employment outlooks and the best median, annual salaries.
According to the Department of Workforce Services, the median salary for respiratory therapists, as of 2014, was $27.13 per hour, or $56,430 per year. The Department also reported that this allied health profession has an average of 50 annual openings.
The average salary for inexperienced respiratory therapists was $21.25 per hour, or $44,182, as of May 2013.
The Utah Department of Workforce Services also breaks down average salaries according to Utah regions, as of May 2013:
Bear River
- Inexperienced: $20.51, or $42,648
- Median: $24.10, or $50,121
Eastern Utah
- Inexperienced: $21.10, or $43,888
- Median: $24.19, or $50,302
Ogden-Clearfield
- Inexperienced: $20.68, or $43,008
- Median: $26.18, or $54,451
The Department of Workforce Services reported that the respiratory therapist occupation is expected to experience a much faster job growth rate between 2010 and 2020, due primarily to business expansion, as opposed to the need for replacements.
Current and projected employment statistics for respiratory therapists between 2010 and 2020 are as follows:
- Statewide: Current employment: 840; projected employment: 1,140
- Provo-Orem: Current employment: 131; projected employment: 180
- Ogden-Clearfield: Current employment: 175; projected employment: 242
- Bear River: Current employment: 45; projected employment: 61
The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides additional information on respiratory therapist salaries in Utah by city: