The field of respiratory therapy is growing throughout the country. Employment projections from the Washington Employment Security Department show the number of respiratory therapist positions in the state will increase 10% faster than the national average, with a 21% increase in the number of new RT jobs expected between 2012 and 2022. The projected growth rates for respiratory therapists in several Washington counties are shown below:
- Pierce County – 20.2%
- Seattle-King County – 22.6%
- Snohomish County – 24.8%
The Employment Security Department also provides a detailed breakdown of 2013 respiratory therapist salaries in the state. The median respiratory therapist salary in Washington was $64,376. Respiratory therapists in the 25th percentile made $55,765 while those in the 75th percentile earned $72,842.
Respiratory therapist salaries varied quite a bit in different metropolitan areas as shown below:
2013 salary information for areas outside of these metropolitan areas is also available:
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicated that the nonmetropolitan area of Eastern Washington was the fifth top paying such area in the country.
Washington Employment Security Department employment estimates indicated that 1,844 respiratory therapists were employed in Washington in 2012. Slightly more than half of these professionals were located in the following counties:
- Seattle-King County – 614
- Pierce County – 233
- Snohomish County – 121
The Commission on the Accreditation for Respiratory Care indicated that 86.1% of 2013 graduates from Washington’s five accredited respiratory therapist training programs found jobs. 94.2% of them passed the exam to obtain an entry-level CRT credential.
The BLS provides an additional breakdown of Washington respiratory therapist salaries by city in the following table: