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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2018

29-2054 Respiratory Therapy Technicians

Provide respiratory care under the direction of respiratory therapists and physicians.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
9,090 3.3 % $24.70 $51,380 0.9 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $15.02 $19.62 $24.62 $29.76 $35.35
Annual Wage (2) $31,240 $40,810 $51,210 $61,910 $73,530


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 6,920 0.12 $25.71 $53,470
Rental and Leasing Services (5322, 5323, and 5324 only) 340 0.10 $21.20 $44,100
Offices of Physicians 270 0.01 $22.53 $46,860
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 240 0.09 $24.60 $51,160
Home Health Care Services 220 0.02 $21.97 $45,710

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 6,920 0.12 $25.71 $53,470
Rental and Leasing Services (5322, 5323, and 5324 only) 340 0.10 $21.20 $44,100
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 240 0.09 $24.60 $51,160
Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 180 0.03 $22.36 $46,520
Home Health Care Services 220 0.02 $21.97 $45,710

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 6,920 0.12 $25.71 $53,470
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 240 0.09 $24.60 $51,160
Outpatient Care Centers 70 0.01 $23.44 $48,760
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 40 (7) $23.09 $48,020
Offices of Physicians 270 0.01 $22.53 $46,860


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 1,090 0.09 1.43 $24.97 $51,930
Missouri 920 0.33 5.22 $25.71 $53,470
Illinois 650 0.11 1.72 $27.09 $56,340
California 530 0.03 0.50 $23.15 $48,150
Florida 470 0.05 0.87 $23.88 $49,670




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Missouri 920 0.33 5.22 $25.71 $53,470
Mississippi 320 0.28 4.53 $21.99 $45,730
Arkansas 320 0.26 4.18 $22.62 $47,050
Arizona 440 0.16 2.51 $28.32 $58,900
Maryland 330 0.12 1.96 $29.43 $61,220




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nevada 90 0.06 1.02 $37.68 $78,380
New Jersey 60 0.02 0.25 $30.90 $64,260
Maryland 330 0.12 1.96 $29.43 $61,220
Massachusetts 200 0.06 0.90 $28.87 $60,060
Arizona 440 0.16 2.51 $28.32 $58,900





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
St. Louis, MO-IL 470 0.34 5.49 $26.66 $55,460
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 400 0.09 1.37 $28.56 $59,410
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 330 0.16 2.54 $29.27 $60,880
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 280 0.10 1.63 $24.20 $50,340
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 260 0.19 3.04 $29.23 $60,790
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 220 0.02 0.37 $28.92 $60,160
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 190 0.05 0.86 $25.96 $53,990
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 190 0.07 1.16 $24.36 $50,680
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 190 0.06 1.00 $23.41 $48,690
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 180 0.06 0.93 $34.00 $70,730




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Jonesboro, AR 60 1.14 18.19 $22.54 $46,890
Columbia, MO 100 1.02 16.26 $20.68 $43,010
St. Louis, MO-IL 470 0.34 5.49 $26.66 $55,460
Ann Arbor, MI 60 0.26 4.08 $19.95 $41,500
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS 30 0.20 3.19 $23.93 $49,780
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 260 0.19 3.04 $29.23 $60,790
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 330 0.16 2.54 $29.27 $60,880
Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC 60 0.15 2.44 $22.87 $47,570
Kansas City, MO-KS 150 0.14 2.23 $26.45 $55,010
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 110 0.11 1.70 $26.66 $55,440




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 40 0.04 0.60 $39.75 $82,670
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 180 0.06 0.93 $34.00 $70,730
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 150 0.06 0.89 $29.45 $61,250
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 330 0.16 2.54 $29.27 $60,880
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 260 0.19 3.04 $29.23 $60,790
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 220 0.02 0.37 $28.92 $60,160
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 400 0.09 1.37 $28.56 $59,410
Springfield, IL (8) (8) (8) $27.87 $57,960
St. Louis, MO-IL 470 0.34 5.49 $26.66 $55,460
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 110 0.11 1.70 $26.66 $55,440

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 70 0.29 4.64 $19.46 $40,490
Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area 50 0.38 6.05 $25.83 $53,720
Southeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 50 0.32 5.15 $17.71 $36,840
Central Missouri nonmetropolitan area 50 0.30 4.72 $26.65 $55,440
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 40 0.11 1.81 $21.92 $45,590

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 40 0.41 6.46 $20.57 $42,790
Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area 50 0.38 6.05 $25.83 $53,720
Southeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 50 0.32 5.15 $17.71 $36,840
Central Missouri nonmetropolitan area 50 0.30 4.72 $26.65 $55,440
Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 70 0.29 4.64 $19.46 $40,490

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Central Missouri nonmetropolitan area 50 0.30 4.72 $26.65 $55,440
Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area 50 0.38 6.05 $25.83 $53,720
Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 40 0.19 3.10 $24.62 $51,220
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 30 0.13 2.00 $23.62 $49,120
South Georgia nonmetropolitan area 30 0.17 2.65 $22.67 $47,160


About May 2018 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2018 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 29, 2019