GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Respiratory Therapists
Best States to Be a Respiratory Therapists
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a respiratory therapists salary goes furthest in District of Columbia — a $111,950 BLS median worth $95,822 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 115.3).
Which US states are best for a respiratory therapists after cost of living and tax?
For a respiratory therapists, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks District of Columbia #1: a $111,950 BLS median becomes $95,822 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 115.3). Mississippi ranks last ($70,488, index 84.8). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 51 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
District of Columbia ranks #1 of 51 states for a respiratory therapists. Index 100 = the average state; 115.3 means pay goes 15.3% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedRespiratory Therapists — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $111,950 | $6,641 | 109.9 | $95,822 | 115.3 |
| 2 | Alaska | $97,950 | — | 102.4 | $95,693 | 115.1 |
| 3 | New York | $107,810 | $5,420 | 107.9 | $94,875 | 114.1 |
| 4 | Minnesota | $98,710 | $5,223 | 98.6 | $94,794 | 114.0 |
| 5 | Washington | $101,130 | — | 107.0 | $94,503 | 113.7 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $95,940 | — | 104.2 | $92,104 | 110.8 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $102,170 | $4,889 | 105.8 | $91,986 | 110.6 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $81,230 | $346 | 89.0 | $90,923 | 109.4 |
| 9 | California | $104,820 | $5,626 | 110.7 | $89,590 | 107.8 |
| 10 | Oregon | $100,560 | $7,995 | 103.4 | $89,555 | 107.7 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $100,810 | $4,232 | 108.8 | $88,763 | 106.8 |
| 12 | Nebraska | $81,590 | $3,147 | 90.1 | $87,060 | 104.7 |
| 13 | Delaware | $91,080 | $4,670 | 99.8 | $86,576 | 104.1 |
| 14 | Oklahoma | $78,800 | $3,205 | 87.8 | $86,057 | 103.5 |
| 15 | Wisconsin | $84,210 | $3,311 | 94.1 | $85,976 | 103.4 |
| 16 | Wyoming | $79,330 | — | 92.7 | $85,585 | 102.9 |
| 17 | Nevada | $85,480 | — | 100.0 | $85,498 | 102.8 |
| 18 | Ohio | $79,920 | $1,415 | 92.8 | $84,619 | 101.8 |
| 19 | Missouri | $78,390 | $2,803 | 90.8 | $83,230 | 100.1 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $75,240 | $1,882 | 88.2 | $83,166 | 100.0 |
| 21 | Georgia | $83,700 | $3,865 | 96.3 | $82,909 | 99.7 |
| 22 | Indiana | $79,730 | $2,362 | 93.3 | $82,898 | 99.7 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $86,900 | $2,659 | 102.3 | $82,363 | 99.1 |
| 24 | Vermont | $83,820 | $3,150 | 98.0 | $82,351 | 99.1 |
| 25 | Iowa | $74,760 | $2,801 | 87.8 | $81,993 | 98.6 |
| 26 | Texas | $79,540 | — | 97.1 | $81,952 | 98.6 |
| 27 | Montana | $81,190 | $3,652 | 94.6 | $81,925 | 98.5 |
| 28 | Arkansas | $73,870 | $2,672 | 86.9 | $81,896 | 98.5 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $80,090 | $2,862 | 94.3 | $81,874 | 98.5 |
| 30 | Kansas | $76,970 | $3,495 | 90.1 | $81,577 | 98.1 |
| 31 | Maryland | $88,960 | $3,893 | 105.0 | $81,048 | 97.5 |
| 32 | Maine | $82,470 | $3,952 | 97.0 | $80,905 | 97.3 |
| 33 | Colorado | $86,220 | $3,134 | 103.1 | $80,626 | 97.0 |
| 34 | Hawaii | $94,210 | $5,630 | 110.0 | $80,563 | 96.9 |
| 35 | Illinois | $84,090 | $4,021 | 100.0 | $80,102 | 96.4 |
| 36 | Michigan | $79,850 | $3,147 | 96.2 | $79,719 | 95.9 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $77,740 | $3,213 | 93.7 | $79,497 | 95.6 |
| 38 | Connecticut | $85,230 | $3,113 | 103.6 | $79,256 | 95.3 |
| 39 | Idaho | $78,460 | $3,348 | 95.5 | $78,656 | 94.6 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $72,140 | — | 91.9 | $78,524 | 94.5 |
| 41 | Florida | $81,160 | — | 103.4 | $78,481 | 94.4 |
| 42 | Virginia | $82,910 | $3,968 | 101.1 | $78,080 | 93.9 |
| 43 | Pennsylvania | $78,490 | $2,410 | 97.6 | $77,974 | 93.8 |
| 44 | Utah | $80,650 | $3,670 | 98.9 | $77,865 | 93.7 |
| 45 | Arizona | $79,780 | $1,520 | 100.7 | $77,734 | 93.5 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $72,750 | $2,779 | 90.2 | $77,608 | 93.4 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $68,240 | — | 88.6 | $77,032 | 92.7 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $68,670 | $2,375 | 89.5 | $74,075 | 89.1 |
| 49 | New Mexico | $68,870 | $2,123 | 92.2 | $72,384 | 87.1 |
| 50 | Alabama | $66,150 | $3,043 | 88.8 | $71,049 | 85.5 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $63,270 | $1,979 | 87.0 | $70,488 | 84.8 |
"Real pay" = BLS median − 2025 state income tax, divided by the state's 2024 BEA cost of living (US = 100). Only the 51 states for which BLS publishes a median for this occupation are ranked; suppressed cells are excluded, never set to zero.
Where does your salary go furthest?
Enter a salary and a state. We adjust for 2025 state income tax and the 2024 BEA cost of living to show your real, purchasing-power-equivalent pay — then rank every state.
In District of Columbia, a $111,950 salary is worth about $90,914 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $12,035 (≈ top marginal 10.75% (upper bound)) · take-home $99,915 · BEA cost of living 109.9 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $126,374, a $35,460 gain over District of Columbia.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $126,374 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $123,749 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $123,110 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $123,083 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $122,714 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $122,698 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $121,857 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $121,390 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $120,778 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $119,735 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $119,203 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $119,059 | 89.5 |
Estimate only. State income tax is approximated from each state's 2025 flat rate (or top marginal rate as an upper bound for graduated states) and ignores federal tax, deductions and credits. The pre-published occupation and state pages use exact 2025 bracket math. Cost of living is the 2024 BEA Regional Price Parity (All Items).
Respiratory Therapists — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a respiratory therapists?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, District of Columbia is the best state for a respiratory therapists: a BLS median of $111,950 is worth $95,822 after the 2025 state income tax ($6,641) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 109.9), an index of 115.3 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. District of Columbia has the highest headline BLS median for a respiratory therapists at $111,950, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #1 of 51 on real pay (index 115.3). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a respiratory therapists salary go least far?
- Mississippi ranks last of 51 states for a respiratory therapists: a $63,270 BLS median is worth only $70,488 after tax and cost of living (index 84.8). Higher local prices and/or income tax less far than the national average erode the headline pay.
Compare other occupations
- Home Health and Personal Care AidesWashington
- Retail SalespersonsNorth Dakota
- Fast Food and Counter WorkersCalifornia
- General and Operations ManagersSouth Dakota
- Registered NursesCalifornia
- CashiersWashington
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, HandNorth Dakota
- Stockers and Order FillersWyoming
- Customer Service RepresentativesIowa
- Office Clerks, GeneralNorth Dakota
- Waiters and WaitressesVermont
- Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping CleanersWashington
Get the Gera US Real Pay Index when BLS refreshes OEWS
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Related on GeraJobs
- Gera US Real Pay Index — all states ranked — and how the index is calculated.
- Methodology — the exact BLS + BEA + tax computation.
- Browse US jobs with salary ranges — roles hiring now.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025 state estimates, US federal public domain); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities (All Items), by state (2024 (US = 100)); Tax Foundation — 2025 State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets. The Gera US Real Pay Index for a respiratory therapists is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.