Tuesday 19 February 2013

What Are The Respiratory Therapist Salary Ranges

By Jan Chung


A respiratory therapist provides care for patients with a variety of breathing difficulties. Therapists work closely with physicians to develop a treatment plan and then connect and operate the necessary devices. They also monitor the patient's vital signs and blood chemistry to track the patient's responses and records the information on the medical charts. Therapists should be able to communicate effectively with people of varying educational levels, from patients to physicians. In addition, they are normally responsible for cleaning and testing their equipment. Along with their specific duties, other factors can also influence respiratory therapist salary ranges.

As with most medical specialists, the amount of experience the individual has obtained can affect earnings, and income typically increases over time. Nationwide, the average range is $32,525 to $49,135 for therapists with less than twelve months experience. Between one and four years, salaries are between $35,201 and $49,007. Therapists who have at least five years, but less than ten, report earnings between $40,349 and $59,727. Those with 10 to 19 years experience report salaries between $45,456 and $60,370. Therapists with 20 or more years of experience can earn between $48,489 and $66,865.

Different cities offer different earnings potentials, with the highest salaries typically found in the larger metropolises. Income for this occupation is the Los Angeles metropolitan area ranges from $41,175 to $74,004. In the Houston, Texas area, salaries are $35,986 to $62,785, and Atlanta offers a similar range of $39,150 to $61,445. Therapists in the New York City metropolitan area report earnings between $50,565 and $61,263.

The best potential earnings for this occupation, when taken on a state-by-state basis, are found in California ($42,870 to $67,661) and New York ($48,775 to $67,787). Texas reports a range of $37,323 to $56,012, while Pennsylvania reports $36,062 to $54,800. Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida report $39,149 to $52,191, $36,550 to $51,091, and $36,231 to $51,830, respectively.

Therapists in teaching positions at colleges and universities report the highest top-end earnings, $69,000 annually. Hospitals, which employ the greatest percentage of those in the occupation, pay between $39,108 and $55,431 as national averages. State and local governments offer $40,209 to $57,891, while the federal government pays between $44,225 and $55,850.

When comparing salaries by the size of the employer, those with at least 50,000 employees offer between $36,200 and $71,500. For employers with 5,000 to 19,999 employees, salaries range from $41,391 to $64,285. If the employer has at least 10 employees, but fewer than 5,000, salaries are from $38,868 to $66,347.

Due to difficulties finding and retaining a respiratory therapist, an employer may offer bonuses. Many new therapists are often given signing bonuses of as much as $1,000. Retention bonuses are typically $500 to $600 annually for employees with less than 20 years experience, and then may be $800 per year or more.




About the Author:



1 comment:

  1. A few key factors that are vital while attending a respiratory therapy school is that you must be able to remain focused, pay attention to detail, work well with others, follow instructions and be able to use a computer.http://techniciansalary.net/respiratory-therapist-salary/. Click here

    ReplyDelete