Wisconsin Respiratory Therapist Salaries

Wisconsin’s Worknet designated the field of respiratory therapy as number 22 on its list of high-growth occupations for the period between 2010 and 2020. They consider it to be one of the fastest growing fields in the state.

The demand for respiratory therapists is projected to be more than 50% higher in Wisconsin than the national average. Worknet projects an employment increase of 29.4% between 2010 and 2020.

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The average 2012 respiratory therapist salary in Wisconsin for its 1,870 licensed RT professionals was $56,270. Entry-level respiratory therapists earned a salary of $45,930 a year while those with experience earned $61,440 on average.

An analysis of respiratory therapist salaries by county indicated that the average and experienced salaries were highest in Waukesha County. Salary data is shown below for some of Wisconsin’s most populated counties:

Wisconsin City
Entry-level Salary
Experienced Salary
Brown
$43460
$60760
Dane
$48280
$61860
Kenosha
$47300
$63310
Milwaukee
$47980
$64000
Racine
$51960
$61060
Waukesha
$49810
$67570
Winnebago
$43580
$60760

Wisconsin’s seven accredited respiratory therapy training programs thoroughly prepare their students for employment. According to the Commission on the Accreditation for Respiratory Care, 96.1% of their 2013 graduates passed the National Board for Respiratory Care entry-level exam to get their Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) credential. In addition, 90.2% of these graduates obtained jobs.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides a detailed breakdown of 2013 Wisconsin respiratory therapist salaries in various metropolitan areas throughout the state. This salary data is presented in the following table:

Area Name
Employment
Annual Median Salary
Appleton WI
50
Estimate Not Released
Eau Claire WI
120
51350
Green Bay WI
80
53810
Madison WI
210
56840
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis WI
730
59530
Oshkosh-Neenah WI
50
53400
Racine WI
50
60000
Eastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area
90
52580
West Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area
110
55430
South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area
60
51870
Southwestern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area
40
54050
Northern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area
40
52970