Respiratory Therapist.
Jackson.
$61,000
median salary, 24% below the national average
$52,000 to $74,000. Last updated August 2026.
Get the job.
Data points to own the conversation.
If you are evaluating a Respiratory Therapist offer in Jackson, MS, here is the reality: $52,000 to $74,000, with $61,000 as the midpoint. 24% below the national average. Shift differentials for nights, weekends, and holidays contribute significantly to total earnings. Do not accept the first number. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Respiratory Therapist in Jackson, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $67,500 for Respiratory Therapists (SOC 29-1126) in the Jackson, MS metropolitan area, based on 510 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$54,900
25th percentile
$62,980
Median
$67,500
75th percentile
$77,660
90th percentile
$94,110
Workers surveyed
510
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Respiratory Therapists (SOC 29-1126) rather than Respiratory Therapist specifically. The Jackson range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 29-1126Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $55,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$40,000
to $49,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$52,000
to $64,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$67,000
to $79,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$76,000
to $95,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $17,000 to the total package.
Base
$61,000
Equity
$10,000
Bonus
$6,000
Signing
$1,000
Estimated total: $78,000
How Jackson compares.
Jackson, MS
$61,000
Cost of living: 21% below average
National Average
$80,000
Jackson is $19,000 below
Respiratory Therapist salary by city.
Salary by role in Jackson.
What you should know.
Here is what the Respiratory Therapist market actually looks like in Jackson. Jackson is Mississippi's capital and largest city, with an economy driven by government, healthcare, and energy. The University of Mississippi Medical Center is a major employer. Jackson offers some of the lowest living costs in the country, making even moderate salaries deliver substantial purchasing power. Shift differentials for nights, weekends, and holidays contribute significantly to total earnings. RTs working in ICU or neonatal units earn more than those in general floor care. The RRT credential is expected for most positions, and additional certifications in pulmonary function or transport add incremental pay.
Entry-level RTs earn $52,000 to $58,000 with the RRT credential. Experienced RTs in critical care reach $65,000 to $75,000 after five to seven years. Lead RTs or department supervisors can earn $78,000 to $92,000 with management responsibilities included. In Jackson, your dollars stretch further. Cost of living runs 21% below the national average, which means even a median salary buys a stronger lifestyle.
Base salary is not the full picture. Respiratory therapists receive shift differentials of $3 to $8 per hour, overtime opportunities, and comprehensive benefits. Some hospitals offer certification bonuses and tuition reimbursement for advanced degrees or specialty credentials. And on the tax side: mississippi's top income tax rate is 5%. Jackson has no city income tax. The very low cost of living means take home pay goes further here than almost any other metro. When someone quotes you $61,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Benchmark against regional healthcare and government pay scales. Jackson employers offer competitive benefits packages to compensate for lower base salaries. The range for Respiratory Therapists in Jackson runs from $52,000 to $74,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- A Radiologic Technologist in Jackson earns $63,000 (3% more)
- The highest-paying role in Jackson is CTO at $237,000
Common questions.
Respiratory Therapist salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Jackson.
Related salary pages
Jump to nearby roles and cities most relevant to Respiratory Therapists in Jackson.
Related tools.
Do you work as a respiratory therapist in Jackson?
Your individual figure is never published. Submissions appear only as aggregate percentiles, and nothing is shown for a role and city until at least five people have reported. It is stored against your account, which is what keeps the dataset clean.
Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Respiratory Therapist Salary in Jackson, MS." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/respiratory-therapist/jackson
Want this data on your site? Embed the salary widget. One script tag, free forever.
Related tools