Respiratory Therapist.
Philadelphia.
$86,000
median salary, 8% above the national average
$73,000 to $104,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
The median Respiratory Therapist salary in Philadelphia is $86,000, 8% above the national average. Entry level starts near $73,000. Experienced professionals push past $104,000. Philadelphia combines a robust healthcare and life sciences sector with established finance and higher education institutions. That spread is your negotiation window. 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 Philadelphia, 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 $88,790 for Respiratory Therapists (SOC 29-1126) in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan area, based on 2,990 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$67,730
25th percentile
$75,520
Median
$88,790
75th percentile
$97,000
90th percentile
$103,640
Workers surveyed
2,990
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 Philadelphia 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 $77,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$56,000
to $69,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$73,000
to $90,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$95,000
to $112,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$108,000
to $133,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $25,000 to the total package.
Base
$86,000
Equity
$14,000
Bonus
$9,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $111,000
How Philadelphia compares.
Philadelphia, PA
$86,000
Cost of living: 9% above average
National Average
$80,000
Philadelphia is $6,000 above
Respiratory Therapist salary by city.
Salary by role in Philadelphia.
What you should know.
Before you negotiate a Respiratory Therapist offer in Philadelphia, understand the terrain. Philadelphia combines a robust healthcare and life sciences sector with established finance and higher education institutions. The city's pharmaceutical corridor is among the strongest in the country. Tech growth has accelerated, particularly in health tech and enterprise software, offering salaries that stretch further than in nearby New York. 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 Philadelphia, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
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: pennsylvania has a flat 3.07% state income tax, but Philadelphia adds a 3.75% city wage tax for residents. This combined local burden is worth factoring into salary negotiations. When someone quotes you $86,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Account for the Philadelphia wage tax in your ask. Request a 5 to 8% premium over suburban offers to offset the city's local tax on all earned income. The range for Respiratory Therapists in Philadelphia runs from $73,000 to $104,000. 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 Philadelphia earns $85,000 (1% less)
- The highest-paying role in Philadelphia is CTO at $314,000
Common questions.
Respiratory Therapist salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Philadelphia.
Related salary pages
Jump to nearby roles and cities most relevant to Respiratory Therapists in Philadelphia.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Respiratory Therapist Salary in Philadelphia, PA." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/respiratory-therapist/philadelphia
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