Respiratory Therapy Technician Salary Information in California

The average annual salaries for respiratory therapy technicians in the state of California are shown in Table 1. The comparison of the salary statistics of respiratory therapy technicians amongst California cities is shown in Table 2. The salary statistics are based on the national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2020 and published in April 2021 [1].

Table 1 & 2. Annual Salary of Respiratory Therapy Technicians in California (2020 Survey)

Percentile bracketAverage annual salary
10th Percentile Wage
$26,760
25th Percentile Wage
$29,410
50th Percentile Wage
$42,740
75th Percentile Wage
$64,100
90th Percentile Wage
$78,700

Table 1 shows the average annual salary for respiratory therapy technicians in California in 5 percentile scales. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is $78,700. The median (50th percentile) annual salary is $42,740. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $26,760.

Median salary trend

The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of respiratory therapy technicians from 2012 to 2018.

YearMedian SalaryYearly Growth6-Year Growth
2018
$42,740
-21.55% -15.26%
2017
$51,950
-10.82% -
2016
$57,570
-17.13% -
2015
$67,430
3.47% -
2014
$65,090
18.54% -
2013
$53,020
7.09% -
2012
$49,260
- -

Table 3. Median Annual Salary of Respiratory Therapy Technicians in California Cities (2020 Survey)

Table 3 shows the median annual salary of respiratory therapy technicians in some California cities and metropolitan areas. We note that the median annual salary of respiratory therapy technicians in state of California ranges from $30,220 to $74,920. The highest paying area for respiratory therapy technicians in California is San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos with a median annual salary of $74,920. The second highest paying city/area in California State is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana (mean annual salary $69,620). The lowest paying area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim with a median annual salary of $30,220.

Cities/Areas Median Annual Salary
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos
$74,920
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana
$69,620
Santa Rosa-Petaluma
$68,300
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale
$62,880
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
$59,860
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine
$59,650
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont
$59,360
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
$59,340
Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville
$49,900
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City
$47,260
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
$30,220