Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

Respiratory Therapist Salary in New York, NY

Respiratory Therapists in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area earn a median $110,490 a year — 34% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $81,081 take-home, or $6,757 a month.

Median salary
$110,490
$53.12 per hour
Typical range
$87,090 – $131,500
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in New York, NY
7,010
0.82× national concentration
▲5.4%
Pay trend: The median for respiratory therapists in New York, NY rose from $104,840 (May 2024) to $110,490 (May 2025). That beat inflation (2.4%), a real raise of about 3.0%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median respiratory therapist salary in New York, NY. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Respiratory Therapist in New York, NY
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$81,081
per year · effective tax rate 26.6%
$6,757Monthly
$3,378Twice a month
$3,119Every 2 weeks
$38.98Hourly
  • Federal income tax$15,478
  • Social Security (6.2%)$6,850
  • Medicare (1.45%)$1,602
  • New York income tax$5,479
  • Take-home pay$81,081

Marginal rate: 22% federal + 5.90% state

Living in New York City? City residents also pay New York City’s city income tax — about $3,848 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $77,233 ($6,436 a month). Choose “New York City” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.

The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro spans New York, New Jersey. Pick the state you live in — state income tax follows your residence.

Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →

Respiratory Therapist pay by experience in New York, NY

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$87,090$41.87$65,992$5,499
25th percentile$100,810$48.47$74,842$6,237
Median (50th)$110,490$53.12$81,081$6,757
75th percentile$127,070$61.09$91,661$7,638
90th percentile (top earners)$131,500$63.22$94,428$7,869

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, New York resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $110,490 buys in New York, NY

Prices in New York, NY are 12.6% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.49× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median respiratory therapist's $81,081 take-home pay has the buying power of $72,032 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$2,378
35% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$2,697
40% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$4,379
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

Respiratory Therapist jobs are about as common in New York, NY as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.82).

Best-paying cities for respiratory therapists, adjusted for cost of living

New York, NY ranks #1 of 9 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1New York, NY $110,490$81,081$72,032
2Atlanta, GA $95,520$71,694$71,652
3Philadelphia, PA $88,790$68,568$66,860
4Los Angeles, CA $104,640$75,582$66,553
5Houston, TX $80,450$65,427$66,336
6Dallas, TX $84,080$67,980$65,943
7Chicago, IL $87,060$65,912$63,625
8Phoenix, AZ $79,760$63,156$61,129

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 9 metros →

About the job: respiratory therapists

Assess, treat, and care for patients with breathing disorders. Assume primary responsibility for all respiratory care modalities, including the supervision of respiratory therapy technicians. Initiate and conduct therapeutic procedures; maintain patient records; and select, assemble, check, and operate equipment.

Typical education
Associate's degree
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
None
Job outlook, 2025–35
+8.5% (much faster than average)

Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a respiratory therapist make in New York, NY?

The median respiratory therapist salary in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area is $110,490 a year, or about $53.12 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $100,810 and $127,070.

What is a respiratory therapist’s take-home pay in New York, NY?

On the median $110,490 salary, a single filer living in New York takes home about $81,081 a year ($6,757 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $5,479 in New York taxes in 2026.

Is New York, NY a good place to work as a respiratory therapist?

Pay here is 34% above the national median of $82,280. Local prices are 12.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $72,032 would in a typical U.S. city. New York, NY ranks #1 of 9 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a respiratory therapist afford rent in New York, NY?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in New York, NY is $2,378 a month ($2,697 for two bedrooms) — 35% of a median respiratory therapist’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

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