Quick answer: The San Diego metro employs about 1,430 respiratory therapists (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing is set at the state level, through your state respiratory care board.
Licensing
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. Respiratory therapy programs are CoARC-accredited, and credentialing runs through the NBRC: the CRT is the entry credential and the RRT the advanced one that most hospitals now expect. Licensure itself is issued by the state, and the credential it requires varies.
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 10 schools
within 89 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
10 of them carry a score.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal
about the institution rather than about this subject.
Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from
this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
Respiratory Therapists in the San Diego area earn a median $105,040 per year, above the national median of $82,280 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Respiratory Therapy Pay in San Diego, CA
Metric
San Diego metro
California
National
Median annual wage
$105,040
$104,820
$82,280
10th percentile
$82,140
$77,010
$63,660
25th percentile
$87,410
$87,750
$74,520
75th percentile
$125,840
$129,010
$98,730
90th percentile
$131,440
$145,510
$118,050
Employment
1,430
18,650
139,790
Location quotient
1.03
-
1.00
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metropolitan statistical area.
What the Numbers Say About This Market
The San Diego median of $105,040 is above the national median of $82,280, and above the California statewide median of $104,820 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 1.03 means respiratory therapists are more concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
Respiratory therapists work in hospitals, so the local hospital and critical-care capacity is the market.
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do respiratory therapists make in San Diego?
The median annual wage for respiratory therapists in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area is $105,040, above the national median of $82,280 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
How many respiratory therapists work in the San Diego area?
The San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area employs about 1,430 respiratory therapists (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Do respiratory therapists in San Diego need a license?
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. Respiratory therapy programs are CoARC-accredited, and credentialing runs through the NBRC: the CRT is the entry credential and the RRT the advanced one that most hospitals now expect. Licensure itself is issued by the state, and the credential it requires varies. Confirm current requirements with your state respiratory care board.
Can I study respiratory therapy online from San Diego?
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies your state respiratory care board.
Is San Diego a better market than the rest of California?
The San Diego metro median is $105,040 against a statewide median of $104,820 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Respiratory Therapists (SOC 29-1126), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
