Quick answer:Respiratory Therapists in Illinois earn a median $84,090 per year, above the national median of $82,280 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The state employs about 4,880 of them. Licensing runs through your state respiratory care board.
Respiratory Therapy Pay and Employment in Illinois at a Glance
Metric
Illinois
National
Source
Median annual wage
$84,090
$82,280
BLS OEWS, May 2025
10th percentile
$64,480
$63,660
BLS OEWS, May 2025
25th percentile
$77,440
$74,520
BLS OEWS, May 2025
75th percentile
$96,260
$98,730
BLS OEWS, May 2025
90th percentile
$100,100
$118,050
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Employment
4,880
139,790
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Location quotient
0.89
1.00
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Projected change (2024-34)
not published by state
12.1%
BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34
How Illinois Pay Compares to the Rest of the Country
The Illinois median of $84,090 sits above the national median of $82,280 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Percentiles matter more than the midpoint when you are deciding whether a degree pays for itself: the 10th percentile is roughly where people start, and the 90th is what the top of the local market looks like after years of experience.
A location quotient of 0.89 puts Illinois slightly below the national average, so the occupation is a little less common here than in the typical state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The measure compares how concentrated the occupation is here against the national average of 1.00.
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Respiratory therapists work in hospitals, so the local hospital and critical-care capacity is the market.
Respiratory Therapists Wages by Metro Area in Illinois
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics ( OES data), respiratory therapists wages in Illinois vary by metro area.
Metro Area
Employment
Median Annual Wage
Avg. Annual Wage
Entry Level (10th pctile)
Experienced (90th pctile)
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin
3,620
$87,060
$88,400
$74,560
$100,100
St. Louis
1,260
$79,210
$78,300
$62,230
$95,730
Peoria
210
$77,660
$77,810
$64,370
$91,480
Rockford
160
$77,640
$79,090
$62,680
$98,970
Springfield
140
$78,340
$81,810
$64,480
$104,040
Champaign-Urbana
120
$74,660
$80,720
$62,170
$100,810
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island
100
$75,460
$71,760
$62,510
$81,220
Cape Girardeau
90
$66,910
$70,820
$58,590
$83,030
Paducah
80
$76,100
$73,050
$57,650
$93,150
Bloomington
70
$75,490
$79,850
$61,310
$107,330
Kankakee
60
$84,490
$84,170
$67,270
$101,450
Wages reflect survey data and vary based on experience, credentials, employer, and local market conditions. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May .
Respiratory therapy programs are accredited by CoARC, 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.
Requirements are set at state level and are amended periodically. Before you enroll in any program, confirm with your state respiratory care board that the specific program you are considering satisfies the education requirement, and ask what it accepts from any training you have already completed. Get the answer in writing.
Earning the Degree While You Work
Most people reading this already have a job in the field, and the practical question is whether the credential can be earned without leaving it. Programs designed for working adults deliver the academic portion online or in the evening, while any labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience happen in person and locally. Prior college credit, military training, apprenticeship coursework and industry certifications can all shorten the path, so request a written transfer credit evaluation before you commit to any school.
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
We first gather the schools closest to the city or state page you are viewing, then rank that
local group by BOC Score, with the highest at the top. The BOC Score is computed from federal
IPEDS and College Scorecard data; schools without enough data to score appear last.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
25%
Average net price (lower is better)
20%
Retention rate
15%
Fully online availability
10%
Schools without enough federal outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
How much do respiratory therapists make in Illinois?
The median annual wage for respiratory therapists in Illinois is $84,090, above the national median of $82,280 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle of the range runs from $77,440 at the 25th percentile to $96,260 at the 75th.
How many respiratory therapists work in Illinois?
Illinois holds about 4,880 respiratory therapist jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Nationally the occupation employs 139,790, and BLS projects about 8,800 openings per year through 2034 (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34).
Do I need a license to work as a respiratory therapist in Illinois?
Respiratory therapy programs are accredited by CoARC, 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. Requirements are set at the state level and change periodically, so confirm the current rules with your state respiratory care board before you enroll in any program.
Can I earn a CoARC-accredited associate degree online while working in Illinois?
Often yes. Programs built for working adults deliver coursework online or in the evenings, though any required labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience are completed in person. Confirm that the program's accreditation satisfies your state respiratory care board.
What is the highest-paying area of Illinois for respiratory therapists?
Among Illinois metro areas with published data, Chicago reports the highest median at $87,060 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is Illinois a good state for respiratory therapists?
On pay, the state median of $84,090 sits above the national $82,280 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A location quotient of 0.89 means the occupation is less concentrated here than in the average state. Weigh that against cost of living and how concentrated the work is near where you actually want to live.
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
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.
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/.
