Quick answer: Tennessee employs about 3,440 respiratory therapists (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing runs through your state respiratory care board. Programs, the careers this degree opens, and what they pay are below.
Licensing and Credentials in Tennessee
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.
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 Near You
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 9 schools
within 240 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
9 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 Tennessee earn a median $72,140 per year, below the national median of $82,280 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Respiratory Therapy Pay and Employment in Tennessee at a Glance
Metric
Tennessee
National
Source
Median annual wage
$72,140
$82,280
BLS OEWS, May 2025
10th percentile
$57,860
$63,660
BLS OEWS, May 2025
25th percentile
$63,660
$74,520
BLS OEWS, May 2025
75th percentile
$78,640
$98,730
BLS OEWS, May 2025
90th percentile
$88,060
$118,050
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Employment
3,440
139,790
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Location quotient
1.17
1.00
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Projected change (2024-34)
not published by state
12.1%
BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34
How Tennessee Pay Compares to the Rest of the Country
The Tennessee median of $72,140 sits below 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 1.17 puts Tennessee well above the national average, so the work is noticeably more common here than in the typical state. That usually means a deeper job market and more room to change employers without relocating (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 Tennessee
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics ( OES data), respiratory therapists wages in Tennessee vary by metro area.
Metro Area
Employment
Median Annual Wage
Avg. Annual Wage
Entry Level (10th pctile)
Experienced (90th pctile)
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin
1,070
$78,700
$79,370
$65,040
$97,040
Memphis
670
$66,460
$71,510
$56,430
$88,060
Knoxville
460
$64,800
$67,610
$54,300
$77,050
Chattanooga
370
$74,350
$72,610
$63,480
$81,230
Kingsport-Bristol
170
$62,740
$70,190
$59,880
$94,410
Jackson
110
$65,310
$64,300
$52,400
$74,990
Clarksville
60
$79,150
$76,110
$63,270
$86,230
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 .
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 Tennessee?
The median annual wage for respiratory therapists in Tennessee is $72,140, below the national median of $82,280 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle of the range runs from $63,660 at the 25th percentile to $78,640 at the 75th.
How many respiratory therapists work in Tennessee?
Tennessee holds about 3,440 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 Tennessee?
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. 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 Tennessee?
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 Tennessee for respiratory therapists?
Among Tennessee metro areas with published data, Clarksville reports the highest median at $79,150 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is Tennessee a good state for respiratory therapists?
On pay, the state median of $72,140 sits below the national $82,280 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A location quotient of 1.17 means the occupation is more 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
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/.
