Respiratory Therapists pay in Kentucky
$72,470avg. a year
$34.84 an hour · 2,530 employed
Respiratory Therapists in Kentucky earn an average of $72,470 a year. That is $14,830 (17%) less than the U.S. average of $87,300. The best-paying metro area is Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN at $83,210.
$72,750Median pay
$34.84Average hourly
+40%Avg. pay since 2020
#46Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying Kentucky metro areas
Average pay for respiratory therapists by metro area. Swipe to see all 8.
11,300 jobs
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
$83,210
$40.01 an hour
2430 jobs
Lexington-Fayette, KY
$78,710
$37.84 an hour
360 jobs
Clarksville, TN-KY
$76,110
$36.59 an hour
4840 jobs
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN
$75,290
$36.20 an hour
540 jobs
Elizabethtown, KY
$73,050
$35.12 an hour
680 jobs
Paducah, KY-IL
$73,050
$35.12 an hour
7270 jobs
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH
$71,260
$34.26 an hour
890 jobs
Bowling Green, KY
$70,240
$33.77 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Respiratory Therapists pay in Kentucky, charted
Pay over time
Kentucky, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where Kentucky respiratory therapists work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Related jobs in Kentucky
- Registered Nurses$86,140
- Physicians, All Other$331,860
- Nurse Practitioners$125,010
- Pharmacists$136,480
- Physical Therapists$99,190
- Dental Hygienists$78,950
Average pay, Kentucky, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do respiratory therapists make in Kentucky?
The average is $72,470 a year, and the median is $72,750. That is $14,830 (17%) less than the U.S. average of $87,300.
What is the hourly wage in Kentucky?
$34.84 an hour on average; the median is $34.98.
Where in Kentucky do they earn the most?
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN ($83,210), followed by Lexington-Fayette, KY ($78,710). The lowest average among 8 metro areas with data is Bowling Green, KY ($70,240).
How does Kentucky rank?
Kentucky ranks #46 of 51 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 29-1126. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national respiratory therapists page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.