SOC 29-1126 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Respiratory Therapists — Mississippi
Mississippi · 3 metro areas compared
The median wage for Respiratory Therapists in Mississippi is $63,270 per year, 23.1% below the national median of $82,280.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow much faster than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +12.1%
- Openings per year
- 8,800
- Typical entry-level education
- Associate's degree
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Mississippi.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
The median wage for Respiratory Therapists in Mississippi is $63,270 per year, 23.1% below the national median of $82,280. Pay ranges from under $50,180 at the tenth percentile to more than $80,460 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $57,150 to $75,850.
Employment stands at 1,670, or 1.4 jobs per thousand held locally. Among the 51 states with published data for this occupation, Mississippi ranks 51st by median wage. Jackson leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $67,500. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 188th of 673 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $50,180 | −39.0% |
| 25th | $57,150 | −30.5% |
| Median (50th) | $63,270 | −23.1% |
| 75th | $75,850 | −7.8% |
| 90th | $80,460 | −2.2% |
| Mean | $68,120 | −17.2% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Mississippi
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jackson | $67,500 | 510 | |
| 2 | Gulfport | $66,660 | 190 | |
| 3 | Hattiesburg | $60,170 | 120 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Mississippi run 13.0% below the national average, so the median of $63,270 goes as far as $72,724 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 11.6% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$63,270as reported by BLSLocal price level
87.0US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$72,724US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $63,270 a year, 23.1% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $50,180 to $80,460 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 1,670 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 51st of 51 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Jackson, at $67,500.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Respiratory Therapists in Mississippi?
The median annual wage is $63,270, or $30.42 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $82,280, so pay in Mississippi is 23.1% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Mississippi earns more than $80,460 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $50,180 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Jackson, at $67,500 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 1,670 jobs in this occupation in Mississippi. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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