SalaryExplorer

SOC 29-1126 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Respiratory Therapists — Valdosta

Valdosta, GA · 9 metro areas compared

$67,600 /year
$32.50per hour
100jobs in area
−17.8%vs US median

The median wage for Respiratory Therapists in Valdosta, GA is $67,600 per year, 17.8% below the national median of $82,280.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $82,28010TH$59,890MEDIAN$67,60075TH$73,37090TH$80,890

How pay has moved

$69,198$59,613202320242025$67,600
$61,970 in 2023 to $67,600 in 2025, +9.1% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

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 Valdosta, GA.

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 Valdosta, GA is $67,600 per year, 17.8% below the national median of $82,280. Pay ranges from under $59,890 at the tenth percentile to more than $80,890 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $60,390 to $73,370.

The area has 100 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 1.8 of every thousand jobs. Rome leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $98,720. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 47th of 233 by median pay.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Valdosta, GA · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$59,890−27.2%
25th$60,390−26.6%
Median (50th)$67,600−17.8%
75th$73,370−10.8%
90th$80,890−1.7%
Mean$68,240−17.1%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in Georgia

Median annual wage for Respiratory Therapists, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Rome$98,720120
2Atlanta$95,5202,670
3Athens$81,73090
4Macon$80,730180
5Augusta$78,560350
6Savannah$78,200240
7Columbus$77,150150
8Warner Robins$76,56070
9Albany$76,54070

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Valdosta run 11.7% below the national average, so the median of $67,600 goes as far as $76,557 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 7.0% below the national median in real terms.

Published median

$67,600as reported by BLS

Local price level

88.3US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$76,557US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $67,600 a year, 17.8% below the national median.
  • Published pay spans $59,890 to $80,890 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 100 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Rome, at $98,720.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Respiratory Therapists in Valdosta, GA?

The median annual wage is $67,600, or $32.50 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 Valdosta, GA is 17.8% 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 Valdosta, GA earns more than $80,890 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $59,890 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 Rome, at $98,720 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 100 jobs in this occupation in Valdosta, GA. 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.