Registered Nurse vs Respiratory Therapist
Comparing Registered Nurse and Respiratory Therapist is mostly a question of what kind of problem you want to solve for a living — because both can pay well if you survive the credentialing gauntlet.
Registered Nurses earn more — a $93,600 national median vs $80,450 for respiratory therapists, a $13,150/yr gap.
What the day actually looks like
A Registered Nurse provides holistic care, managing a patient's overall treatment plan, administering medications, and coordinating with specialists, typically within one unit. A Respiratory Therapist is a focused specialist who moves throughout the hospital to handle cardiopulmonary issues. A typical RT shift involves managing ventilators in the ICU, administering breathing treatments on various floors, and responding to acute airway emergencies anywhere in the facility.
Where each role is actually hiring
Registered Nurse demand is broad, with jobs in nearly every setting from hospitals to schools. Hiring in 2025-2026 is especially strong across the Southern United States. While most Respiratory Therapists work in hospitals, demand is growing quickly in outpatient clinics, sleep centers, and home healthcare. This shift is driven by an aging population and efforts to manage chronic respiratory diseases outside of the hospital.
If you start as a Respiratory Therapist today
Moving from Respiratory Therapist to Registered Nurse is a common career ladder, while the reverse is not. Bridge programs, often labeled "advanced placement" or "transition" tracks, offer credit for existing RRT credentials. These pathways can lead to an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) in approximately 20 months or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) in about 28 months, after which you must pass the NCLEX-RN exam.
Sources cited (11)
payments Salary
Who earns more?
Registered Nurses earn $13,150 more per year at the median. That's roughly $1,096/month before taxes — a gap that compounds over a career but needs to be weighed against any difference in training time or upfront costs.
State-by-state pay
| State | Registered Nurse | Respiratory Therapist | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $140,330 | $102,120 | +38,210 |
| Hawaii | $136,320 | $94,670 | +41,650 |
| Oregon | $123,990 | $96,130 | +27,860 |
| New York | $105,600 | $103,820 | +1,780 |
| Washington | $112,180 | $97,150 | +15,030 |
| District of Columbia | $104,550 | $104,240 | +310 |
| Alaska | $110,690 | $94,210 | +16,480 |
| New Jersey | $102,730 | $98,020 | +4,710 |
| Massachusetts | $101,970 | $96,940 | +5,030 |
| Minnesota | $100,870 | $88,040 | +12,830 |
checklist Requirements at a glance
| Factor | Registered Nurse | Respiratory Therapist |
|---|---|---|
| Typical time | 2-4 years | 2-4 years |
| Est. total cost | — | — |
| Exam | NCLEX-RN | NBRC CRT or RRT exam |
| License required | Most states | Most states |
| Education | Completion of a board-approved registered nursing program (ADN or BSN) | Associate degree from a CoARC-accredited program |
| CE hours / cycle | 24 hrs | 19 hrs |
trending_up Job market
Market outlook
Respiratory Therapist is projected to grow faster (+12.1% vs +4.9% over the next decade). The hiring pipeline for Registered Nurse is larger: roughly 189,100 annual openings vs. 8,800. That depth matters when you're switching employers or moving between states — more openings means less time unemployed between jobs. Respiratory Therapist carries lower AI automation risk, which matters for long-term career stability.
flag Bottom line
The national wage gap is material: Registered Nurse out-earns Respiratory Therapist by $13,150/year. Compound that over a career and the lifetime difference is ~$131,500.
Long-term, Respiratory Therapist has a clear edge in job market growth. That doesn't mean the other career is dying — but more openings mean more leverage at hiring, more places you can live, and less competition for specific roles.
Frequently asked questions
Do registered nurses or respiratory therapists earn more? expand_more
Which is harder to get into, registered nurse or respiratory therapist? expand_more
How hard is it to switch between registered nurse and respiratory therapist? expand_more
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source Sources
- Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), most recent annual release.
- Career outlook and annual openings: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.
- Licensing requirements: compiled per-state from primary state licensing boards; per-state sources are cited on each Registered Nurse and Respiratory Therapist state page.
See our full methodology for data refresh schedule and known limitations. Updated 2026.