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Therapy & rehab

Respiratory therapist salary in Illinois

Open respiratory therapist jobs in Illinois post a median of $40.50 an hour, the middle half $36.75–$44.50 (about $84,200 a year full time), $2.50 below the national posted median. From 123 jobs at 29 employers that state their pay.

$40.50
Median posted /hr
$37–$45
Middle half /hr
$84,200
A year, full time
estimate, 2,080 hours
$40.43
BLS median in IL
May 2025

The jobs themselves: Respiratory therapist jobs in Illinois · Respiratory therapist pay nationwide

What respiratory therapists are paid in Illinois

Each bar counts the open jobs posting an hourly rate in its step of pay (a range at its midpoint).

Posted hourly rates of 123 open jobs in Illinois. Lowest posted $19.71, highest $66.

Posted on open jobs in Illinois

$36.75–$44.50/hr

Middle half of 67 employer rates (each employer's advertised range once), median $40.50. 68% of the 181 open respiratory therapist jobs in Illinois state an hourly rate.

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Respiratory therapist pay by town in Illinois

Towns where at least three open jobs state an hourly rate, the towns with the most such jobs first.

TownMedian postedPosted rangeJobs (employers)
Chicago$43.25$21.36–$6638 (11)
Arlington Heights$44.25$33.16–$55.948 (1)
Evanston$42$31.75–$60.227 (2)
Elmhurst$42.25$19.71–$57.306 (3)
Rockford$44.50$34.25–$55.495 (1)
Highland Park$42.25$33.16–$51.405 (1)
Naperville$40$30.25–$51.405 (2)
Park Ridge$44.50$35.50–$53.254 (1)
Glenview$42.25$33.16–$51.404 (1)
Quincy$38.50$29.18–$48.724 (1)
Morris$38.25$28.94–$48.384 (1)
Peoria$35.50$24.70–$54.954 (2)
Oak Lawn$44.50$35.50–$53.253 (1)
Lake Forest$44.25$38.50–$50.053 (1)
Freeport$42.50$30.59–$62.573 (1)
Hoffman Estates$37$21.36–$61.793 (1)
Alton$36.75$26.97–$46.743 (1)
Hillsboro$33$29.12–$383 (1)
Mattoon$32.50$20.59–$47.373 (1)

Median of employers' rates in the town, the lowest and highest rate posted, and the jobs and employers behind them. A town opens its own job page.

Respiratory therapist pay by employer in Illinois

What each employer posts for respiratory therapists here, the employers with the most jobs stating pay first.

EmployerMedian postedPosted rangeJobs stating pay
Endeavor Health$42.25$19.71–$55.9420
UChicago Medicine$44.25$38.32–$47.5514
Advocate Health$44.50$33.05–$57.309
Northwestern Medicine$44.25$31.57–$56.739
Carle Health$43.50$22.10–$54.957
ScionHealth$42.50$32–$556
BJC HealthCare$36.75$24.71–$46.746
UW Health$42.75$34.25–$55.495
Hospital Sisters Health System$39$29.55–$48.874
Morris Hospital$38.25$28.94–$48.384
Blessing Hospital$36.50$29.18–$48.724
OSF HealthCare$35.50$31.49–$39.834
Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago$48.75$37–$663
Mercyhealth$42.50$30.59–$62.573
Sarah Bush Lincoln$39$20.59–$47.373
Ascension$37$21.36–$61.793
Sinai Chicago$35.50$34.67–$40.503
Hillsboro Area Hospital$33$29.12–$383
Prime Healthcare$46.75$33.50–$60.222
Shirley Ryan AbilityLab$41$29.71–$54.332
Select Medical$50$501
Rush-Copley Medical Center$47.25$36.96–$57.301
Trinity Health$41.25$41.351
AdventHealth$40.75$28.49–$52.991
AdaptHealth$39.50$38–$411
Helia Healthcare$39$33–$451
SSM Health$38.75$30.93–$46.401
Duly Health and Care$37.75$30.25–$45.371
Boyd Healthcare Services$34.50$29–$401

Median of each employer's jobs in Illinois (a range at its midpoint), and its lowest and highest rate here. An employer's name opens its pay for respiratory therapists nationwide when it has such a page.

Night shift respiratory therapist pay in Illinois

Where one employer posts both night and other respiratory therapist jobs in the same state (7 such employers and states), the night jobs post the same base rate as the rest (the median gap is $0): most employers state their night differential apart from the base pay, so check the posting for it.

Employer, stateNight jobs, medianOther jobs, median
Endeavor Health, IL$42.25 (11)$42.25 (9)
UChicago Medicine, IL$44.25 (5)$44.25 (9)
Northwestern Medicine, IL$44.25 (4)$46 (5)
BJC HealthCare, IL$36.75 (1)$36.75 (5)
Mercyhealth, IL$47 (2)$42 (1)
BJC HealthCare, MO$36.75 (1)$36.75 (1)
Mercyhealth, WI$42.50 (1)$42 (1)

A job counts as a night job when its title names nights ("Nights", "NOC", "7p-7a"). Jobs in brackets.

Best-paid open respiratory therapist jobs in Illinois

The open jobs posting the highest hourly rates tonight, at most two from one employer.

What BLS measures in Illinois

What people employed in the occupation earned in the state, at every level of experience, from the BLS survey. A posting advertises what a new hire is offered.

Hourly wages, BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Illinois. Each figure opens its BLS page.
BLS occupation10th pct25th pctMedian75th pct90th pctEmployed
Respiratory Therapists (29-1126)$31.00 (source: BLS OEWS, Respiratory Therapists, opens in a new tab)$37.23 (source: BLS OEWS, Respiratory Therapists, opens in a new tab)$40.43 (source: BLS OEWS, Respiratory Therapists, opens in a new tab)$46.28 (source: BLS OEWS, Respiratory Therapists, opens in a new tab)$48.13 (source: BLS OEWS, Respiratory Therapists, opens in a new tab)4,880 (source: BLS OEWS, Respiratory Therapists, opens in a new tab)

BLS median by metro area

Respiratory therapist salary in Illinois: common questions

How much does a respiratory therapist make in Illinois?

Open respiratory therapist jobs in Illinois that state an hourly rate post a median of $40.50, the middle half $36.75–$44.50 (123 jobs from 29 employers). Full time that is about $84,200 a year. BLS measured a median of $40.43/hr ($84,090 a year) for people employed in the occupation in Illinois (May 2025).

Where in Illinois do respiratory therapists earn the most?

By the median rate open jobs post, in the towns with the most jobs stating pay: Chicago ($43.25), Arlington Heights ($44.25), Evanston ($42) and Elmhurst ($42.25). The town table lists 19.

Which employers in Illinois pay respiratory therapists the most?

Among employers stating a rate on at least three open jobs here: Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago ($48.75), Advocate Health ($44.50) and UChicago Medicine ($44.25).

How does Illinois compare with the rest of the country?

The posted median in Illinois ($40.50) is $2.50 below the national posted median of $43. In the BLS survey Illinois ranks 19 of 52 by median wage.

Where do these figures come from?

From the pay open jobs state, read every night from each employer's own job board: 123 of 181 open respiratory therapist jobs in Illinois (68%) state an hourly rate. No pay is estimated for a job that states none; "up to" ceilings and weekly travel rates are left out.

Respiratory therapist pay in other states

Respiratory therapist salary nationwide →Every healthcare salary →

Sources and method

Only pay a job states is used, a range at its midpoint. In the state's median and middle half each employer's advertised range counts once, so an employer posting one range in many towns does not set the figure; a town's median follows the same rule. "Up to" ceilings, weekly travel rates and rates far from the occupation's median are left out. A state has a page while at least 8 jobs from 3 employers state a rate there. The yearly estimate is the hourly rate times 2,080 hours. BLS figures are as published.
  1. CareJobs.Now job board: the pay open jobs state, read nightly from each employer's own careers site, published October 24, 2026
  2. BLS OEWS May 2025: Respiratory Therapists (SOC 29-1126), every state, published May 15, 2026
  3. BLS OEWS May 2025: Respiratory Therapists, national, published May 15, 2026
  4. BLS OEWS May 2025: Respiratory Therapists by metropolitan area, published May 15, 2026

Cite this page

CareJobs.Now. (2026). Respiratory therapist salary in Illinois. Data as of October 24, 2026. https://carejobs.now/salaries/respiratory-therapist/illinois

How the board counts