Respiratory therapist salary in Iowa
Open respiratory therapist jobs in Iowa post a median of $36.75 an hour, the middle half $32.25–$39 (about $76,400 a year full time), $6.25 below the national posted median. From 11 jobs at 6 employers that state their pay.
The jobs themselves: Respiratory therapist jobs in Iowa · Respiratory therapist pay nationwide
What respiratory therapists are paid in Iowa
Each bar counts the open jobs posting an hourly rate in its step of pay (a range at its midpoint).
Posted on open jobs in Iowa
Middle half of 11 employer rates (each employer's advertised range once), median $36.75. 16% of the 67 open respiratory therapist jobs in Iowa state an hourly rate.
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Respiratory therapist pay by town in Iowa
Towns where at least three open jobs state an hourly rate, the towns with the most such jobs first.
| Town | Median posted | Posted range | Jobs (employers) |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Burlington | $32.50 | $18.89–$45 | 3 (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 Iowa
What each employer posts for respiratory therapists here, the employers with the most jobs stating pay first.
Median of each employer's jobs in Iowa (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.
Best-paid open respiratory therapist jobs in Iowa
The open jobs posting the highest hourly rates tonight, at most two from one employer.

CommonSpirit Health · Council Bluffs, IA· 3d ago
$26.76–$68.81/hr
Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) - Right Choice/Internal Resource Pool (PRN)
Great River Health · West Burlington, IA· 9mo ago
$45/hr
Respiratory Therapist (RT) - Per Diem
Select Medical · Des Moines, IA· 5d ago
$40/hr
Part Time Respiratory Therapist
Franklin General Hospital · Hampton, IA· 8mo ago
$38/hr
Respiratory Therapist (RT) /PRN -DAY
Select Medical · Davenport, IA· 5d ago
$38/hr
Avera Health · Des Moines and Sioux City, IA· 2mo ago
$29.25–$44.00/hr
Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) | 36 Hours Per Week | Respiratory Therapy
Great River Health · West Burlington, IA· 1mo ago
$32.53/hr
Franklin General Hospital · Hampton, IA· 5d ago
$32/hr
Buchanan County Health Center · Independence, IA· 3d ago
$25.68–$35.95/hr
What BLS measures in Iowa
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.
| BLS occupation | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Respiratory Therapists (29-1126) | $30.22 (source: BLS OEWS, Respiratory Therapists, opens in a new tab) | $31.09 (source: BLS OEWS, Respiratory Therapists, opens in a new tab) | $35.94 (source: BLS OEWS, Respiratory Therapists, opens in a new tab) | $38.81 (source: BLS OEWS, Respiratory Therapists, opens in a new tab) | $41.59 (source: BLS OEWS, Respiratory Therapists, opens in a new tab) | 910 (source: BLS OEWS, Respiratory Therapists, opens in a new tab) |
BLS median by metro area
- Omaha, NE-IA$39.07/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Omaha, NE-IA, opens in a new tab)
- Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$36.37/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, opens in a new tab)
- Iowa City, IA$36.11/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Iowa City, IA, opens in a new tab)
- Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL$36.28/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL, opens in a new tab)
- Cedar Rapids, IA$32.13/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Cedar Rapids, IA, opens in a new tab)
- Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA$31.29/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, opens in a new tab)
- Dubuque, IA$35.67/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Dubuque, IA, opens in a new tab)
- Sioux City, IA-NE-SD$30.67/hr (source: BLS OEWS, Sioux City, IA-NE-SD, opens in a new tab)
Respiratory therapist salary in Iowa: common questions
How much does a respiratory therapist make in Iowa?
Open respiratory therapist jobs in Iowa that state an hourly rate post a median of $36.75, the middle half $32.25–$39 (11 jobs from 6 employers). Full time that is about $76,400 a year. BLS measured a median of $35.94/hr ($74,760 a year) for people employed in the occupation in Iowa (May 2025).
Which employers in Iowa pay respiratory therapists the most?
Among employers stating a rate on at least three open jobs here: Select Medical ($38) and Great River Health ($32.50).
How does Iowa compare with the rest of the country?
The posted median in Iowa ($36.75) is $6.25 below the national posted median of $43. In the BLS survey Iowa ranks 43 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: 11 of 67 open respiratory therapist jobs in Iowa (16%) 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
Sources and method
- CareJobs.Now job board: the pay open jobs state, read nightly from each employer's own careers site, published October 24, 2026
- BLS OEWS May 2025: Respiratory Therapists (SOC 29-1126), every state, published May 15, 2026
- BLS OEWS May 2025: Respiratory Therapists, national, published May 15, 2026
- BLS OEWS May 2025: Respiratory Therapists by metropolitan area, published May 15, 2026
Cite this page
CareJobs.Now. (2026). Respiratory therapist salary in Iowa. Data as of October 24, 2026. https://carejobs.now/salaries/respiratory-therapist/iowa