Respiratory Therapists pay range in Hickory
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $63,900 a year or less, while the top 10% make $125,590 or more. The middle half of respiratory therapists in Hickory earn between $70,240 and $98,170.
- $64K10th
- $70K25th
- $78KMedian
- $98K75th
- $126K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $87,370 | $7,281 | $42.00 |
| Median | $78,350 | $6,529 | $37.67 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $70,240 | $5,853 | $33.77 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $98,170 | $8,181 | $47.20 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Respiratory Therapists salary after taxes in Hickory
On the average salary of $87,370, a single filer in Hickory takes home about $67,317 a year, or $5,610 a month and $2,589 every two weeks. Taxes take 23% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
Is Hickory a good place for respiratory therapists? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Hickory area are 12% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 88.5), so the average $87,370 buys what about $98,739 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Hickory ($45,220). A typical home costs $271,739, or 3.1 years of this average salary before tax.
Respiratory Therapists salary in other North Carolina cities
Hickory ranks 1st of 11 North Carolina metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Hickory$87,370
- Raleigh$85,910
- Charlotte$85,480
- Winston-Salem$81,530
- Greensboro$81,240
- Asheville$80,680
- Wilmington$79,910
- Fayetteville$79,770
- Greenville$77,100
- Rocky Mount$74,020
Highest-paying cities for respiratory therapists
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($146,490).
- San Jose, CA$146,490
- Santa Cruz, CA$133,510
- Vallejo, CA$133,510
- San Francisco, CA$128,490
- Sacramento, CA$124,410
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Respiratory Therapists salary in Hickory: questions
How much do respiratory therapists make an hour in Hickory?
$42.01 an hour on average, and $37.67 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level respiratory therapists salary in Hickory?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $63,900 a year and the 25th percentile is $70,240, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the respiratory therapists take-home pay in Hickory?
About $67,317 a year ($5,610 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $87,370.
Do respiratory therapists earn more in Hickory than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($88,829).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 29-1126; area Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC (25860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.8%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.94, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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