Respiratory Therapist Schools and Salary Florida

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Get Started as a Respiratory Therapist in Florida

If you wish to pursue a career as a respiratory therapist in Florida (FL) then it will please you to know that employment for the profession will grow by nearly 20% up between 2019 and 2029, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

To become respiratory therapist in Florida you will need to complete an accredited program and obtain your respiratory therapist license. Below we provide information on schools, licensing, certification requirements, and careers data.

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Top Respiratory Therapist Schools Florida

SchoolAreaDegreeLearn More
American College for Medical CareersOrlandoAAS DegreeLearn More
Broward CollegeCoconut CreekAS DegreeLearn More
Concorde Career Institute - JacksonvilleJacksonvilleAS DegreeLearn More
Concorde Career Institute - MiramarMiramarAS DegreeLearn More
Concorde Career Institute - TampaTampaAS DegreeLearn More
Daytona State CollegeDaytona BeachAS DegreeLearn More
Eastern Florida State CollegeCocoaAS DegreeLearn More
Florida National UniversityHialeahAS DegreeLearn More
Florida State College at JacksonvilleJacksonvilleAS DegreeLearn More
Gulf Coast State CollegePanama CityAS DegreeLearn More
Hillsborough Community CollegeTampaAS DegreeLearn More
Indian River State CollegeFt PierceAS DegreeLearn More
Keiser UniversityFt LauderdaleAS DegreeLearn More
Miami Dade CollegeMiamiAS DegreeLearn More
Palm Beach State CollegePalm Beach GardensAS DegreeLearn More
Polk State CollegeWinter HavenAS DegreeLearn More
Santa Fe CollegeGainesvilleAS DegreeLearn More
Seminole State College of FloridaAltamonte SpringsAS DegreeLearn More
St. Johns River State CollegeAugustineAS DegreeLearn More
St. Petersburg CollegePinellas ParkAS DegreeLearn More
Tallahassee Community CollegeTallahasseeAS DegreeLearn More
Valencia CollegeOrlandoAS DegreeLearn More

Respiratory therapist schools in Florida are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Respiratory Care (CoARC). There are 22 accredited respiratory therapist schools in Florida.

Most schools in Florida will offer a choice between an associates degree (2 years) or a bachelors degree (4 years). An associates degree will get you started in your career whilst a bachelors degree will open up more career doors such as supervisory and management roles.

Learn more: Respiratory therapist program requirements

Florida Respiratory License

Respiratory therapist certification is optional in Florida however it does provide extra recognition of your skills and knowledge and may improve career opportunities.

Once you have graduated from an accredited program you are required, however, to obtain a license to work as a respiratory therapist in Florida. The Florida Board Of Medicine/Respiratory Care governs the licensing of respiratory therapists in the state.

You can contact the Board directly using the details below:

Phone: 850-245-4373
Website: doh.state.fl.us

Learn more: Steps to become a respiratory therapist


Respiratory Therapist Salary in Florida

Average Salary$58,700
Hourly Wage$28.22
Top 10%$75,750
Bottom 10%$45,060
Employed8,080

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2019), the average respiratory therapist salary in Florida is $58,700. This is 8% lower than the national average.

This equates to an average hourly wage of $28.22.

Salary levels for respiratory therapists in Florida have increased by 7%, or $4,000, between 2015 and 2019.

Salary Range

  • The top 10% of earners in the profession in Florida had an average salary of $75,750
  • The lower 10% and entry level respiratory therapists earned an average salary of $45,060
  • Respiratory therapists working in Sebastian-Vero Beach earned the highest average salary in the state at $65,020
  • Those working in Tallahassee have the lowest average salary level at $51,850.
Metro AreaSalaryEmployedTop 10%Bottom 10%
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin$54,030150$64,690$43,400
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach$55,400160$68,490$42,680
Jacksonville$58,680680$74,190$47,110
Lakeland-Winter Haven$54,300180$65,450$43,610
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach$58,7002,350$75,560$45,170
Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island$63,820-$78,880$52,240
North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton$61,780270$78,840$50,600
Ocala$55,030110$69,770$41,880
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$60,760960$76,880$49,000
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville$57,830260$74,800$43,990
Panama City$52,60090$70,680$38,320
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent$56,510130$64,360$47,110
Port St. Lucie$57,820110$75,860$41,440
Sebastian-Vero Beach$65,02060$80,150$48,620
Tallahassee$51,850120$73,140$35,100
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$60,7901,180$78,300$45,820

Respiratory Therapist Employment in Florida

There are currently 8,080 people employed as respiratory therapists in Florida. This number has grown by 4%, or 280 respiratory therapy jobs, between 2015 and 2019.

The highest number of respiratory therapy jobs in Florida are in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach.

The table below compares respiratory therapy salary and employment with similar healthcare careers in Florida;

CareerSalaryEmployment
Respiratory Therapist$58,7008,080
Physical Therapist$86,09013,750
Occupational Therapist$83,5507,240
Speech & Language Therapist$80,2509,120


What next?

We hope this guide helps you get started on your path towards becoming a respiratory therapist in Florida. You might also be interested in the following related pages:

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