Hire a Respiratory Therapist in Santa Cruz, CA

A short ICU limits ventilated patients. Pay someone who keeps it open from this metro's upper quarter. The nearest metro with its own page for this role is San Jose, CA.

What to offer

A hospital that copies a national midpoint will lose therapists to travel contracts. Use this metro's median for someone new, and the 75th for someone who runs the ICU alone.

Percentile	Metro	CA	U.S.
25th	$100,040	$87,750	$74,520
Median	$134,880	$104,820	$82,280
75th	$161,250	$129,010	$98,730

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

How hard this is to fill

Hiring difficulty

3.1

Metro employment

National growth, 2025 to 2035

8.5%

National openings a year

8.6 thousand

This is the same score as the free check.

For one manager

Say the unit, the shift, and the ventilator mix you need covered. Ask about the RRT credential and how much critical care time the person has.

License and training

Every state except Alaska licenses respiratory therapists. Most employers want the NBRC's CRT or RRT credential. Confirm your state board's rules before you hire or start.

Sources: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, respiratory therapists

Nearby metros

San Jose, CA · 25 miles
San Francisco, CA · 59 miles
Modesto, CA · 73 miles
Vallejo, CA · 79 miles

Respiratory Therapists hiring pages

Get the local report

Questions

What do respiratory therapists earn in Santa Cruz, CA?

In Santa Cruz, the May 2025 median for respiratory therapists is about $134.9K, 64% over the U.S. median. The middle half runs from $100.0K to $161.3K.

Who hires respiratory therapists in Santa Cruz?

Hospitals hire respiratory therapists in Santa Cruz, along with home medical equipment companies. Organizations on file in the provider extract include Cruz'n Anesthesia Associates, Dignity Health, Hastings Chiropractic.

Do I need a license to work as an RT in California?

Almost every state licenses respiratory therapists. Check the California board before you start in Santa Cruz.

What should a hospital in Santa Cruz weigh when hiring an RT?

Ask about the RRT and ICU experience. Santa Cruz has roughly a fifth fewer of these workers than a typical metro. This metro is 29% over the California median.