Respiratory Therapist Jobs in Grand Rapids, MI: Pay and Who's Hiring

In Grand Rapids, the May 2025 median for respiratory therapists is about $78.1K, 5% under the U.S. median. The middle half runs from $68.2K to $81.2K.

Pay

The median is the middle of respiratory therapists already employed, not a starting wage. The 25th is the lower quarter of that group. The 75th is what the upper quarter already earns.

Percentile	Metro	MI	U.S.
25th	$68,180	$71,740	$74,520
Median	$78,070	$79,850	$82,280
75th	$81,210	$83,020	$98,730

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

Hiring difficulty and demand

Hiring difficulty

5.5

Metro employment

690

National growth, 2025 to 2035

8.5%

National openings a year

8.6 thousand

This is the same score as the free check.

Who's hiring

Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services, 4 campuses
Spectrum Health Hospital, 4 campuses
Spectrum Health United, 3 campuses
Advantage Health Saint Mary's Medical Group, 1 campuses
Bh Jv Grand Rapids, 1 campuses
Community Birth Group, 1 campuses

Campuses on file in the provider extract, not live job ads.

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

The work

You see your assigned patients, check each ventilator, give treatments, and adjust settings with the physician and the nurse. Codes and rapid responses can interrupt that plan at any hour.

Night shifts are common in hospital work, and weekends rotate. You also teach patients and families how to use oxygen and other equipment at home.

Nearby metros

Kalamazoo, MI · 48 miles
Battle Creek, MI · 51 miles
Lansing, MI · 58 miles
South Bend, IN · 94 miles

Related roles

One manager hiring: Hire a Respiratory Therapist in Grand Rapids.

Respiratory Therapists hiring pages

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Questions

Who hires respiratory therapists in Grand Rapids?

Hospitals hire respiratory therapists in Grand Rapids, along with home medical equipment companies. Organizations on file in the provider extract include Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services, Spectrum Health Hospital, Spectrum Health United.

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

Almost every state licenses respiratory therapists. Check the Michigan board before you start in Grand Rapids.

What should a hospital in Grand Rapids weigh when hiring an RT?

Ask about the RRT and ICU experience. Grand Rapids has far more of these workers than a typical metro. This metro is within 3 percent of the Michigan median.