Respiratory Therapist Jobs in Lexington-Fayette, KY: Pay and Who's Hiring

In Lexington-Fayette, the May 2025 median for respiratory therapists is about $80.0K, within 3 percent of the U.S. median. The middle half runs from $67.5K to $91.8K.

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	KY	U.S.
25th	$67,450	$63,110	$74,520
Median	$80,040	$72,750	$82,280
75th	$91,770	$79,730	$98,730

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

Hiring difficulty and demand

Hiring difficulty

1.8

Metro employment

430

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

Center For Comprehensive Services, 2 campuses
Northern Kentucky Behavioral, 2 campuses
Baptist Healthcare System, 1 campuses
Bluegrass Regional Psychiatric Services, 1 campuses
Bourbon Community Hospital, 1 campuses
Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital, 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

Louisville, KY · 65 miles
Cincinnati, OH · 76 miles
Elizabethtown, KY · 81 miles
Huntington, WV · 113 miles

Respiratory Therapists hiring pages

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Questions

Who hires respiratory therapists in Lexington-Fayette?

Hospitals hire respiratory therapists in Lexington-Fayette, along with home medical equipment companies. Organizations on file in the provider extract include Center For Comprehensive Services, Northern Kentucky Behavioral, Baptist Healthcare System.

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

Almost every state licenses respiratory therapists. Check the Kentucky board before you start in Lexington-Fayette.

What should a hospital in Lexington-Fayette weigh when hiring an RT?

Ask about the RRT and ICU experience. Lexington-Fayette has far more of these workers than a typical metro. This metro is 10% over the Kentucky median.