Respiratory Therapist Jobs in Louisville, KY: Pay and Who's Hiring

In Louisville, the May 2025 median for respiratory therapists is about $76.6K, 7% under the U.S. median. The middle half runs from $66.2K to $78.7K.

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	$66,180	$63,110	$74,520
Median	$76,560	$72,750	$82,280
75th	$78,740	$79,730	$98,730

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

Hiring difficulty and demand

Hiring difficulty

1.5

Metro employment

840

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

Baptist Healthcare System, 2 campuses
Jewish Hospital & St. Mary's Healthcare, 2 campuses
Jewish Hospital and St. Mary's Healthcare, 2 campuses
Acute Care Holdings, 1 campuses
Center For Comprehensive Services, 1 campuses
Central State 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

Elizabethtown, KY · 34 miles
Lexington-Fayette, KY · 65 miles
Bloomington, IN · 84 miles
Cincinnati, OH · 91 miles

Related roles

One manager hiring: Hire a Respiratory Therapist in Louisville.

Respiratory Therapists hiring pages

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Questions

Who hires respiratory therapists in Louisville?

Hospitals hire respiratory therapists in Louisville, along with home medical equipment companies. Organizations on file in the provider extract include Baptist Healthcare System, Jewish Hospital & Saint Mary's Healthcare, Jewish Hospital and Saint Mary's Healthcare.

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 Louisville.

What should a hospital in Louisville weigh when hiring an RT?

Ask about the RRT and ICU experience. Louisville has far more of these workers than a typical metro. This metro is 5% over the Kentucky median.