Assess and treat patients with breathing disorders including asthma and COPD. Median salary in Rapid City: $70K/year. Data from BLS, O*NET, and H-1B disclosures.
Figures represent annual base salary in Rapid City, South Dakota. Reviewed by SalaryOptics Editorial · How we calculate this →
Analysis derived from the salary, COL, tax, and labor-market figures above — specific to this role and city.
Respiratory Therapists in Rapid City earn approximately 3% lower than the US national median for this role — a $2,000 discount on annual base salary. Rapid City's lower wage level partially reflects the area's cost-of-living index of 88 (US avg = 100).
Adjusted for Rapid City's cost-of-living index (88), the median Respiratory Therapist salary buys the equivalent of $79,545 in a US-average-cost city. That's $7,545 more purchasing power than the national median — a meaningful real-wage advantage.
South Dakota has no state income tax, which is worth roughly $6,510 per year at this salary level compared to a California Respiratory Therapist on the same gross pay. A Rapid City Respiratory Therapist would need to earn $77,178 in California to net the same take-home.
Based on BLS 2022–2032 Employment Projections and WEF Future of Jobs Report 2026. At current growth rates, median salary reaches $70K by 2030.
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The median Respiratory Therapist salary in Rapid City, SD is $70,000 per year as of Q1 2026. This figure represents the midpoint of all reported compensation for this role in the Rapid City–SD metropolitan area, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics, H-1B visa disclosures from the Department of Labor, and O*NET occupational data.
Entry-level Respiratory Therapists in Rapid City with 0–2 years of experience typically earn between $56,000 and $70,000 annually. Mid-career professionals with 3–7 years command $70,000 to $87,000, while senior-level practitioners with 8+ years of experience regularly earn $87,000 to $109,000 or more.
Rapid City has a cost of living index of 88 compared to the US national average of 100. This means your salary goes approximately 12% further in Rapid City than the national average. Crucially, South Dakota has no state income tax — giving Rapid City-based Respiratory Therapists an immediate 3–5% take-home pay advantage over workers in states like California (9.3%) or New York (6.85%).
Associate's or Bachelor's in Respiratory Therapy; RRT credential. 5% of these roles offer some remote flexibility.