IL · Oak Park · Updated October 15, 2026

Respiratory Therapist jobs in Oak Park, IL

Respiratory Therapists in the Oak Park area earn a median of $39.86 per hour, about $82,900 a year, and the middle half of them earn between $38.30 and $45.66. That ranks 53rd of 270 U.S. metro areas for respiratory therapist pay, and 149th of 248 once local prices are factored in. 17 open roles with published pay are listed for Oak Park and its metro area. The free report below lists employers near Oak Park and what they pay.

Open Respiratory Therapist roles near Oak Park

Roles in other cities of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area.

PermanentPosted yesterday

Respiratory Therapist - RRT

Central Maine Healthcare Corporation · Chicago, IL

$37.00–$49.80/ hour
  • FULL_TIME
  • Req 285873
Top 25% payNew this week
View role
PermanentPosted 21 days ago

Respiratory Therapist - RRT

Central Maine Healthcare Corporation · Des Plaines, IL

$36.77–$53.26/ hour
  • FULL_TIME
  • Req 282414
Top 25% pay
View role

Get the Oak Park Respiratory Therapist pay report

Named employers near Oak Park, what they pay and the roles open now. Free for candidates, email only.

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Who is hiring respiratory therapists near Oak Park

EmployerRolesMedian pay / hour
Central Maine Healthcare Corporation7$43.40
Silver Cross Hospital7$42.84
ScionHealth1$39.77
Select Medical1$38.34
Shriners Hospitals for Children1$41.84

Respiratory Therapist pay in Oak Park, IL

The metro median is 2% above the Illinois statewide median of $39.09 per hour. Nationally the median is $38.68 per hour. BLS counts about 4,040 respiratory therapists employed in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro area, 0.9 per 1,000 jobs. Employment is about as concentrated here than in the country as a whole (location quotient 1.02).

LevelPer hourPer yearCompared with U.S.
Lowest 10%$33.23$69,12014% below U.S. median
Lower quartile$38.30$79,6601% below U.S. median
Median$39.86$82,9003% above U.S. median
Upper quartile$45.66$94,97018% above U.S. median
Top 10%$47.29$98,36022% above U.S. median

How Oak Park ranks

  • 53rd of 270 U.S. metro areas by median hourly pay
  • 149th of 248 after adjusting for local prices
  • 1st of 6 Illinois metro areas

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024, Respiratory Therapists (SOC 29-1126), all industries. This is what employers report paying, not an offer for a specific role.

What your pay buys in Oak Park

  • Overall prices in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin run 4% above the U.S. average (index 103.6, U.S. = 100).
  • Housing is the biggest driver: 12% above the U.S. average (index 112.0).
  • Adjusted for local prices, a $39.86 median hour buys what $38.48 buys at the national price level, 1% below the national median.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024. Prices are for the metro area, not for a single neighborhood.

Estimate your Oak Park paycheck

Estimated weekly gross$1,435
  • Per year: $71,748
  • Per month: $5,979

Gross pay before taxes and benefits, from BLS pay levels for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro area. For take-home pay use the take-home pay calculator.

Travel assignment per diem in Oak Park

ItemFederal rate
Lodging per night$195
Meals and incidentals per day$92
Per week (7 nights, 7 days)$2,009
13-week assignment$26,117

Travel respiratory therapist assignments commonly pay housing and meals stipends. The GSA per diem is the federal benchmark for what those stipends can be tax-free. Whether a stipend is tax-free for you depends on keeping a valid tax home, so confirm with your recruiter and a tax professional. Compare with your offer in the travel pay calculator.

Source: U.S. General Services Administration per diem rates, fiscal year 2026 (average across months).

Hospitals in Oak Park

CMS lists 2 hospitals in Oak Park, 1 of the 2 rated ones with 4 or 5 stars. Hospitals are a major employer of respiratory therapists.

HospitalTypeOwnershipCMS ratingEmergency
Rush Oak Park Hospital
Oak Park, IL
Acute careNonprofit4 of 5Yes
West Suburban Medical Center
Oak Park, IL
Acute careNonprofit1 of 5No

Source: CMS Hospital General Information, public data. A directory of hospitals, not a list of our clients.

Respiratory Therapist pay in nearby cities

CityDistanceMedian payPopulation
Berwyn, IL3 mi$39.86/hr55,152
Cicero, IL3 mi$39.86/hr82,090

Respiratory Therapist jobs in Illinois · Respiratory Therapist jobs nationwide

License and tax basics in Illinois

RRT or CRT credential from NBRC. Credentials are issued state by state, so confirm what Illinois requires for your role with the Illinois licensing board and with your recruiter before you commit to a start date.

Illinois taxes wage income. Use your own rates in the take-home pay calculator.

Illinois state guide

Other healthcare roles in Oak Park

Oak Park city guide: hospitals, employers and licensing

Common questions

How much do respiratory therapists make in Oak Park, IL?

Respiratory Therapists in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro area have a median pay of $39.86 per hour, about $82,900 a year. The middle half earn between $38.30 and $45.66 per hour (BLS, May 2024).

Is Oak Park a good place for respiratory therapists once cost of living is counted?

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin ranks 149th of 248 metro areas for respiratory therapist pay after adjusting for local prices, and 53rd of 270 before adjusting. Overall prices run 4% above the U.S. average.

Who is hiring respiratory therapists in Oak Park?

We list 17 open roles with published pay from 5 employers in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area. Your free report adds named employers and pay near Oak Park.

Do I need a Illinois license to work in Oak Park as a respiratory therapist?

RRT or CRT credential from NBRC. Credentials are issued state by state, so confirm what Illinois requires for your role with the Illinois licensing board and with your recruiter before you commit to a start date. Confirm with the board before you accept a role.

What is the per diem for a travel assignment in Oak Park?

The federal per diem benchmark in Oak Park is $195 a night for lodging and $92 a day for meals and incidentals, about $2,009 a week (GSA, fiscal year 2026). Your actual stipend depends on the assignment and your tax home.

Does Valorem Health place respiratory therapists in Oak Park?

Yes. We place healthcare staff in Oak Park and across Illinois. Tell us your profession and we email the roles open near Oak Park.

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What do employers near Oak Park pay respiratory therapists? Get the report.

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  1. 1
    Pay for your role at other hospitals

    The hourly pay at named employers near you, so you see who pays most.

  2. 2
    What they are offering now

    The pay range and median across current postings, and how many were posted this month.

  3. 3
    Roles open for you right now

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The Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval: Health Care Staffing Services Certification, since 2022American Staffing Association memberNATHO member: National Association of Travel Healthcare OrganizationsNALTO member: National Association of Locum Tenens Organizations

Pay report · RT near Oak Park, IL
Valorem Health Shift ReportFrom your recruiting team · [email protected]

Your RT pay reportOak Park, IL · pay published by hospitals, collected October 15, 2026

1Pay for your role at other hospitals

  • Advocate HealthIllinois · 2 postings$44.38/ hr$36–$53
  • Central Maine Healthcare CorporationChicago, IL · 7 postings$43.40/ hr$34–$53
  • Silver Cross HospitalNew Lenox, IL · 7 postings$42.84/ hr$38–$48
  • MercyIllinois · 7 postings$42.22/ hr$31–$63

Median posted pay per hour, with the range each employer published.

2What they are offering now

Low$31Median$40.72High$50

39 RT postings with published pay in Illinois, 25 of them posted in the last 30 days. Month-by-month history by employer comes with your full report.

3Open now: 39 RT roles

  1. Respiratory Therapist, RRT - Nights- Full TimePermanent
    $32.00–$47.55/ hour
    ScionHealth · Chicago, IL · posted today
  2. Respiratory Therapist RegisteredPermanent
    $29.30–$34.47/ hour
    OSF Healthcare System · Mendota, IL · posted today

+ 37 more in your report. Each one has pay, shift and start date.

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