MO · St. Charles · Updated October 15, 2026

Respiratory Therapist jobs in St. Charles, MO

Respiratory Therapists in the St. Charles area earn a median of $36.33 per hour, about $75,570 a year, and the middle half of them earn between $31.57 and $39.58. That ranks 161st of 270 U.S. metro areas for respiratory therapist pay, and 157th of 248 once local prices are factored in. 2 open roles with published pay are listed for St. Charles. Tell us your role and we email current openings near St. Charles.

Open Respiratory Therapist roles in St. Charles

More open Respiratory Therapist roles in St. Charles

1 more open role from employers in St. Charles. Each employer’s range arrives with your free pay report.

Get the St. Charles Respiratory Therapist pay report

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

Get my free pay report

Respiratory Therapist pay in St. Charles, MO

The metro median is 2% above the Missouri statewide median of $35.52 per hour. Nationally the median is $38.68 per hour. BLS counts about 1,380 respiratory therapists employed in the St. Louis metro area, 1.0 per 1,000 jobs. Employment is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole (location quotient 1.16).

LevelPer hourPer yearCompared with U.S.
Lowest 10%$29.79$61,96023% below U.S. median
Lower quartile$31.57$65,67018% below U.S. median
Median$36.33$75,5706% below U.S. median
Upper quartile$39.58$82,3302% above U.S. median
Top 10%$43.83$91,17013% above U.S. median

How St. Charles ranks

  • 161st of 270 U.S. metro areas by median hourly pay
  • 157th of 248 after adjusting for local prices
  • 2nd of 6 Missouri 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 St. Charles

  • Overall prices in St. Louis run 5% below the U.S. average (index 95.1, U.S. = 100).
  • Housing is the biggest driver: 21% below the U.S. average (index 79.0).
  • Adjusted for local prices, a $36.33 median hour buys what $38.21 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 St. Charles paycheck

Estimated weekly gross$1,308
  • Per year: $65,394
  • Per month: $5,449

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

Travel assignment per diem in St. Charles

ItemFederal rate
Lodging per night$150
Meals and incidentals per day$86
Per week (7 nights, 7 days)$1,652
13-week assignment$21,476

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 St. Charles

CMS lists 2 hospitals in St. Charles, 0 of the 1 rated ones with 4 or 5 stars. Hospitals are a major employer of respiratory therapists.

HospitalTypeOwnershipCMS ratingEmergency
Ssm St Joseph Health Center
Saint Charles, MO
Acute careNonprofit3 of 5Yes
Centerpointe Hospital
Saint Charles, MO
PsychiatricFor-profitNot ratedNo

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
St. Peters, MO5 mi$36.33/hr61,398
Florissant, MO10 mi$36.33/hr51,290
Springfield, IL83 mi$36.52/hr112,949
Columbia, MO98 mi$32.19/hr130,900
Decatur, IL112 mi$39.09/hr68,763
Bloomington, IL142 mi$35.90/hr79,232

Respiratory Therapist jobs in Missouri · Respiratory Therapist jobs nationwide

Respiratory Therapist salary in Missouri

License and tax basics in Missouri

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

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

Missouri state guide

Other healthcare roles in St. Charles

St. Charles city guide: hospitals, employers and licensing

Common questions

How much do respiratory therapists make in St. Charles, MO?

Respiratory Therapists in the St. Louis metro area have a median pay of $36.33 per hour, about $75,570 a year. The middle half earn between $31.57 and $39.58 per hour (BLS, May 2024).

Is St. Charles a good place for respiratory therapists once cost of living is counted?

St. Louis ranks 157th of 248 metro areas for respiratory therapist pay after adjusting for local prices, and 161st of 270 before adjusting. Overall prices run 5% below the U.S. average.

Who is hiring respiratory therapists in St. Charles?

We list 2 open roles with published pay from 1 employer in St. Charles. Your free report adds named employers and pay near St. Charles.

Do I need a Missouri license to work in St. Charles as a respiratory therapist?

RRT or CRT credential from NBRC. Credentials are issued state by state, so confirm what Missouri requires for your role with the Missouri 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 St. Charles?

The federal per diem benchmark in St. Charles is $150 a night for lodging and $86 a day for meals and incidentals, about $1,652 a week (GSA, fiscal year 2026). Your actual stipend depends on the assignment and your tax home.

Does Valorem Health place respiratory therapists in St. Charles?

Yes. We place healthcare staff in St. Charles and across Missouri. Tell us your profession and we email the roles open near St. Charles.

Free for every candidate

What do employers near St. Charles pay respiratory therapists? Get the report.

Tell us your role and city. Within 24 hours you get an email with three things, by employer name. It costs you nothing, because employers pay us.

  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

    Every current opening near you with pay, shift and start date. Reply with one click.

Get your free pay report

50+ Respiratory Therapist roles in Missouri, sent free by email

Tell us who you are and what you do. We email the report within 24 hours on business days.

Please enter your first name.
Please enter your last name.
That email doesn't look quite right.
Please choose your role.
Please enter your city or ZIP.

Free for candidates. No phone number, no cold calls. One-click unsubscribe.

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 St. Charles, MO
Valorem Health Shift ReportFrom your recruiting team · [email protected]

Your RT pay reportTop-paying hospitals shown · your Missouri list by name comes with the full report

1Pay for your role at other hospitals

  • Select MedicalSaint Charles, MO · 2 postings$41.40/ hr$35–$48
  • CommonSpirit HealthSacramento, CA · 8 postings$56.70/ hr$47–$71
  • MultiCareTacoma, WA · 18 postings$54.16/ hr$29–$68
  • Fairview Health ServicesGrand Rapids, MN · 7 postings$53.34/ hr$36–$63

Median posted pay per hour, with the range each employer published. Request your Missouri list

2What they are offering now

Low$29Median$41.44High$58

396 RT postings with published pay in the US, 319 of them posted in the last 30 days. Month-by-month history by employer comes with your full report.

3Open now: 2 RT roles

  1. Respiratory Therapist New Grad Full-TimePermanent
    $35.30–$47.50/ hour
    Select Medical · Saint Charles, MO · posted 10 days ago
  2. Respiratory Therapist Full-TimePermanent
    $35.30–$47.50/ hour
    Select Medical · Saint Charles, MO · posted 10 days ago

Each one has pay, shift and start date.

I'm interestedOne click. A recruiter writes only after you reply.
Check my pay