Respiratory Therapist
Sentara Healthcare · Suffolk, VA
Respiratory Therapists in the Suffolk area earn a median of $38.44 per hour, about $79,960 a year, and the middle half of them earn between $37.07 and $45.07. That ranks 91st of 270 U.S. metro areas for respiratory therapist pay, and 123rd of 248 once local prices are factored in. 6 open roles with published pay are listed for Suffolk. Tell us your role and we email current openings near Suffolk.
Sentara Healthcare · Suffolk, VA
Sentara Healthcare · Suffolk, VA
Most are never shown on this page. Tell us your role and get the full list, with the pay on every one, in your inbox within 24 hours.
Sentara Healthcare · Suffolk, VA
Sentara Healthcare · Suffolk, VA
Sentara Healthcare · Suffolk, VA
Sentara Healthcare · Suffolk, VA
1 more open role from employers in Suffolk. Each employer’s range arrives with your free pay report.
Sentara Healthcare · Suffolk, VA
Named employers near Suffolk, what they pay and the roles open now. Free for candidates, email only.
Get my free pay reportThe metro median is in line with the Virginia statewide median of $38.27 per hour. Nationally the median is $38.68 per hour. BLS counts about 600 respiratory therapists employed in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk metro area, 0.8 per 1,000 jobs. Employment is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole (location quotient 0.90).
| Level | Per hour | Per year | Compared with U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% | $30.96 | $64,400 | 20% below U.S. median |
| Lower quartile | $37.07 | $77,110 | 4% below U.S. median |
| Median | $38.44 | $79,960 | 1% below U.S. median |
| Upper quartile | $45.07 | $93,750 | 17% above U.S. median |
| Top 10% | $48.41 | $100,690 | 25% above U.S. median |
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.
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.
Gross pay before taxes and benefits, from BLS pay levels for the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk metro area. For take-home pay use the take-home pay calculator.
| Item | Federal rate |
|---|---|
| Lodging per night | $110 |
| Meals and incidentals per day | $68 |
| Per week (7 nights, 7 days) | $1,246 |
| 13-week assignment | $16,198 |
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 (this is the standard rate that applies here). 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).
CMS lists 2 hospitals in Suffolk, 1 of the 1 rated ones with 4 or 5 stars. Hospitals are a major employer of respiratory therapists.
| Hospital | Type | Ownership | CMS rating | Emergency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sentara Obici Hospital Suffolk, VA | Acute care | Nonprofit | 4 of 5 | Yes |
| Bon Secours Harbour View Medical Center Suffolk, VA | Acute care | Nonprofit | Not rated | Yes |
Source: CMS Hospital General Information, public data. A directory of hospitals, not a list of our clients.
| City | Distance | Median pay | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chesapeake, VA | 18 mi | $38.44/hr | 254,997 |
| Portsmouth, VA | 19 mi | $38.44/hr | 96,482 |
| Richmond, VA | 74 mi | $38.50/hr | 233,655 |
| Rocky Mount, NC | 82 mi | $32.85/hr | 54,541 |
| Greenville, NC | 87 mi | $32.18/hr | 95,138 |
| Wake Forest, NC | 116 mi | $40.18/hr | 56,764 |
Respiratory Therapist jobs in Virginia · Respiratory Therapist jobs nationwide
RRT or CRT credential from NBRC. Credentials are issued state by state, so confirm what Virginia requires for your role with the Virginia licensing board and with your recruiter before you commit to a start date.
Virginia taxes wage income. Use your own rates in the take-home pay calculator.
Suffolk city guide: hospitals, employers and licensing
Respiratory Therapists in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk metro area have a median pay of $38.44 per hour, about $79,960 a year. The middle half earn between $37.07 and $45.07 per hour (BLS, May 2024).
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk ranks 123rd of 248 metro areas for respiratory therapist pay after adjusting for local prices, and 91st of 270 before adjusting. Overall prices run 2% below the U.S. average.
We list 6 open roles with published pay from 1 employer in Suffolk. Your free report adds named employers and pay near Suffolk.
RRT or CRT credential from NBRC. Credentials are issued state by state, so confirm what Virginia requires for your role with the Virginia licensing board and with your recruiter before you commit to a start date. Confirm with the board before you accept a role.
The federal per diem benchmark in Suffolk is $110 a night for lodging and $68 a day for meals and incidentals, about $1,246 a week (GSA, fiscal year 2026). Your actual stipend depends on the assignment and your tax home.
Yes. We place healthcare staff in Suffolk and across Virginia. Tell us your profession and we email the roles open near Suffolk.
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.
The hourly pay at named employers near you, so you see who pays most.
The pay range and median across current postings, and how many were posted this month.
Every current opening near you with pay, shift and start date. Reply with one click.
150+ Respiratory Therapist roles in Virginia, sent free by email
Tell us who you are and what you do. We email the report within 24 hours on business days.
Median posted pay per hour, with the range each employer published.
57 RT postings with published pay in Virginia, 50 of them posted in the last 30 days. Month-by-month history by employer comes with your full report.
+ 55 more in your report. Each one has pay, shift and start date.