Respiratory therapist salary Florida, with PT, OT and SLP pay

Therapist salaries in Florida at a glance

All six therapy careers BLS tracks have a published Florida estimate for May 2025.^[oews] Speech-language pathologists and physical therapists earn close to $100,000 at the Florida median, and Florida ranks highest for PT assistants (13th of 51 states) and lowest for respiratory therapists (27th of 51) among these jobs.^{[onet_rt][onet_pt][onet_pta]}

Rank among the states and DC with a published median. Jobs: BLS OEWS employment estimate, May 2025.

Respiratory therapist salary in Florida

Half of Florida's 8,820 respiratory therapists earn more than $81,160, $1,120 below the U.S. median of $82,280; the middle half are paid $75,210 to $87,990.^{[onet_rt][oews_api]} Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL pays the most of the state's areas at a median of $86,300.^[onet_rt] Most hospital RTs work 12-hour shifts; the shift math and the national ranking are on respiratory therapist salary.

*Single filer, 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare; before state tax.

Physical therapist salary in Florida

Florida physical therapists earn a median $101,040 ($48.58 an hour), $1,720 below the national median, and the state ranks 26th of 51 for PT pay.^[onet_pt] The 10th percentile, a common new-graduate figure, is $73,630. Naples-Marco Island, FL has the highest PT median in Florida at $105,440.^[onet_pt] PT assistants earn a median $72,530 in Florida, $4,150 above the national PTA median.^[onet_pta]

*Single filer, 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare; before state tax.

Take-home pay in Florida: no state income tax

Florida's constitution bars a state tax on the income of individuals, so therapists in Florida pay only federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare on wages.^{[fl_const][irs][ssa]} The table applies 2026 federal rules for a single filer to each Florida median.

Occupational therapist and speech pathologist pay in Florida

Florida's occupational therapists earn a median $99,360 and its speech-language pathologists $99,990, ranking 24th and 14th among the states.^{[onet_ot][onet_slp]} Pick either career in the calculator for any Florida metro; national figures and every state are on occupational therapist salary and speech pathologist salary.

Florida licenses for respiratory and physical therapists

The Florida Board of Respiratory Care licenses respiratory therapists at the CRT or RRT level; you apply for the level of your NBRC credential, and new graduates expecting the RRT are told to apply for the RRT only. The fees total $105 ($50 application, $50 initial license, $5 unlicensed activity), plus electronic fingerprinting.^[fl_rt] The NBRC exam itself changes on January 4, 2027; the steps are on how to become a respiratory therapist.

Physical therapists need a CAPTE-accredited degree, the NPTE and the Florida Laws and Rules Examination. The board's $180 application and licensing fee, the $485 NPTE fee and the $65 laws and rules fee come to $730, plus Prometric's $112 seat fee.^{[fl_pt][fsbpt_prom]} Florida has not introduced the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact, so a PT moving in needs a full Florida license (by endorsement if already licensed elsewhere).^[ptcompact]

DPT tuition and debt are on physical therapy school cost; California's figures for comparison are on physical therapist salary California.