How much does a respiratory therapy earn in Ontario?

Roughly $70,000 in the first years and $89,000 by year five (Ontario median, before tax). Estimate from the sources on the data page; partly verified.

How long does it take?

About 3 years, with a first real paycheque in about 3 years.

What does it cost and how much debt is typical?

About $15,000 in tuition and fees, and $16,700 of debt is typical for those who borrow.

College diploma

Respiratory therapy

Ontario College Advanced Diploma; CRTO registration

Numbers for 33 of 52 pathways verified, the rest partly · How we verify

Years to credential3

First real paycheque~3 years

Time in a classroom65%

Total cost$15,000

Typical debt after$16,700

Demand in OntarioHigh

The first ten years

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Mostly in schoolEarning

Earnings by year, roughly

Ontario median before tax. Overtime, location and specialisation change this a lot. Net by year 10 after program cost: $567k, low to high $477k to $656k.

What's in "net by year 10"

Earnings, years 1 to 10	$582k	3 years at $0 while in school, then $70,000 rising to $89,000 by year five, flat after
Program cost	−$15k	tuition and fees
Typical (medians)	$567k	the number on the card
Low to high	$477k to $656k	pay 15% under or over the median, cost 15% more or 10% less

Not counted: income tax, rent, food, loan interest, inflation, and unemployment gaps. They apply to every route, so they change the size of each number more than the order. Pay is the Ontario median before tax from the sources on this page.

The picture

What the day-to-day isRunning ventilators and oxygen therapy, intubations, sleep and lung testing, on hospital floors and in the ICU, after three years that are roughly half classroom and half lab and clinical.

What actually stops peopleAdmission. Far more qualified applicants than seats; apply by February 1 with strong senior science marks.

The downsideICU and emergency work: twelve-hour shifts, nights, and some of the hardest moments in a hospital. Clinical placements can mean relocating for a semester.

If you're the parentThe best pay per year of school of any health route reachable from Grade 12: a regulated profession at nearly $90,000 after three years, no degree required. Admission is the hard part.

Local opportunities in Ontario

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How to enter

What you need

Courses: English (U), Biology, Chemistry, Physics
Average around 75+

Deadlines in Ontario

OCAS: apply by February 1 for equal consideration; many programs stay open after
OSAP opens in spring

Next steps

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◐ Partly verified Job Bank NOC 32103, wages Nov 2025 (Ontario median $44.66/hr), outlook 2025–27 Good; three-year (100-week) program at Fanshawe, Conestoga, Algonquin and Michener, national exam then CRTO registration. Cost is an estimate from standard Ontario advanced-diploma tuition and fees (Fanshawe lists $10,737, basis unclear); StatCan NGS 2020 college debt. Entry: 70%+ in Grade 12 English and math plus senior biology, chemistry and physics

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