Respiratory Therapists
SOC Code: 29-1126.00
Healthcare PractitionersRespiratory therapists are licensed healthcare professionals who specialize in evaluating, treating, and managing patients with cardiopulmonary disorders ranging from asthma and COPD to acute respiratory failure, earning a median salary of approximately $80,450 per year. They work alongside physicians, pulmonologists, and critical care teams to design and administer therapeutic interventions that help patients breathe more effectively and live fuller lives. From premature newborns in neonatal intensive care units to elderly patients managing chronic lung disease, respiratory therapists serve patients across every age group and acuity level. The COVID-19 pandemic threw a global spotlight on respiratory therapy as RTs became essential frontline providers managing ventilated patients in overwhelmed ICUs. Their expertise in mechanical ventilation, pulmonary function testing, and respiratory pharmacology makes them indispensable members of modern healthcare teams.
Salary Overview
Median
$80,450
25th Percentile
$68,410
75th Percentile
$95,530
90th Percentile
$108,820
Salary Distribution
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Growth Rate
+12.1%
New Openings
8,800
Outlook
Much faster than average
Key Skills
Knowledge Areas
What They Do
- Monitor patient's physiological responses to therapy, such as vital signs, arterial blood gases, or blood chemistry changes, and consult with physician if adverse reactions occur.
- Work as part of a team of physicians, nurses, or other healthcare professionals to manage patient care by assisting with medical procedures or related duties.
- Inspect, clean, test, and maintain respiratory therapy equipment to ensure equipment is functioning safely and efficiently, ordering repairs when necessary.
- Explain treatment procedures to patients to gain cooperation and allay fears.
- Make emergency visits to resolve equipment problems.
- Perform pulmonary function and adjust equipment to obtain optimum results in therapy.
- Provide emergency care, such as artificial respiration, external cardiac massage, or assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
- Set up and operate devices, such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment.
Tools & Technology
★ = Hot Technology (in-demand)
Education Requirements
Typical entry-level education: Associate's Degree
Related Careers
Top Career Pivot Targets
View all 4 →Careers with the highest skill compatibility from Respiratory Therapists.
A Day in the Life
A hospital-based respiratory therapist typically begins a shift by reviewing patient assignments, checking ventilator settings on intubated ICU patients, and coordinating with nurses and physicians on any status changes overnight. Morning rounds involve traveling between patient rooms to conduct assessments—listening to breath sounds, reviewing arterial blood gas results, and adjusting oxygen delivery or ventilator parameters as ordered or authorized by protocol. Aerosol medication treatments, incentive spirometry coaching, and airway clearance techniques are administered throughout the day on post-surgical and pulmonary patients. Emergencies—including rapid response calls, code blue situations, and trauma activations requiring airway management—can interrupt the planned schedule at any moment. Documentation of all treatments and assessments in the electronic health record, along with end-of-shift handoffs to the next team, close out a demanding but purposeful day.
Work Environment
The majority of respiratory therapists work in hospital settings—particularly ICUs, emergency departments, and general medical-surgical floors—in 8-, 10-, or 12-hour shift rotations that include nights, weekends, and holidays. The work is physically demanding, requiring frequent lifting and repositioning of patients, responding quickly to emergency alerts, and spending hours on feet across large hospital units. Outpatient settings including pulmonary rehabilitation clinics, physician offices, and sleep laboratories offer more regular daytime hours and a less acute patient population. Home health respiratory therapy—supporting patients on home ventilators or oxygen therapy—involves travel to patient residences and a higher degree of independent clinical judgment. Exposure to airborne pathogens and respiratory secretions requires consistent adherence to infection control protocols and personal protective equipment use.
Career Path & Advancement
Entry into the profession requires completing an accredited associate's or bachelor's degree program in respiratory therapy, followed by passing the Therapist Multiple-Choice (TMC) examination and earning the Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) credential from the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC). Achieving the higher Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential—which requires a second NBRC clinical simulation examination—is expected for most hospital positions and opens significantly better compensation and advancement opportunities. With three to five years of experience, RTs can specialize in critical care (earning the RRT-ACCS credential), neonatal/pediatric care (RRT-NPS), or pulmonary function testing. Senior respiratory therapists, lead RTs, and respiratory therapy supervisors emerge with five to eight years of experience, while director and department manager roles require additional leadership experience or a bachelor's/master's degree in healthcare management. Some experienced RTs pursue advanced practice roles such as respiratory clinical specialist, educator, or transition into related fields like anesthesia or physician assistant programs.
Specializations
Critical care respiratory therapy focuses on managing mechanically ventilated patients in ICUs, applying advanced weaning protocols, high-frequency oscillatory ventilation, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support in the most acute hospital settings. Neonatal and pediatric respiratory therapy requires specialized knowledge of developing lung physiology, surfactant administration, and high-frequency ventilation techniques used in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) and pediatric ICUs. Pulmonary rehabilitation specialists work in outpatient settings with COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, and post-COVID patients on exercise conditioning programs, breathing retraining, and disease self-management education. Sleep disorder respiratory therapists conduct and interpret overnight polysomnography studies and titrate CPAP and BiPAP therapy for patients with obstructive sleep apnea and related conditions.
Pros & Cons
Advantages
- ✓Strong and growing job market with projected 13% growth through 2032, well above the national average
- ✓Median salary of ~$80,450 with ICU and critical care specialization commanding significantly higher compensation
- ✓Directly life-saving clinical work creates profound daily meaning and professional satisfaction
- ✓Entry via two-year associate's degree makes this healthcare career more accessible and faster to reach than nursing or medicine
- ✓Multiple specialization pathways in NICU, sleep therapy, critical care, and pulmonary rehabilitation
- ✓Shift work options including 3x12-hour shift schedules provide multi-day stretches of consecutive days off
- ✓Substantial autonomy in many institutional settings through ventilator and protocol-driven practice models
Challenges
- ✗Cardiovascular and respiratory emergencies require rapid clinical response under high-pressure conditions with life-or-death stakes
- ✗Night, weekend, and holiday shift work is unavoidable in hospital settings for most of a career
- ✗Patient deaths—particularly in ICU and NICU settings—are a regular reality that can contribute to moral injury and compassion fatigue
- ✗Physical demands including lifting, bending, and extended standing contribute to musculoskeletal injury risk over a career
- ✗Continuous credentialing maintenance through CEU requirements and NBRC renewal examinations is an ongoing professional obligation
- ✗Exposure to infectious respiratory pathogens—including highly contagious airborne diseases—carries inherent occupational health risk
- ✗Staffing shortages at many hospitals result in frequent mandatory overtime and high patient loads
Industry Insight
The aging of the U.S. population is driving increased prevalence of chronic lung diseases such as COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, and lung cancer, creating sustained long-term demand for respiratory therapy services. The COVID-19 pandemic permanently elevated the visibility and professional standing of respiratory therapists within healthcare systems, with many hospitals expanding RT staffing ratios and protocols post-pandemic. Advanced ventilator modalities, high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy, and non-invasive ventilation techniques have expanded the RT scope of practice, with protocols now allowing RTs to make and adjust treatment decisions with greater autonomy in many states. Telemedicine applications for remote CPAP/BiPAP compliance monitoring and virtual pulmonary rehabilitation programs are creating new care delivery models that RTs are well-positioned to staff. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of respiratory therapists to grow approximately 13% through 2032, substantially faster than the average for all occupations.
How to Break Into This Career
Accredited associate's degree programs in respiratory therapy typically take two years to complete and are offered at community colleges and technical institutions across the country, making this a relatively accessible healthcare career entry point. The Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) accredits programs that meet national standards, and attending a CoARC-accredited program is required for NBRC examination eligibility. The registry examinations—the TMC and clinical simulation examination—are the credentialing gateway, and most employers expect the full RRT credential rather than just the CRT. Hospital clinical rotations built into every accredited program provide practical experience and networking opportunities with potential employers. Many students receive employment offers from the hospitals where they complete their clinical rotations, making clinical placement a de facto job interview.
Career Pivot Tips
Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics who already manage airways and oxygen delivery in the field have a strong clinical foundation for transitioning into respiratory therapy through an accredited two-year program. Nurses considering a specialty shift can leverage their patient assessment, medication, and ICU experience to accelerate learning in respiratory therapy programs and may qualify for advanced-standing options at some institutions. Exercise physiologists and physical therapists who work with cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation patients already understand the physiology underpinning respiratory therapy and can make compelling lateral transitions with targeted credentialing. Related clinical roles that share significant skillset overlap with respiratory therapy include pulmonary function technologist, polysomnographic technologist, and anesthesia technician. Career changers from non-medical fields with a bachelor's degree or higher may be interested in accelerated bachelor's completion or bridge programs in respiratory therapy that can be completed in under two years.
Explore Career Pivots
See how Respiratory Therapists compares to other careers and find your best pivot opportunities.
Find Pivots from Respiratory Therapists