Healthcare
Respiratory Therapists
Assess, treat, and care for patients with breathing disorders. Assume primary responsibility for all respiratory care modalities, including the supervision of respiratory therapy technicians. Initiate and conduct therapeutic procedures; maintain patient records; and select, assemble, check, and operate equipment.
Median salary
$80,450
Typical range
$62k – $109k
Job outlook
+12% (much faster than average)
AI exposure
Plan a path to Respiratory Therapists
Education
Typical entry: Associate degree
Plan my path to this →Typical progression
Junior Respiratory Therapists
Entry / Junior
$61,900
~2 yrs to advance
Respiratory Therapists
Established
$80,450
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Respiratory Therapists
Senior
$94,635
Key skills
A typical day
- •Provide emergency care, such as artificial respiration, external cardiac massage, or assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
- •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.
- •Set up and operate devices, such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment.
- •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.
- •Maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information.
Fields of study
Any field
Top colleges for Healthcare
Explore all- Johns Hopkins University7% admit · $93,000 grad pay
- Harvard University4% admit · $119,000 grad pay
- University of Michigan18% admit · $87,000 grad pay
- Duke University6% admit · $105,000 grad pay
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill19% admit · $73,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.