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Medical & WelfareGrowingBright Outlook

Respiratory Therapist

Operational-level

Also known as: Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Respiratory Therapist, Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT), Hospital Respiratory Therapist, Inhalation Therapist

Medical & WelfareBachelor's Degree

Job Description

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.
Respiratory TherapyPulmonary CareCardiopulmonary HealthVentilator ManagementHealthcarePatient CareMedical DevicesRehabilitationMedical Careers

A Day in the Life

You clock in at St. Jude's Medical Center in Phoenix for your 7 AM shift. The ICU is already buzzing. You grab your workstation on wheels and log into Epic, pulling up your assigned patients for the day. During the morning report, the night shift RT quickly briefs you on Mr. Henderson, a post-op patient requiring frequent nebulizer treatments, and Mrs. Rodriguez, who's still on a Puritan Bennett 840 ventilator. You jot down notes, mentally prioritizing your rounds.

Skills employers are looking for in 2027

Software and technologies flagged by O*NET as Hot or In-Demand for this role.

Hot technologies
MEDITECH softwareMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WordeClinicalWorks EHR software

Job Outlook 2025-2035

Bright Outlook

O*NET flags this career as a Bright Outlook occupation: grows rapidly over the next decade.

Projected growth

+8.5%

US average: +3.5%

Job openings

8,600

per year (US)

Jobs today

142,000

in 2025 → 154,200 (2035)

Typical entry education

Associate's degree

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections; O*NET Bright Outlook. Read the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook

Work Environment

How this work is typically performed, based on O*NET work context data.

Email & digital communication
High
Working in a team
High
Contact with others
High
Freedom to make decisions
High
Time pressure
Moderate
Time spent sitting
Moderate
Working outdoors
Low
Indoor, climate-controlled
High
Dealing with customers
High
Level of competition
Moderate

Source: O*NET Work Context (v31.0)

Future Perspective

Growing Job Market

This career has a bright outlook, with employment expected to grow by 8.5% through 2035, leading to about 8,600 job openings each year. The median annual wage is around $82,280. You can advance to roles like a Clinical Respiratory Specialist or a Director of Respiratory Care Services.

Career ladder

Often before this role

  • Respiratory Therapy Technician
  • Patient Care Assistant
  • Medical Assistant

Where it can lead

  • Clinical Respiratory Specialist
  • Respiratory Health Educator
  • Director of Respiratory Care Services

Impact of AI on this Job

AI will likely augment, rather than replace, the Respiratory Therapist role by enhancing diagnostic accuracy, predicting patient deterioration, and personalizing treatment plans. RTs will increasingly leverage AI-driven insights for proactive interventions and device management, freeing them to focus on complex patient care, education, and critical decision-making. This shift will necessitate adapting to new technologies and developing skills in interpreting AI data.

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Salary

$82,280

Median annual wage, BLS 2025

Required Education

Bachelor's Degree

Minimum educational requirement for this position

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Based on job level & field

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