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Respiratory Therapists

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipModerate pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $82,280 Median per year · $39.56/hr Most earn $63,660–$118,050

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Educate patients and their families about their conditions and teach appropriate disease management techniques, such as breathing exercises or the use of medications or respiratory equipment.
  • Teach, train, supervise, or use the assistance of students, respiratory therapy technicians, or assistants.
  • Conduct tests, such as electrocardiograms (EKGs), stress testing, or lung capacity tests, to evaluate patients' cardiopulmonary functions.
  • Teach, train, supervise, or use the assistance of students, respiratory therapy technicians, or assistants.
  • 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.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth

United States
9% more jobs by 2035, much faster than average · about 8,600 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • General medical and surgical hospitals73.6%
  • Specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals6.7%
  • Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities)3.9%
  • Offices of physicians2.7%
  • Temporary help services2.0%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Respiratory therapy usually takes a certificate or apprenticeship-style training program, and most people also spend about 1 to 2 years in a related hands-on role before working as a Respiratory Therapist. Plan on roughly 2 to 4 years from starting training to the full career.

  1. Respiratory therapy training program (certificate or apprenticeship)

    1-2 years

    You learn how the lungs and heart work, how to use breathing equipment, and how to care for patients, and you finish with the clinical hours needed to be prepared for the field.

  2. Respiratory Therapy Technician

    1-2 years

    You work under licensed therapists setting up equipment, giving treatments, and learning how patients respond to care, which builds the experience employers expect before you take on full responsibility.

  3. Respiratory Therapist

    Career

    You take primary responsibility for patient breathing care, select and operate equipment, keep patient records, and may supervise respiratory therapy technicians.

Where it can lead

  1. Lead Respiratory Therapist

    2-4 years of experience first

    You coordinate daily work on a unit or shift, train newer staff, and help make sure care follows procedures, which usually builds on strong clinical skill and good teamwork.

  2. Respiratory Therapy Supervisor

    3-5 years of experience first

    You manage a team of therapists and technicians, handle scheduling and staffing, and oversee quality of care, which often requires leadership experience and additional management training.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take biology, chemistry, and anatomy if your school offers themThese classes give you the science background you will use in respiratory therapy training.
  • Take math and health classesMath helps with reading equipment settings and dosages, and health classes introduce how the body and breathing work.
  • Volunteer at a hospital, nursing home, or clinicVolunteering shows you the health care environment and lets you see whether you're comfortable helping patients who are struggling to breathe.
  • Get a starter job that builds patient-care or teamwork skillsJobs like a lifeguard, a retail or food service role, or a camp counselor role teach calm communication and responsibility under pressure.
  • Join a science, health, or first-aid clubClubs like these build practical knowledge and show schools and programs that you are serious about health care.

In college

  • Take anatomy, physiology, and chemistryThese courses are the core science background that respiratory therapy training builds on.
  • Look for a health care job or volunteer roleWorking as a patient care aide, medical assistant, or hospital volunteer gives you real patient contact and clinical exposure before you commit to training.
  • Shadow a respiratory therapistObserving the work in a hospital or clinic helps you understand the daily duties and confirm this is the right career for you.
  • Learn CPR and first aid certificationBasic life support certification is commonly required for health care training and shows employers you can respond in an emergency.
  • Join a pre-health or science student organizationThese groups connect you with peers and advisors who can share information about training programs and career paths.

Tips for getting started

  • Look for a training program that includes clinical hours in a hospital, since hands-on experience is what employers look for most.
  • Start building comfort with health care settings now, such as volunteering or working as a patient care aide, so you know whether the pace and the patient contact fit you.
  • Ask a respiratory therapist if you can talk with them about their day. Hearing what the work is really like helps you decide whether to pursue it.

Related jobs that often lead here

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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