Life As a Respiratory Therapist

Job Description & Duties 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.

What do Respiratory Therapists do On a Daily Basis?

• Perform endotracheal intubation to maintain open airways for patients who are unable to breathe on their own.
• Teach, train, supervise, or use the assistance of students, respiratory therapy technicians, or assistants.
• Transport patients to the hospital or within the hospital.
• Use a variety of testing techniques to assist doctors in cardiac or pulmonary research or to diagnose disorders.
• Maintain charts that contain patients’ pertinent identification and therapy information.
• Monitor cardiac patients, using electrocardiography devices, such as a holter monitor.

What a Respiratory Therapist Should Know

Below is a list of the skills most Respiratory Therapists say are important on the job.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Types of Respiratory Therapists

• Respiratory Therapy Director
• Staff Therapist
• Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Respiratory Therapist
• Staff Respiratory Therapist
• Respiratory Care Practitioner (RCP)

Is There Job Demand for Respiratory Therapists?

In the United States, there were 130,200 jobs for Respiratory Therapists in 2016.

New jobs are being produced at a rate of 23.4% which is lower than average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 30,500 new jobs for Respiratory Therapists by 2026. The BLS estimates 9,800 yearly job openings in this field per year.

The states with the most job growth for Respiratory Therapists are California, Texas, and Florida.

Watch out if you plan on working in Rhode Island, Louisiana, or Vermont. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Do Respiratory Therapists Make A Lot Of Money?

The average yearly salary of a Respiratory Therapist ranges between $43,750 and $83,520. A Respiratory Therapist median salary is $60,280.

How much do Respiratory Therapists make in different U.S. states?

Annual Mean Salary by State

State	Annual Mean Salary
California	$79,640
District of Columbia	$78,540
Alaska	$76,610
New York	$74,890
Massachusetts	$73,660
Nevada	$73,530
New Jersey	$73,390
Hawaii	$71,460
Connecticut	$70,410
Washington	$69,540
Oregon	$69,000
Delaware	$67,950
Maryland	$67,660
Minnesota	$67,190
Rhode Island	$67,060
New Hampshire	$66,570
Vermont	$66,260
Colorado	$63,070
Wisconsin	$62,150
Utah	$61,480
Illinois	$60,500
Virginia	$60,200
Texas	$59,930
Maine	$59,410
Arizona	$58,420
New Mexico	$58,200
Wyoming	$57,960
Florida	$57,960
North Dakota	$57,720
Idaho	$57,700
Georgia	$57,520
Montana	$57,310
Michigan	$57,040
Pennsylvania	$56,970
Ohio	$56,830
North Carolina	$56,620
Missouri	$56,320
South Carolina	$55,990
Indiana	$55,610
Nebraska	$55,560
Kansas	$55,080
Oklahoma	$54,540
Iowa	$53,870
Louisiana	$53,510
Arkansas	$52,050
South Dakota	$51,510
Tennessee	$51,400
Alabama	$50,770
West Virginia	$50,420
Kentucky	$49,890
Mississippi	$49,220

Tools & Technologies Used by Respiratory Therapists

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Respiratory Therapists may use on a daily basis:

• Microsoft Office
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• MEDITECH software

Becoming a Respiratory Therapist

What education is needed to be a Respiratory Therapist?

How many years of work experience do I need?

Where Respiratory Therapists Are Employed

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics

College Factual

O*NET Online

Image Credit: Via Wikimedia Commons