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Respiratory Therapy Technician

Types of Degrees Respiratory Therapy Technician Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Respiratory Therapy Technician may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	46
Associate’s Degree	333
Bachelor’s Degree	52

What Respiratory Therapy Technician Majors Need to Know

Studies in Respiratory Therapy Technician develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Respiratory Therapy Technician graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Respiratory Therapy Technician emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Respiratory Therapy Technician program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Service Orientation — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Respiratory Therapy Technician careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Respiratory Therapy Technician graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.5 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Respiratory Therapy Technician professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
MEDITECH software	Medical software	—
Database software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
JavaScript	Web platform development software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Respiratory Therapy Technician graduates include:

• Medical Technologist
• Polysomnographic Technologist
• Admitting Representative
• Clinical Liaison
• Admitting Clerk
• Patient Relations Coordinator
• Registrar
• Patient Care Coordinator
• Patient Advocate
• Patient Partner
• Patient Navigator
• Patient Registrar
• Patient Reimbursement Agent
• Patient Registration Representative
• Patient Coordinator

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Respiratory Therapy Technician graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	22.1%
Postsecondary certificate	21.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	18.7%
Bachelor’s degree	15.4%
Master’s degree	9.9%
Some college courses	8.6%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	3.5%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Respiratory Therapy Technician?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 70.8% of Respiratory Therapy Technician degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	305	70.8%
Men	126	29.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Respiratory Therapy Technician graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	151	35.0%
Asian	67	15.5%
Hispanic or Latino	90	20.9%
Black or African American	68	15.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	8	1.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	4	0.9%
Two or More Races	13	3.0%
Race Unknown	25	5.8%
International Students	5	1.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Respiratory Therapy Technician Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Respiratory Therapy Technician graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$27,434
4 years	$29,082
5 years	$32,352

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $32,352 — roughly 18% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Respiratory Therapy Technician Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Respiratory Therapy Technician. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Respiratory Therapy Technician Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Respiratory Therapy Technician graduates earn a median of $29,082 four years after completion — about 23% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services	51.08
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services, Other	51.0899
Anesthesiologist Assistant	51.0809
Chiropractic Technician/Assistant	51.0813
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Assistant	51.0802
Emergency Care Attendant (EMT Ambulance)	51.0810
Lactation Consultant	51.0815
Medical/Clinical Assistant	51.0801
Occupational Therapist Assistant	51.0803
Pathology/Pathologist Assistant	51.0811
Pharmacy Technician/Assistant	51.0805
Physical Therapy Assistant	51.0806

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.