What does a respiratory therapist do?
Respiratory therapists help people breathe. Their patients include premature babies with underdeveloped lungs, children with asthma, adults with COPD or pneumonia, and people recovering from heart attacks, surgery or serious injuries.
In the hospital, respiratory therapists manage ventilators, the machines that breathe for patients who cannot breathe on their own. They adjust settings, check how well the patient is doing and help wean them off the machine when they are ready. They also give breathing treatments, deliver oxygen, clear airways and help during emergencies like cardiac arrests.
Testing is a big part of the job. Therapists draw arterial blood samples to check oxygen and carbon dioxide levels and run lung function tests. They share results with doctors and nurses and help plan treatment.
Teaching matters too. Therapists show patients how to use inhalers, do breathing exercises and manage chronic lung disease at home.
Good respiratory therapists stay calm under pressure and notice small changes in a patient’s breathing, color or numbers. You need solid math and science skills to understand ventilator settings and blood gas results, and clear communication skills to work with doctors and nurses. Stamina helps, too, since you may cover several units during a 12-hour shift and respond quickly to emergencies on any floor.
Tools of the job include ventilators, oxygen equipment, nebulizers, airway devices, blood gas analyzers and pulmonary function testing equipment.
Respiratory therapists work in:
- Hospitals, including intensive care units and emergency departments
- Neonatal and pediatric hospitals
- Long-term acute care and rehab facilities
- Sleep labs and pulmonary function labs
- Home medical equipment companies
A typical day
- Get a report on your patients from the previous shift
- Check ventilators and adjust settings as ordered
- Give breathing treatments and draw arterial blood gases
- Respond to emergencies and rapid response calls
- Chart your care and teach patients about their lung health
Respiratory therapist pay and job outlook
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, respiratory therapists earn a median of $82,280 a year, or $39.56 an hour. Pay often rises with the RRT credential, specialty certifications and night or weekend shifts.
The BLS counts about 142,000 respiratory therapist jobs. Employment is projected to grow 8.5% from 2025 to 2035, with about 8,600 openings each year.
Pros
- Strong pay for an associate degree.
- You make a real difference for patients in serious condition.
- Many specialty paths, from neonatal care to sleep medicine.
- Hospitals in nearly every region hire respiratory therapists.
Cons
- Hospital work often includes 12-hour shifts, nights and weekends.
- Critical care can be stressful and emotionally hard.
- Exposure to contagious respiratory illnesses.
- Programs are demanding and may be competitive.
Training options: an accredited degree is required
There is no apprenticeship route to becoming a respiratory therapist. NBRC exams require graduation from a CoARC-accredited program.
Associate degree. The most common path. Programs usually take about two years after prerequisites. They include courses in anatomy, physiology, pharmacology and ventilator management, plus clinical rotations in hospitals.
Bachelor’s degree. More programs now offer bachelor’s degrees in respiratory care. A bachelor’s can help with leadership, education and some specialty roles. Degree advancement programs let working RRTs earn a bachelor’s online.
Costs vary widely, from a few thousand dollars at some public community colleges to $30,000 or more at private schools.
Getting in. Many programs require courses like anatomy and physiology, chemistry, microbiology and college math before you start. Some use entrance exams, interviews or a points system to rank applicants, and popular programs may have waitlists. Shadowing a respiratory therapist can strengthen your application and show you what the job is really like.
Certification and licensing by state
Nearly every state requires respiratory therapists to be licensed. Most states base their license on NBRC credentials. Some accept the CRT, while others require the RRT. Many states also require continuing education to renew.
The NBRC credential path works like this:
- Therapist Multiple-Choice (TMC) exam. Passing at the lower cut score earns the CRT. Passing at the higher cut score earns the CRT and makes you eligible for the CSE.
- Clinical Simulation Exam (CSE). Tests your decision-making in realistic patient scenarios. Passing it earns the RRT.
After the RRT, you can earn specialty credentials in neonatal and pediatric care, adult critical care, sleep disorders and pulmonary function testing. NBRC credentials must be maintained through its continuing competency program.
Specializations and where they lead
- Adult critical care. Manage ventilators and complex patients in intensive care units.
- Neonatal and pediatric care. Care for premature babies and children in NICUs and pediatric units.
- Sleep medicine. Diagnose and treat sleep apnea and other sleep disorders.
- Pulmonary function testing and pulmonary rehab. Run lung tests and help patients with chronic lung disease improve.
- Transport, education or management. Experienced therapists can join transport teams, teach in programs or lead departments.
How to choose a respiratory therapy school
The right program gets you through the NBRC exams and ready for hospital work. Ask these questions:
- Is the program accredited by CoARC? You cannot take NBRC exams without it.
- What are your TMC and CSE pass rates? CoARC publishes outcomes data for accredited programs.
- Where are clinical rotations held? Ask about ICUs, NICUs and specialty settings.
- Does the program prepare graduates for the RRT, not just the CRT? Ask how many graduates earn the RRT.
- What are the admission requirements? Ask about prerequisites, GPA and waitlists.
- What is the total cost? Include books, uniforms, clinical fees and exam fees.
- Does the school offer a path to a bachelor’s degree? This helps if you want to move into leadership later.
