Respiratory Therapist

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Work Tasks

• Evaluate, treat, and care for patients with breathing disorders
• Test how much air the lungs can hold, how much oxygen and carbon dioxide are in the blood, and what the pH level is
• Prescribe treatments for patients; keep patient records
• Give emergency care for heart failure, stroke, shock, or drowning
• Work in hospitals in respiratory care, anesthesiology, or pulmonary medicine; or work for medical equipment rental companies, home health agencies, nursing homes, or private physician's offices
• Work with oxygen, oxygen mixtures, aerosol medications, ventilators, positive pressure breathing machines, other types of breathing equipment, instruments that measure lung capacity, blood gas analyzers, and arterial blood samples

Salary, Size & Growth

• $52,500 average per year ($25.25 per hour)
• A medium occupation (109,300 workers in 2010)
• Expected to grow rapidly (2.1% per year)

Education/Training

• Minimum for Entry: A 2-year degree as an entry-level respiratory therapist
• Employers Prefer: A 4-year degree in advanced respiratory therapy
• Skills/Courses: College courses include human anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, chemistry, physics, microbiology, and math, as well as therapeutic and diagnostic procedures and tests, equipment, patient assessment, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
• Certification/Licensing: All states require respiratory therapists to obtain a license. Certification is available.