Respiratory Therapist Salary : You must be curious to know about the therapist salary. Well, before we get to the topic, there are quite a few factors that you must consider. First of all, how much do therapists make to some extent depends on whether they are offering their expertise in a private or public hospital? You can also go through online medical school for more information.
Respiratory therapists are responsible for appraising and treating the lungs and airways of a patient. We ‘re going to discuss what respiratory therapy is, the average salary of a respiratory therapist, how to become a respiratory therapist, and the various educational paths you can take to start your career in the field. Such as a degree in respiratory therapy associate or a bachelor’s degree in respiratory treatment.
The general rule of thumb is that most respiratory therapists who work in private hospitals or medical facilities are bound to get a higher remuneration as compared to that of a therapist working in a government hospital. The fees might rise if they have their own chamber where they look after the patients and provide them with the necessary medical remedy.
Education also matters, and the college from which they pass makes a big difference in their paycheck. There are several pillars that determine how much therapists make. If you wish to know more about the things that determine the registered respiratory therapist salary, continue reading through this article. Here, we would not only discuss the salary of a respiratory therapist but would also guide you on the right path of becoming one. So, let’s get started! You can also check details about respiratory therapist salary California.
Respiratory Therapist Salary– Definition
Respiratory treatment is the method of treating patients who suffer respiratory difficulties. A respiratory therapist is responsible for administering chest tests and developing a recovery plan to address lung conditions and illnesses. The main priority for respiratory therapists is the treatment of lung disease and respiratory conditions and the care of respiratory equipment. They are also responsible for the evaluation of a patient’s blood oxygen levels.
How Much Do Respiratory Therapists Make?
Respiratory therapy has become an increasingly important sector, with job growth projected to increase by 23 percent by 2026. With the increase in healthcare awareness and the ability to avoid illness, it’s no wonder that this sector is in such demand.
People are living longer than ever before and therefore, more people will need more support with breathing as they continue aging. Sleep issues, such as sleep apnea, are on the rise and require the help of respiratory therapists in managing and treating these conditions.
As a result, it can be safely predicted that over the course of the upcoming years and decades, the need for experts in the field of respiratory therapy will rise. Therefore, it is understandable that the average Respiratory Therapist Salary would also keep on rising.
Wages for respiratory therapists generally start from $43,750 and go up to $97,130.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary that a respiratory therapist in the USA makes amounts to $59,710. But here’s a catch; how much do respiratory therapists make depends on the type of degree they have earned. For instance, this situation can be better explained by the data showcased below:
- People who have an Associate’s Degree under their belt, earn $49,473 on an average
- People who have a Bachelor’s Degree, earn $59,710 on an average
- People who hold a Master’s Degree, earn $61,336 on an average
Respiratory Therapist Salary California – Main components
Respiratory treatment is one of the main components of the booming healthcare sector, which, according to a Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce survey, accounted for 18 percent of the overall U.S. gross national product as of 2012. The demand for healthcare jobs is projected to rise twice as quickly as for other sectors because of the rising demand for healthcare services.
According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, an average annual wage for a respiratory therapist is as follows:
- less than one year of work experience earns $29,087 – $55,652 per year; one to four years earn $24,850 – $59,507 per year;
- five to nine years earns $35,802 – $70,472 per year;
- 10 to 19 years earns $30,161 – $71,247 per annum;
- 20 + Years of experience from $44,557 – $71,011 per annum.
In the Metropolitan Areas of San Francisco, Santa Cruz, and Sacramento, California; the highest paying respiratory therapist career jobs are prevalent. The region of Vallejo also pays well, as does the town of San Jose.
According to the BLS, the average hourly wage and annual income earned by the lowest 10th percentile of respiratory therapists is about $19.55 an hour, or $40,660 a year, while those in the 90th percentile received $35.77 an hour, or $74,400 a year.
In contrast to those working in the rental consumer goods sector ($40,660), respiratory therapists working in colleges, universities, and technical schools received a higher annual salary ($67,060).
Respiratory Therapist Salary – The best paying states in America
You would be amazed to know that the average payout in different states in America is distinct from the amount of registered respiratory therapist salary paid in other states. Below we have listed the top five states in the USA that pay the highest mean salary to the respiratory therapists.
- California: $79,640
- District of Columbia: $78,540
- Alaska: $76,610
- New York: $74,890
- Massachusetts: $73,660
Highest-Paying Cities for Registered Respiratory Therapists
It’s quite natural that the metropolitan areas would pay the highest salary to the respiratory therapy professionals. But what’s interesting is that the top five highest paying cities for Respiratory Therapist Salary california and they are Salinas, Sacramento, San Francisco, Santa Maria, and Redding. Below, we have listed the average salary that these cities pay to respiratory therapists:
- Salinas: $97,130
- Sacramento: $93,240
- San Francisco: $92,350
- Santa Maria: $91,610
- Redding: $90,210
Respiratory Therapist Salary NC – Based on Seniority Level
The paycheck of a respiratory therapist might also fluctuate based on their seniority. The salary of a beginner would naturally be lower than what a top-level respiratory therapist receives. Here we have distinguished the pay scale of the registered therapists based on their seniority levels.
Top-Level Respiratory Therapist
- $40.15 per hour
- $83,520 per year
Senior-Level Respiratory Therapist
- $34.98 per hour
- $72,760 per year
Mid-Level Respiratory Therapist
- $28.98 per hour
- $60,280 per year
Junior-Level Respiratory Therapist
- $24.73 per hour
- $51,430 per year
Beginners-Level Respiratory Therapist
- $21.03 per hour
- $43,750 per year
Registered Respiratory Therapist Salary by State
Here we have listed all the states in America and mentioned the average salary that each of these states pays to the registered Respiratory Therapist Salary.
- California: $79,640
- District of Columbia: $78,540
- Alaska: $ 76,610
- New York: $ 74,890
- Massachusetts: $ 73,660
- Hawaii: $71,460
- Nevada: $73,050
- New Jersey: $73,080
- Connecticut: $69,120
- Washington: $68,480
- Oregon: $69,700
- Delaware: $66,710
- Maryland: $68,700
- Minnesota: $68,240
- Rhode Island: $69,480
- New Hampshire: $66,430
- Vermont: $64,270
- Colorado: $62,200
- Wisconsin: $61,160
- Utah: $60,790
- Virginia: $59,160
- Texas: $58,930
- Maine: $58,630
- New Mexico: $57,850
- Wyoming: $57,920
- Florida: $57,660
- North Dakota: $57,120
- Idaho: $57,550
- Georgia: $57,140
- Montana: $56,730
- Michigan: $57,060
- Ohio: $56,430
- North Carolina: $56,410
- Pennsylvania: $54,676
- Missouri: $53,980
- Indiana: $54,530
- South Carolina: $55,190
- Nebraska: $55,080
- Oklahoma: $54,580
- Kansas: $53,082
- Louisiana: $53,830
- Illinois: $51,602
- Kentucky: $49,890
- South Dakota: $49,490
- Tennessee: $51,040
- Iowa: $50,008
- West Virginia: $49,150
- Arkansas: $47,754
- Mississippi: $48,860
- Arizona: $48,087
- Alabama: $46,191
- Puerto Rico: $21,720
How to Become a Respiratory Therapist Salary?
By now, you must have been impressed by the pay scale of registered respiratory therapists in the USA. Meanwhile, interest must have grown in your heart regarding this particular profession. Now, you might be wishing to become a respiratory therapist. But how do you start? how to become a respiratory therapist salary? Well, follow the blueprint that we have provided below:
Complete Your Respiratory Care Degree
Completing a degree in respiratory therapy is the first step to becoming a respiratory therapist. To have the best career prospects, you must consider completing the necessary coursework in a bachelor’s degree in respiratory care program. The bachelor’s program contains classes for clinical respiratory care, techniques, pharmacology, pathophysiology, mechanical ventilation, and advanced theory of respiratory treatment.
Many services require a competency examination that demonstrates the skills and characteristics needed for success in the field of respiratory care. You’ll also need to complete clinical hours to obtain practical experience in this critical medical area. Selecting a degree program that has been approved by the Respiratory Therapy Accreditation Board will provide you with the widest possible range of resources after you have completed your respiratory therapist education.
Respiratory therapists are trained after graduation to serve as bedside physicians, patient educators and supporters, pulmonary rehabilitation professionals, neonatal/pediatric / adult critical care professionals, and in-hospital management roles and alternative care sites.
Bear in mind that you must continue your education in the field even after completing your graduation, as it would ensure that your patients with respiratory problems get the best quality care from your end. And the more you keep yourself engaged in your professional education, the better are your chances of getting better opportunities and higher pay scales in the future.
Pass the Examinations
Usually being a Licensed Respiratory Therapist is the next step in the path to becoming a respiratory therapist. It is the responsibility of the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) to conduct the examination necessary to obtain this credential. A multiple-choice test tests your general knowledge and provides entry-level and advanced certification pathways.
- You will take the NBRC Therapist Multiple Choice Test first, and the entry-level Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) certification will be awarded after meeting the lower cut mark.
- Passing the uppercut score level Multiple Choice Examination will require you to sit the Clinical Simulation Test.
- You will be awarded the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) certification after successfully passing the Clinical Simulation Examination which is the highest level certificate in professional practice in this area.
Although each of the above qualifications can be used to show eligibility for a license, licensed respiratory therapist qualifications are required for higher-level positions in the medical area.
Apply and Obtain your State License
Every state in the United States of America requires a certification for respiratory care practitioners, except for Alaska. Students must have earned at least one associate degree in those 49 states to apply for licensing. Most states allow background checks for candidates for licensure; some also offer student trainee licenses in an approved respiratory care program.
Search for appropriate employment!
While it may seem overwhelming to start the search for respiratory therapy work, we have some tips to help prepare you to land your first job in the industry. Building your CV should be a top priority before interviewing for any positions available. Make sure to include in your resume any awards you have earned at school, clinical training, or voluntary work that you have done in your community.
Respiratory Therapist Salary AZ
The cycle of becoming a respiratory therapist takes at least two years if you are graduating with an associates’ degree. Many employers, however, prefer applicants with a bachelor’s degree in the profession, which takes about four years to complete.
A licensed respiratory therapist needs hands-on clinical experience, too. Upon meeting all criteria for respiratory therapist education, including classroom, training, and clinical experiences in hospitals, practicing therapists will need to pass a certification test and receive a license to practice in their home state.
From start to finish; the entire process of becoming a respiratory therapist would take up to four years, including obtaining your Bachelor of Health Science in Respiratory Care degree and being certified. Respiratory therapy is a lucrative profession in the world of health care, with high demand.
Respiratory Therapist Salary in us – Duties
Becoming a respiratory therapist offers opportunities for people to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those with breathing issues. You can definitely reap the benefits of an in-demand career in the medical industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, you will be delivering a range of services as a respiratory therapist for patients with breathing problems, including:
- Measure the lung ability to assess the condition of a patient
- Inform patients about their conditions and how to use medical devices properly
- Provide basic therapies for asthma, emphysema, and COPD;
- Take notes and maintain track of the procedures and prognoses of patients
- Serve as Core Team member in carrying out simple and advanced cardiopulmonary resuscitation
- Start mechanical ventilation and sustain support for life
- Assist Physicians in the development and evaluation of care plans
Respiratory treatment is a rewarding career, but you also have to recognize that it is fast-paced, physically exhausting, and sometimes needs you to wear a beeper and respond to emergencies in the emergency room, Intensive Care Unit Ventilator alarms, or hospital-wide code. During the global outbreak of the novel coronavirus, the contributions of the respiratory therapists cannot be neglected. It is because of the day and night hard work of these professionals that the world has slowly recovered from the pandemic.
Respiratory Therapist Salary in us – Education prerequisites and requirements
To get a job in the field of respiratory therapy, and to get more ideas about respiratory therapist salary you would have to meet some educational criteria and prerequisites to get your degree before you can start your career. In order to be eligible for a position within the profession, respiratory therapists need at least a degree of associates, although more advanced degrees are strongly desired.
A bachelor’s degree or master’s degree can lead to more employment opportunities and future growth in your career. Several basic requirements, such as courses in chemistry, genetics, anatomy, and physiology, may be mandatory before a degree in respiratory therapy begins. Clinical experiences for respiratory therapy majors are also needed so that they can graduate with real-world experience before joining the workforce.
Conditions that Respiratory Therapists Deal with
Respiratory therapists try to support patients suffering from asthma and airway issues. Many respiratory therapists treat diseases or illnesses include:
- Asthma
- Bronchitis
- Cardiac Failure
- COPD
- Emphysema
- Lung Cancer
- Premature Babies
- Sleep Apnea
Where does a Respiratory Therapist Work?
Respiratory therapists typically operate in medical institutions, such as clinics, labs for treatment, or doctor’s offices. Though hospitals are the primary workplace for respiratory therapists, there are a variety of other places including:
- Doctor’s Offices
- Educational Institutions
- Hospitals
- Nursing Homes
- Patient Homes
- Rehabilitation Facilities
- Sleep Disorder Testing Centers
Qualities that a Respiratory Therapist must possess
A respiratory therapist should be sympathetic towards the sick, have sound management skills to work in various fields within the medical team of experts, possess fine-tuned analytical thinking skills to make decisions at the moment, and be a lifelong learner to keep up with the latest patient care innovations and scientific progress.
Here are some of the essential qualities a respiratory therapist should have:
- Being detailed-oriented to make sure patients get the right care.
- Holding and maintaining well-organized patient status information.
- Problem-solving skills to assess test outcomes and symptoms of patients.
- Working in team-oriented environments, with other doctors, needs interpersonal skills.
- Compassion is necessary because therapists may act as a system of support for patients suffering from a disease.
- Since Respiratory Therapist Salary work in hospitals for long hours providing special care to patients, it’s important to have a huge amount of patience.
- The capacity to handle risks and to be able to work under pressure.
- Must excel in science and math.
- Respiratory therapists should have a thorough understanding of anatomy, physiology, and other sciences, and have the ability to measure the proper dosage of the medication for a patient.
Why Choose Respiratory Therapy as a career?
There are numerous reasons why you should choose the career of a respiratory therapist. Here are some of those:
Save Lives
For most medical professionals the greatest reward is the chance to save lives. Breathing complications often arise in patients in intensive care units and emergency rooms. And some of them might even end up losing their lives because of breathing complications. Respiratory therapists have the medical knowledge needed to keep these patients alive.
Multiple Specialization Options
You are not confined to emergency rooms or intensive care units while you are working as a respiratory therapist. You may provide neonatal treatment or become an educator in your neighborhood, in addition to working in respiratory, surgical, and medical wards. For Respiratory Therapist Salary, other career options include working in bronchoscopy rooms, pulmonary rehabilitation, and respiratory sales. Before you enroll in a degree or diploma program, you do not need to choose a specialization field. After working in numerous departments and institutions you can choose the best field.
Competitive Salaries
Although saving lives may be your highest motivation, you need to remember your monthly and annual earnings. You will probably have to spend long hours at work on your off-days, and sometimes respond to emergencies. And this is why you are going to be among the highest paying healthcare professionals. You can also consider other sources of income such as offering home care, in addition to your regular Respiratory Therapist Salary and allowances.
Faster Training
One of the best things about being a respiratory therapist is the short amount of time it takes to get your certification done. Many healthcare services would allow you to get at least a bachelor’s degree. The good news is that in two years, you can earn an associate degree.
Another wonderful thing about working as a respiratory therapist is that when pursuing higher studies you can begin practice. And when managing your duties and performing your everyday professional responsibilities, you’ll have an opportunity to work and learn from top medical practitioners.
You get to Change People’s Lives
As a respiratory therapist, the role reaches far beyond the medical establishments. You can come across several chances to change people’s lives. You can rescue drowning patients with your knowledge and experience, or help patients use emergency equipment properly at home. Because of their disabilities, patients with chronic illnesses need regular therapy and assistance to lead a healthy life. You can help them accordingly. Additionally, you can also participate in several voluntary medical programs in and around your community to enlighten normal people about respiratory health.
Respiratory Therapist Degree – Course Fees
On average, you can expect to pay anywhere between $11,000 and $30,000 per semester as Respiratory Therapist Degree costs. However, you must understand that the figure is subjected to fluctuate depending upon various factors such as your location or the college or university you get enrolled in.
Winding Up
If you are willing to work as a respiratory therapist, we can assure you that your career could be extremely rewarding, given the opportunities you have to transform people’s lives. In case you have any queries on how to become a respiratory therapist or about the respiratory therapist salary, please feel free to comment below, and we’ll get back to you. You can visit our home page online schools for more information.
