Medical Skilled Trades
Respiratory Therapist
Respiratory therapists care for people who have trouble breathing, from premature babies to patients on ventilators. An associate's degree and a license get you into a hospital-based career that is growing much faster than average.
1.Career snapshot
- Role
- Respiratory Therapist
- Pay (planning range)
- $60K–$95K+ Wealth Playbook guide, 2026
- Training time
- ~2 years
- Pathway
- Rehabilitation & Respiratory
- Demand
- Employment of respiratory therapists is projected to grow 9 percent from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations.
- Patient contact
- High
- Occupation code
- SOC 29-1126 · O*NET 29-1126.00
- Emergency / high-action
- Diagnostic / technology-focused
- Career advancement potential
2.What you'll do
Everyday work and where it happens
You examine patients with breathing or heart-and-lung problems, run tests such as pulmonary function tests and blood gas measurements, and set up equipment like ventilators and aerosol treatments. You check how patients respond, talk with physicians about treatment plans, and teach patients and families to use medications and equipment at home. In an emergency you may help with CPR.
Typical duties
- Interview and examine patients with breathing or cardiopulmonary disorders
- Perform diagnostic tests such as pulmonary function tests and blood gas analysis
- Set up and operate ventilators, aerosol generators and other therapy equipment
- Monitor patients' responses to therapy and report adverse reactions to physicians
- Provide emergency care such as artificial respiration or help with CPR
- Teach patients and families how to use medications and equipment
- Where you could work
- Hospitals, Nursing care facilities, Offices of physicians, Home health care
- Schedule
- Most respiratory therapists work full time. Because many facilities are always open, you may work nights, weekends or holidays.
- Physical demands
- You may stand for long periods and need to lift or turn patients. You can be exposed to infectious diseases and risk strains or sprains.
- Patient contact
- High
3.How to get there
Education, training, exams and licensing
- Typical training
- Associate degree + license
- Training time
- ~2 years
1.Take biology, chemistry, physics and algebra in high school
Some programs have prerequisite courses, so check early.
2.Earn an associate's degree in respiratory therapy
Choose a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC); the NBRC requires at least an associate's degree from one. Some employers prefer a bachelor's degree.
3.Pass the NBRC exam
From January 2027 the NBRC uses a single Respiratory Therapy Examination: the low cut score earns the Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) credential and the high cut score earns the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential. Until then, candidates take the Therapist Multiple-Choice (TMC) Examination and, for the RRT, the Clinical Simulation Examination (CSE).
4.Get your state license
Licensure is required in every state except Alaska. Requirements vary but usually include passing a state or professional certification exam. Some employers require the RRT credential before hiring or within a set time.
Exams and credentials
- CRT - Certified Respiratory Therapist (National Board for Respiratory Care)
- RRT - Registered Respiratory Therapist (National Board for Respiratory Care)
Licensing
Respiratory therapists must be licensed in all states except Alaska, where national certification is recommended. Licensure usually requires passing a state or professional certification exam such as the NBRC's. Requirements vary by state; check your state health board.
Look up your state's license requirements (opens in a new tab)
4.What it costs
Tuition, fees, exams and financial aid
Costs vary by program.
NBRC Respiratory Therapy Examination (from January 2027): $360 for new applicants, $300 for repeat applicants. Until the end of 2026: TMC $190 (new) or $150 (repeat); Clinical Simulation Examination $200 (nbrc.org, read October 2026). State licensing fees are separate.
Grants, loans and work-study can help pay for an eligible program. Start with the FAFSA at studentaid.gov (opens in a new tab), and ask each program what its total cost includes.
5.What you can earn
Starting, median and experienced pay, and where the figures come from
Planning range
$60K–$95K+
Planning range from the Wealth Playbook medical careers guide, 2026
Local wage data isn't loaded yet, so this is a broad planning range, not a wage figure.
A planning range is broad and has no median: it is for planning, not a promise of pay. Starting, median and experienced wages will show here when BLS wage data is loaded.
For reference only (not this page's pay figure): BLS median, May 2025, national: $82,280 a year (source, opens in a new tab).
6.Jobs near you
Coming soon
We plan to show local openings here once a job-data source is connected. Until then, you can search current listings yourself.
7.Career ladder
Next certifications and roles
- Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT)(this career)
- Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT)(Pass the NBRC exam at the high cut score (from January 2027, the single Respiratory Therapy Examination). Some employers require the RRT.)
- Bachelor's degree in respiratory therapy(Needs a bachelor's degree. BLS says some employers prefer it.)
8.Your wealth path
From your first paycheck to owning and investing
Train
Certify
Get hired
Advance
Build wealth
Own / invest
Estimated take-home pay
Low end of the planning range: $60,000 a year
About $47,999 a year ($4,000 a month)
High end of the planning range: $95,000 a year
About $71,219 a year ($5,935 a month)
Estimate only. Assumptions: tax year 2026, single filer, the standard deduction, federal income tax, FICA at 7.65%, and a default state income tax rate of 5.00% (choose a state above to use its rate). No retirement contributions or other deductions. The Paycheck calculator uses the same engine.
9.Find training
Free U.S. Department of Labor resources. We don't list or rank schools.
Registered apprenticeships exist for some of these roles. For licensed careers, check that a program meets your state's licensing rules.
10.Compare careers
Save this career and put it beside others
Sources
- Pay: Planning range from the Wealth Playbook medical careers guide, 2026 (a planning range, not wage data).
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Respiratory Therapists (opens in a new tab)
- O*NET OnLine: 29-1126.00 Respiratory Therapists (opens in a new tab)
- NBRC: Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) examinations (opens in a new tab)
- NBRC: Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) examinations (opens in a new tab)
- NBRC: Examination changes coming in 2027 (opens in a new tab)