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Respiratory Therapist
HealthcareYou're the person who shows up when someone can't breathe, which is exactly as stressful as it sounds. You'll manage ventilators, administer breathing treatments, and become best friends with every COPD patient who refuses to quit smoking. The pandemic made you essential, but your paycheck didn't get the memo.
Salary Range
Low
$52k
Median
$71k
High
$96k
10-Year Growth
much faster
US Workers
136K
Education
Associate's or Bachelor's in Respiratory Therapy + RRT credential
Environment
indoor
Tools & Technical Skills
- ▸Mechanical ventilator management (Puritan Bennett, Dräger)
- ▸Arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis
- ▸Intubation and airway management
- ▸Pulmonary function testing (PFT)
- ▸Nebulizer and inhaler therapy
- ▸CPAP/BiPAP titration
- ▸Oxygen delivery systems
People & Mindset Skills
- ▸Quick decision-making
- ▸Stress tolerance
- ▸Patient education
- ▸Teamwork
- ▸Emotional resilience
What you'll actually do
- 01Manage ventilators for ICU patients who are literally depending on you to breathe
- 02Administer nebulizer treatments to patients who somehow still smell like cigarettes
- 03Respond to Code Blue calls and intubate patients in a controlled panic
- 04Draw arterial blood gases — from arteries, which hurt way more than veins
- 05Educate COPD patients about smoking cessation while they plan their next cigarette break
- 06Adjust ventilator settings based on blood gas results and clinical judgment
Related Shifts
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