# Respiratory Therapists

> Assess, treat, and care for patients with breathing disorders. Assume primary responsibility for all respiratory care modalities, including the supervision of respiratory therapy technicians. Initiate and conduct therapeutic procedures; maintain patient records; and select, assemble, check, and operate equipment.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/respiratory-therapists
- SOC code: 29-1126.00
- Career family: Healthcare practitioners
- Median annual pay: $82,280 (10th percentile $63,660, 90th percentile $118,050)
- Projected growth: Much faster than average, +8.5%
- Openings a year: 8,600
- Typical entry education: Associate's degree
- Bright outlook: yes
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code RSI)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 67 |
| Investigative (I) | 62 |
| Artistic (A) | 0 |
| Social (S) | 65 |
| Enterprising (E) | 11 |
| Conventional (C) | 49 |

## What you'd do

- Assisting and Caring for Others (importance 97/100)
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials (importance 95/100)
- Getting Information (importance 95/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 94/100)
- Documenting/Recording Information (importance 93/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 85/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 85/100)
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work (importance 84/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 83/100)
- Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People (importance 81/100)

## Skills

Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Social Perceptiveness, Speaking, Service Orientation, Complex Problem Solving, Active Learning, Judgment and Decision Making

## Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service, Medicine and Dentistry, Public Safety and Security, English Language, Psychology, Mechanical, Biology, Administration and Management, Computers and Electronics, Physics

## Also called

CRRT (Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Respiratory Therapist), CRT (Certified Respiratory Therapist), Diagnostics RRT (Diagnostics Registered Respiratory Therapist), Hospital RT (Hospital Respiratory Therapist), Infant RT (Infant Respiratory Therapist), Inhalation Therapist, Licensed CRT (Licensed Certified Respiratory Therapist), Licensed RT (Licensed Respiratory Therapist), NICU RT (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Respiratory Therapist), Oxygen Therapist

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5109) (CIP 5109, 1,504 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Wagner College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/wagner-college-3148) | Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | not reported | $156,982 | $27,000 |
| [St. John's University-New York](https://www.collegesref.com/college/st-john-s-university-new-york-2579) | Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | $102,500 | $142,774 | $23,325 |
| [John Patrick University of Health and Applied Sciences](https://www.collegesref.com/college/john-patrick-university-of-health-and-applied-sciences-1341) | Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | $112,673 | $122,061 | $23,437 |
| [Saint Francis University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/saint-francis-university-2301) | Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | not reported | $115,813 | $28,000 |
| [D'Youville University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/d-youville-university-755) | Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | $113,290 | $114,737 | $30,703 |
| [Molloy College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/molloy-college-1749) | Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | $90,567 | $111,267 | not reported |
| [Salisbury University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/salisbury-university-2329) | Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | $75,312 | $109,739 | $23,250 |
| [Long Island University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/long-island-university-1520) | Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | $90,526 | $107,539 | $22,000 |

## Related careers

- [Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/cardiovascular-technologists-and-technicians): $74,310 median pay
- [Paramedics](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/paramedics): $60,600 median pay
- [Acute Care Nurses](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/acute-care-nurses): $97,550 median pay
- [Radiation Therapists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/radiation-therapists): $105,310 median pay
- [Critical Care Nurses](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/critical-care-nurses): $97,550 median pay
- [Physical Therapist Assistants](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/physical-therapist-assistants): $68,380 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.