Occupations/29-1126.00
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.
Usually a certificate, vocational program, or associate degree — not a bachelor’s.
AI automation risk
24%
More resilient
Human characteristics
79%
Strong human-characteristic mix
Task orientation
68%
Higher automation risk
A day in this job
- Mostly human
Work as part of a team of physicians, nurses, or other healthcare professionals to manage patient care by assisting with medical procedures or related duties.
- Mostly routine
Set up and operate devices, such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment.
- Mostly human
Read prescription, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition.
Split from the wording of these tasks, shown next to the occupation’s AI risk. It is not a separate score for each task, and it is not a forecast that the job disappears.
Core tasks
- 01Provide emergency care, such as artificial respiration, external cardiac massage, or assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
- 02Monitor patient's physiological responses to therapy, such as vital signs, arterial blood gases, or blood chemistry changes, and consult with physician if adverse reactions occur.
- 03Set up and operate devices, such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment.
- 04Work as part of a team of physicians, nurses, or other healthcare professionals to manage patient care by assisting with medical procedures or related duties.
- 05Maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information.
- 06Read prescription, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition.
Model drivers (O*NET 1–5)
- Repeating same tasks3.63
- Degree of automation2.38
- Time sitting2.11
- Originality (ability)2.88
- Conflict situations3.40
- Hands-on objects/tools4.04
- Outdoors / weather1.05
- Disease exposure4.90
- Decision freedom3.89
Top abilities
- Problem Sensitivity4.00
- Oral Expression4.00
- Inductive Reasoning4.00
- Oral Comprehension3.88
- Information Ordering3.88
- Deductive Reasoning3.88
- Written Comprehension3.75
- Near Vision3.75
Essential skills
- Reading Comprehension3.62
- Active Listening3.88
- Writing3.12
- Speaking3.75
- Mathematics2.75
- Science3.00
- Critical Thinking3.88
- Active Learning3.62
- Learning Strategies3.12
- Monitoring3.88
CIP matches
Schools offering related programs
12 of 64 shown
Earnings are College Scorecard medians for that program, 1 and 2 years after completion. A dash means the Department suppressed the cell or the campus is not in the field file.
| Institution | Program | Tuition | Admit | Grad 6-yr | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit | Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist 51.0908 | $68,200 | 12% | 92% | 1 yr $122,902 2 yr $112,319 Master's · CIP 51.09 |
University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA · Public | Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist 51.0908 | $12,600 | 48% | 84% | 1 yr $120,847 2 yr $121,294 Bachelor's · CIP 51.09 |
Augsburg University Minneapolis, MN · Private nonprofit | Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist 51.0908 | $43,600 | 76% | 64% | 1 yr $111,992 2 yr $111,435 Master's · CIP 51.09 |
North Dakota State University Fargo, ND · Public | Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist 51.0908 | $10,900 | 96% | 68% | 1 yr $110,432 2 yr $101,645 Master's · CIP 51.09 |
Howard University Washington, DC · Private nonprofit | Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist 51.0908 | $33,200 | 53% | 65% | 1 yr $103,555 2 yr $104,061 Master's · CIP 51.09 |
City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College Chicago, IL · Public | Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist 51.0908 | $4,600 | 100% | 27% | 1 yr $103,078 2 yr $106,838 Master's · CIP 51.09 |
Wake Technical Community College Raleigh, NC · Public | Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist 51.0908 | $2,900 | 100% | 31% | 1 yr $101,645 2 yr $98,551 Master's · CIP 51.09 |
Milwaukee Area Technical College Milwaukee, WI · Public | Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist 51.0908 | $4,900 | 100% | 27% | 1 yr $98,784 2 yr $105,529 Master's · CIP 51.09 |
University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI · Public | Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist 51.0908 | $11,200 | 49% | 89% | 1 yr $98,766 2 yr $100,213 Professional · CIP 51.09 |
University of Florida Gainesville, FL · Public | Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist 51.0908 | $6,400 | 23% | 89% | 1 yr $97,673 2 yr $101,327 Master's · CIP 51.09 |
Madison Area Technical College Madison, WI · Public | Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist 51.0908 | $4,700 | 100% | 34% | 1 yr $66,541 2 yr $57,318 Bachelor's · CIP 51.09 |
Emory University Atlanta, GA · Private nonprofit | Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist 51.0908 | $60,800 | 11% | 91% | 1 yr $63,997 2 yr $57,318 Bachelor's · CIP 51.09 |