Certified respiratory therapist vs respiratory director

The differences between certified respiratory therapists and respiratory directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a certified respiratory therapist and a respiratory director. Additionally, a respiratory director has an average salary of $75,123, which is higher than the $55,772 average annual salary of a certified respiratory therapist.

The top three skills for a certified respiratory therapist include patients, respiratory care and BLS. The most important skills for a respiratory director are patients, EKG, and RRT.

Certified respiratory therapist vs respiratory director overview

	Certified Respiratory Therapist	Respiratory Director
Yearly salary	$55,772	$75,123
Hourly rate	$26.81	$36.12
Growth rate	14%	14%
Number of jobs	68,163	24,790
Job satisfaction	3	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 74%	Associate Degree, 58%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	12	12

Certified respiratory therapist vs respiratory director salary

Certified respiratory therapists and respiratory directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Certified Respiratory Therapist	Respiratory Director
Average salary	$55,772	$75,123
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $93,000	Between $52,000 And $108,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	Heartland Home Health Inc.	-
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between certified respiratory therapist and respiratory director education

There are a few differences between a certified respiratory therapist and a respiratory director in terms of educational background:

	Certified Respiratory Therapist	Respiratory Director
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 74%	Associate Degree, 58%
Most common major	Medical Technician	Medical Technician
Most common college	Duke University	University of Southern California

Certified respiratory therapist vs respiratory director demographics

Here are the differences between certified respiratory therapists' and respiratory directors' demographics:

	Certified Respiratory Therapist	Respiratory Director
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 23.7% Female, 76.3%	Male, 49.7% Female, 50.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 6.3% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% Asian, 6.4% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between certified respiratory therapist and respiratory director duties and responsibilities

Certified respiratory therapist example responsibilities.

Manage and maintain tracheostomy vent dependent patients.
Perform airway management and intubations need for ACLS patients.
Provide education and instructions for CPAP and BIPAP patients about the actual disease process then report results to referring physician.
Order HME equipment for patients (oxygen, CPAP's etc . )
Evaluate, treat, and counsele patients (primarily in the NICU) with breathing or other cardiopulmonary disorders.
Administer respiratory therapy care and life support to patients with deficiencies and abnormalities of cardiopulmonary system.

Respiratory director example responsibilities.

Manage ventilated-dependent patients, assist with ventilator transports, prepare equipment for decontamination, bronchial hygiene management
Conduct therapeutic procedures to maintain a patent airway, remove via suctioning of secretions, to achieve adequate ventilation & oxygenation.
Organize efforts for JCAHO accreditation.
Perform ABG draws and run results, monitor and maintain IRMA blood gas machine.
Operate and monitor patients on mechanical ventilator, CPAP/BiPAP, bedside PFT, arterial blood gas (i-STAT).
Certify and proficient in tracheostomy insertion and replacement.

Certified respiratory therapist vs respiratory director skills

Common certified respiratory therapist skills

Patients, 22%
Respiratory Care, 11%
BLS, 8%
Life Support, 5%
CRT, 5%
Ventilation, 4%

Common respiratory director skills

Patients, 32%
EKG, 8%
RRT, 7%
Acute Care, 4%
Acls, 4%
Direct Patient Care, 3%

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Certified Respiratory Therapist
Certified Respiratory Therapist vs Respiratory Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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