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How to hire a certified respiratory therapist

Certified respiratory therapist hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring certified respiratory therapists in the United States:

  • HR departments typically spend 15% of their expenses on recruitment.
  • It usually takes about 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • It typically takes 36-42 days to fill a job opening.
  • The median cost to hire a certified respiratory therapist is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend an average of $1,105 per certified respiratory therapist on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • There are currently 120,602 certified respiratory therapists in the US and 68,163 job openings.
  • San Antonio, TX, has the highest demand for certified respiratory therapists, with 19 job openings.
  • Memphis, TN has the highest concentration of certified respiratory therapists.

How to hire a certified respiratory therapist, step by step

To hire a certified respiratory therapist, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire a certified respiratory therapist, you should follow these steps:

Here's a step-by-step certified respiratory therapist hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a certified respiratory therapist job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new certified respiratory therapist
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you post your certified respiratory therapist job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a certified respiratory therapist for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    A certified respiratory therapist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, certified respiratory therapists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

    This list shows salaries for various types of certified respiratory therapists.

    Type of Certified Respiratory TherapistDescriptionHourly rate
    Certified Respiratory TherapistRespiratory therapists care for patients who have trouble breathing—for example, from a chronic respiratory disease, such as asthma or emphysema. Their patients range from premature infants with undeveloped lungs to elderly patients who have diseased lungs... Show more$15-44
    Respiratory Care PractitionerA Respiratory Care Practitioner assesses and treats patients with pulmonary diseases. They diagnose lung and breathing disorders and recommend treatment methods.$14-47
    Staff TherapistA staff therapist is someone who assists in the treatment of patients using electrical stimulation, exercise, and other means of electrotherapy to regain their bodily functions. The core skills that a staff therapist should possess to accomplish their responsibilities include a keen eye for details and excellent mathematical and problem-solving skills... Show more$16-37
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Patients
    • Respiratory Care
    • BLS
    • Life Support
    • CRT
    • Ventilation
    • Advanced Life Support
    • Resuscitation
    • Acls
    • CPR
    • Oxygen Therapy
    • Mechanical Ventilation
    • Rehabilitation
    • Pulmonary Function
    Check all skills
    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.
    More certified respiratory therapist duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your certified respiratory therapist job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A certified respiratory therapist salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

    For example, the average salary for a certified respiratory therapist in Wyoming may be lower than in California, and an entry-level certified respiratory therapist usually earns less than a senior-level certified respiratory therapist. Additionally, a certified respiratory therapist with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

    Average certified respiratory therapist salary

    $55,772yearly

    $26.81 hourly rate

    Entry-level certified respiratory therapist salary
    $33,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 17, 2025

    Average certified respiratory therapist salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1California$75,685$36
    2Washington$64,590$31
    3New Jersey$62,780$30
    4New York$62,746$30
    5Texas$61,218$29
    6Indiana$60,120$29
    7Maryland$59,398$29
    8Oklahoma$59,057$28
    9Florida$58,569$28
    10Virginia$57,680$28
    11Louisiana$56,395$27
    12Massachusetts$55,504$27
    13Colorado$53,866$26
    14Arizona$53,711$26
    15Kansas$53,476$26
    16Ohio$52,879$25
    17Missouri$52,372$25
    18North Dakota$52,112$25
    19Alabama$51,615$25
    20Illinois$49,694$24

    Average certified respiratory therapist salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Heartland Home Health Inc.$89,480$43.023
    2Favorite Healthcare Staffing$81,050$38.971
    3Concentra$73,161$35.173
    4Tenet Healthcare$71,200$34.23180
    5East Alabama Health$70,476$33.883
    6Baptist Health Care$69,688$33.503
    7HCA Healthcare$68,344$32.86661
    8Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego$68,328$32.85
    9Denton Regional Medical Center (subsidiary Hospital Of Hca)$68,030$32.71
    10Concierge Home Care$67,598$32.50
    11Clarion Hospital$67,386$32.40
    12American Mobile Healthcare$67,224$32.32
    13Cass Regional Medical Center$67,117$32.27
    14Systems$67,047$32.23
    15Touro College$66,685$32.062
    16Opelousas General Health System$66,360$31.90
    17Hospital for Special Care$66,231$31.84
    18LCMC Health$65,929$31.7011
    19Overland Park Regional Medical Center$65,918$31.698
    20Children's Hospital of Michigan$65,703$31.591
  4. Writing a certified respiratory therapist job description

    A job description for a certified respiratory therapist role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a certified respiratory therapist job description:

    Certified respiratory therapist job description example

    1. Conducts physician prescribed Respiratory Care treatments and procedures.

    2. Conducts regular rounds, checking patient 02 supplies and equipment, documenting as necessary, and completing patient charges.

    3. Reports patient and department information to the next shift.

    4. Sets up and monitors patients on continuous ventilation.

    5. Responsible for performing arterial puncture procedures, sample collection and analysis, Quality Control, Proficiency testing, problem solving skills.

    6. Will function as a member of the Code 3 team.

    7. Performs nasotracheal and tracheal suctioning.

    8. May perform cardiac compressions.

    9. Explains the purpose and procedures of treatments, tests, and equipment to the patient.

    10. Records all pertinent information of therapy and patient response on Respiratory Care records and patient chart.

    11. Processes Respiratory Care equipment, cleaning, disinfecting, sterilizing and packaging as required.

    12. Performs quality control procedures on Respiratory Care equipment.

    13. Performs preventative maintenance and repair of equipment on a timely basis.

    14. Maintains department in a clean, safe, neat, and orderly condition.

    15. Provides clinical instruction for the Respiratory Care students.

    16. Maintains established department policies, procedures, objectives, quality assurance and safety procedures.

    17. Attends meetings as required.

    18. Assist with deliveries and c-sections.

    19. Performs other related duties as assigned or requested.

    QUALIFICATIONS:

    EDUCATION: Has graduated from an AMA accredited Certification Program.

    LICENSE: Maintains a current Respiratory Care Practitioner license with the state of Missouri.

    CREDENTIALS: Certified or certified eligible.

    EXPERIENCE: Preferably has a minimum of one year clinical experience.

    SPECIAL:

    PATIENT CONTACT: Must have the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served.

    MACHINE OPERATION: Basic knowledge of keyboard and computer, ventilators, pulmonary function equipment, pulse-oximeters, gas cylinders, regulators, and gauges.

    PHYSICAL:

    STANDING: Moderate amount, doing patient care and working with equipment.

    WALKING: Moderate amount, walking to different areas of the hospital to do patient care and patient teaching, hospital rounds, and QA monitoring.

    LIFTING: Pushes, pulls or moves heavy equipment, gas cylinders and supplies. Assists in lifting, moving and turning patients for tests and procedures.

    VISUAL: Must have good eye sight for close work, to be able to read charts for orders, document patient information in the chart, must be able to draw up medications to administer with respiratory treatments, be able to recognize patients in respiratory distress (patient color and respirations), must be able to draw blood from an artery or arterial line. Be able to read monitors on critical care equipment and be able to adjust controls and perform calibrations as needed.

    HEARING: Must have good hearing; be able to hear pages (stat calls and codes), answer the telephone, take verbal orders, respond to patients and their families requests, and to be able to communicate with the physicians and other health care team members.

    SPEAKING: Must have clear speech to communicate with nursing, physicians, other health care workers, all fellow employees, patients and their families and visitors.


    Night Shift 6p-6:30a
  5. Post your job

    To find certified respiratory therapists for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

    • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
    • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any certified respiratory therapists they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level certified respiratory therapists with the right educational background.
    • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your certified respiratory therapist job on Zippia to find and recruit certified respiratory therapist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Your first interview with certified respiratory therapist candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

    You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new certified respiratory therapist

    Once you have selected a candidate for the certified respiratory therapist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

    It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new certified respiratory therapist. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a certified respiratory therapist?

Hiring a certified respiratory therapist comes with both the one-time cost per hire and ongoing costs. The cost of recruiting certified respiratory therapists involves promoting the job and spending time conducting interviews. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider the cost of certified respiratory therapist recruiting as well the ongoing costs of maintaining the new employee.

You can expect to pay around $55,772 per year for a certified respiratory therapist, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for certified respiratory therapists in the US typically range between $15 and $44 an hour.

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