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How to hire a respiratory care practitioner

Respiratory care practitioner hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring respiratory care practitioners in the United States:

  • There are currently 118,903 respiratory care practitioners in the US, as well as 99,895 job openings.
  • Respiratory care practitioners are in the highest demand in Los Angeles, CA, with 51 current job openings.
  • The median cost to hire a respiratory care practitioner is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new respiratory care practitioner to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a respiratory care practitioner, step by step

To hire a respiratory care practitioner, consider the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Follow these steps to hire a respiratory care practitioner:

Here's a step-by-step respiratory care practitioner hiring guide:

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

What does a respiratory care practitioner do?

A Respiratory Care Practitioner assesses and treats patients with pulmonary diseases. They diagnose lung and breathing disorders and recommend treatment methods.

Learn more about the specifics of what a respiratory care practitioner does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you start hiring a respiratory care practitioner, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

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

    Hiring the perfect respiratory care practitioner also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

    The following list breaks down different types of respiratory care practitioners and their corresponding salaries.

    Type of Respiratory Care PractitionerDescriptionHourly rate
    Respiratory Care PractitionerRespiratory 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$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
    Respiratory SupervisorA respiratory supervisor is tasked with the job of administering life support and respiratory therapy to patients with abnormalities, deficiencies, and injuries of the cardiopulmonary system. They work under the supervision of the physician in charge... Show more$14-57
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Patients
    • Respiratory Care
    • BLS
    • Acls
    • RCP
    • RRT
    • Life Support
    • Ventilation
    • Critical Care
    • CPR
    • Pulmonary Function
    • Rehabilitation
    • NRP
    • EKG
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Conduct therapeutic procedures to maintain a patent airway, remove via suctioning of secretions, to achieve adequate ventilation & oxygenation.
    • Administer therapeutic and diagnostic respiratory care and life support for patients with cardiopulmonary deficiencies and abnormalities.
    • Certify in BLS and CPR.
    • Provide emergency care, including CPR, ACLS and assisting physician with intubations.
    • Provide emergency care, artificial respiration, external cardiac massage, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
    • Adhere to respiratory treatment protocols to ensure the delivery of high-quality respiratory care services to patients.
    More respiratory care practitioner duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your respiratory care practitioner job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A respiratory care practitioner 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 respiratory care practitioner in Wyoming may be lower than in California, and an entry-level respiratory care practitioner usually earns less than a senior-level respiratory care practitioner. Additionally, a respiratory care practitioner 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 respiratory care practitioner salary

    $55,702yearly

    $26.78 hourly rate

    Entry-level respiratory care practitioner salary
    $31,000 yearly salary
    Updated January 31, 2026

    Average respiratory care practitioner salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1California$79,600$38
    2Washington$67,310$32
    3Nevada$66,869$32
    4New Jersey$66,653$32
    5Oregon$66,155$32
    6Maryland$60,106$29
    7New York$58,709$28
    8Illinois$56,791$27
    9Wisconsin$55,619$27
    10Utah$54,703$26
    11North Carolina$54,575$26
    12Oklahoma$54,162$26
    13Texas$52,826$25
    14Missouri$52,245$25
    15Massachusetts$52,175$25
    16Pennsylvania$51,966$25
    17Nebraska$50,632$24
    18Ohio$49,900$24
    19New Hampshire$48,989$24
    20Maine$41,726$20

    Average respiratory care practitioner salary by company

  4. Writing a respiratory care practitioner job description

    A respiratory care practitioner job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a respiratory care practitioner job description:

    Respiratory care practitioner job description example

    US-OR-Portland

    Type: Regular Full-Time
    Emanuel Medical Ctr campus

    Overview

    Hire on bonus and relocation assistance provided for this position.

    Teamwork, respect and caring: These core values are even more crucial when working with children and their families. As you provide respiratory care to infants and children being transported to Randall Children's Hospital at Legacy Emanuel and other designated hospitals, you focus on the specific needs of this patient population. Respect and concern for family members goes hand-in-hand with your expert care of neonatal and pediatric patients. If you believe you embody these qualities, you may be a great fit for this position.



    Responsibilities

    COMPETENCY : Will achieve and maintain advanced level clinical skills necessary to transport critical patients.

    Delivers age appropriate care to pediatric patients, (24 weeks gestation to 18 years), during the transport process.

    Responsible to remain current on transport policies and procedures, department changes, education, and current research.

    Meets all performance standards for care of critical neonates and pediatric patients.

    Works collaboratively with transport nurse in providing patient care therapies for children being transported by the transport team with exception of the administration of IV medications. Able to calculate, and check medication administration with RN. Able to identify medication errors.

    Proficient in IV starts on Peds and Infants, endotracheal Intubation, needle thoracentesis of the chest, and surfactant administration.

    Assists with patient care in the NICU and PICU while functioning as a respiratory care practitioner and maintaining transport readiness.

    PROMOTION OF FAMILY CENTERED CARE :

    Incorporates family in plan of care and includes them in decision-making.

    Provides for family privacy and dignity.

    Respects cultural, racial, language, and other differences.

    Strives to be flexible, accessible, and responsive to parent's needs and requests.

    MISSION AND VALUES : Legacy mission, values and strategic goals are clearly understood and demonstrated.

    Actively participates in planning and department activities which reinforce values, mission and goals.

    SAFETY : Responsible to maintain a safe patient and work environment.

    Safe and attentive work habits. Routinely performs duties in a safe and conscientious manner.

    Maintains equipment in safe, working order.

    Complies with crewmember weight restrictions (Maximum 225 founds fully outfitted to perform the job).

    CQI/RESEARCH : Promotes improvements through the use of data.

    Assists in the development of the CQI plan and participates in the review of data.

    PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT : Responsibility for professional development of self and contribution to the professional growth of others.

    Participates in peer review process.

    Participates in ongoing education through conferences, in-services, and review of current literature.

    Shares information with others.

    Participates with colleagues in case review, education, and review of ethical conflicts.

    Participates in community outreach activities as assigned.

    Attends 50% of team meetings.

    Attends mandatory annual skills seminars as well as annual helicopter safety in-services.



    Qualifications

    Education:

    Must be a graduate from an accredited school of respiratory therapy. For employees hired on/after January 16, 2011, minimum of an Associate degree in Respiratory Therapy from a program accredited by the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (COARC) or accredited by the American Medical Association's Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation (CAHEA).

    Experience:

    Three years of neonatal and/or pediatric intensive care clinical experience within the last five years. Experience in Neonatal and /or Pediatric transport preferred.

    LEGACY'S VALUES IN ACTION:

    Follows guidelines set forth in Legacy's Values in Action

    Equal Opportunity Employer/Vet/Disabled



    PI193379673

  5. Post your job

    To find the right respiratory care practitioner for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

    • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with respiratory care practitioners they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit respiratory care practitioners who meet your education requirements.
    • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your respiratory care practitioner job on Zippia to find and recruit respiratory care practitioner candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    During your first interview to recruit respiratory care practitioners, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

    Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to 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 respiratory care practitioner

    Once you've decided on a perfect respiratory care practitioner candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

    It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new respiratory care practitioner. 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 respiratory care practitioner?

Hiring a respiratory care practitioner comes with both the one-time cost per hire and ongoing costs. The cost of recruiting respiratory care practitioners 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 respiratory care practitioner recruiting as well the ongoing costs of maintaining the new employee.

You can expect to pay around $55,702 per year for a respiratory care practitioner, 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 respiratory care practitioners in the US typically range between $14 and $47 an hour.

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