Respiratory care practitioner vs certified respiratory therapist

The differences between respiratory care practitioners and certified respiratory therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a respiratory care practitioner and a certified respiratory therapist. Additionally, a certified respiratory therapist has an average salary of $55,772, which is higher than the $55,702 average annual salary of a respiratory care practitioner.

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

Respiratory care practitioner vs certified respiratory therapist overview

	Respiratory Care Practitioner	Certified Respiratory Therapist
Yearly salary	$55,702	$55,772
Hourly rate	$26.78	$26.81
Growth rate	14%	14%
Number of jobs	99,895	68,163
Job satisfaction	-	3
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 70%	Associate Degree, 74%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	12	12

Respiratory care practitioner vs certified respiratory therapist salary

Respiratory care practitioners and certified respiratory therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Respiratory Care Practitioner	Certified Respiratory Therapist
Average salary	$55,702	$55,772
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $99,000	Between $33,000 And $93,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital	Heartland Home Health Inc.
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between respiratory care practitioner and certified respiratory therapist education

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

	Respiratory Care Practitioner	Certified Respiratory Therapist
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 70%	Associate Degree, 74%
Most common major	Medical Technician	Medical Technician
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Respiratory care practitioner vs certified respiratory therapist demographics

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

	Respiratory Care Practitioner	Certified Respiratory Therapist
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 41.1% Female, 58.9%	Male, 23.7% Female, 76.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 7.0% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	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%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between respiratory care practitioner and certified respiratory therapist duties and responsibilities

Respiratory care practitioner example 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.

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 care practitioner vs certified respiratory therapist skills

Common respiratory care practitioner skills

Patients, 14%
Respiratory Care, 8%
BLS, 6%
Acls, 5%
RCP, 5%
RRT, 5%

Common certified respiratory therapist skills

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

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Respiratory Care Practitioner
Respiratory Care Practitioner vs Certified Respiratory Therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

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