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Respiratory technician vs respiratory care practitioner

The differences between respiratory technicians and respiratory care practitioners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a respiratory care practitioner has an average salary of $55,702, which is higher than the $37,757 average annual salary of a respiratory technician.

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

Respiratory technician vs respiratory care practitioner overview

Respiratory TechnicianRespiratory Care Practitioner
Yearly salary$37,757$55,702
Hourly rate$18.15$26.78
Growth rate14%14%
Number of jobs45,61699,895
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 44%Associate Degree, 70%
Average age4346
Years of experience-12

Respiratory technician vs respiratory care practitioner salary

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

Respiratory TechnicianRespiratory Care Practitioner
Average salary$37,757$55,702
Salary rangeBetween $24,000 And $58,000Between $31,000 And $99,000
Highest paying City-San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state-California
Best paying company-UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital
Best paying industry-Health Care

Differences between respiratory technician and respiratory care practitioner education

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

Respiratory TechnicianRespiratory Care Practitioner
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 44%Associate Degree, 70%
Most common majorMedical TechnicianMedical Technician
Most common collegeEmory UniversityDuke University

Respiratory technician vs respiratory care practitioner demographics

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

Respiratory TechnicianRespiratory Care Practitioner
Average age4346
Gender ratioMale, 45.9% Female, 54.1%Male, 41.1% Female, 58.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 14.4% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.5% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%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%
LGBT Percentage8%9%

Differences between respiratory technician and respiratory care practitioner duties and responsibilities

Respiratory technician example responsibilities.

  • Provide aerosol therapy, bronchial hygiene, ventilator setup, CPR, and any other career relate requirements.
  • Fit patient for CPAP mask, educate on equipment.
  • Complete EKG's, treadmill heart testing and asthma testing.
  • Set the CPAP machine for each individual and fit him or her with proper masks.
  • Administer respiratory medications, CPR, and therapeutic processes, in an ethical, orderly fashion.
  • Provide respiratory assistance with ventilation and medication.
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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.
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Respiratory technician vs respiratory care practitioner skills

Common respiratory technician skills
  • Patients, 27%
  • Respiratory Care, 13%
  • CPR, 5%
  • EKG, 5%
  • Life Support, 5%
  • Nebulizer, 3%
Common respiratory care practitioner skills
  • Patients, 14%
  • Respiratory Care, 8%
  • BLS, 6%
  • Acls, 5%
  • RCP, 5%
  • RRT, 5%

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