How to hire a respiratory therapist assistant

How to hire a respiratory therapist assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step respiratory therapist assistant 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 therapist assistant job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new respiratory therapist assistant
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your respiratory therapist assistant 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 respiratory therapist assistant 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?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a respiratory therapist assistant to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a respiratory therapist assistant that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of respiratory therapist assistants.

   Type of Respiratory Therapist Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Respiratory Therapist Assistant	Respiratory 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	$13-46
   Respiratory Care Practitioner	A Respiratory Care Practitioner assesses and treats patients with pulmonary diseases. They diagnose lung and breathing disorders and recommend treatment methods.	$14-47
   Staff Therapist	A 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

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Respiratory Care
   • BLS
   • DR
   • CPR
   • Patient Education
   • Physician Orders
   • Nebulizer
   • EKG
   • Patient Care
   • CPAP
   • BiPAP
   • Respiratory Equipment
   • Oxygen Tanks

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage artificial airways, mechanically ventilate patients, pulmonary rehab patients and perform CPR in code situations.
   • Refill oxygen bottles and deliver bottles and supplies Cpap set up, BiPap setup, mask fitting, cpap training classinstructor.
   • Monitor EKG and interpret changes.
   • Order medical supplies such as face tents, nebulizer, and circuits.
   • Work besides register respiratory therapist for guidance and observe closely of their technique for treating patients.
   • Participate in instructing breathing retraining for COPD patients and counseling discharge patients and family members on respiratory functions.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your respiratory therapist assistant job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A respiratory therapist assistant salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, respiratory therapist assistants' average salary in arkansas is 52% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level respiratory therapist assistants earn 71% less than senior-level respiratory therapist assistants.
   • Certifications. A respiratory therapist assistant with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a respiratory therapist assistant's salary.

   Average respiratory therapist assistant salary

   $52,569yearly

   $25.27 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level respiratory therapist assistant salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 27, 2025

4. Writing a respiratory therapist assistant job description

   A respiratory therapist assistant 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. Below, you can find an example of a respiratory therapist assistant job description:

   Respiratory therapist assistant job description example

   100% FTE, 40 hours per week. Rotating 8, 10 and 12-hour shifts, Day/Evening shift. Rotating shifts to cover hours of Operation between 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM, Rotating Holiday Coverage.

   Pay : UW Health offers a competitive compensation and benefits package. Work experience that is relevant to the position will be taken into consideration when determining the starting base pay.

   Join the #1 hospital in Wisconsin!

   We are seeking a Respiratory Therapist Assistant to:

   • Assemble, transport, disinfect, calibrate and troubleshoot respiratory related equipment.
   • Assist the Respiratory Therapists and physicians with various procedures and tasks.

   Education :

   Minimum - High School Diploma or equivalent.

   Work Experience :

   Preferred - Previous experience with assembly and cleaning of respiratory care equipment preferred.

   Licenses and Certifications :

   Minimum - CPR Certified.

   Required Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities :

   • Knowledge of, or ability to learn, set-up, maintenance and cleaning of various types of respiratory care equipment.
   • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
   • Ability to work in a team environment and to collaborate with a variety of professionals.

   Physical Requirements :

   Medium: Ability to lift up to 50 pounds maximum with frequent lifting and/or carrying objects weighing up to 25 pounds.

   Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

   UW Health is committed to being a diverse, equitable, inclusive and anti-racist workplace and is an Equal Employment Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer. Our integrity shines through in patient care interactions and our daily work practices as we work to embrace the knowledge, unique perspectives and qualities each employee and faculty member brings to work each day. Applications from Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) individuals, women, and LGBTQ+ and non-binary identities are strongly encouraged. EOE, including disability/vets.

   University Hospital in Madison is a Magnet -designated facility that's ranked Wisconsin's #1 hospital and considered one of the nations leading hospitals, teaching institutions and referral centers.

   Learn more about this opening

   UW Hospital and Clinics benefits

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right respiratory therapist assistant for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your respiratory therapist assistant job on Zippia to find and attract quality respiratory therapist assistant candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit respiratory therapist assistants, 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.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 therapist assistant

   Once you've found the respiratory therapist assistant candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new respiratory therapist assistant. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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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