How To Become A Respiratory Therapist: What It Is and Career Path

Q: How long does it take to become a Respiratory Therapist?

It takes 4 years of professional experience to become a respiratory therapist. That is the time it takes to learn specific respiratory therapist skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a college degree, then it takes 7 to 9 years years to become a respiratory therapist.

Q: How many years does it take to become a respiratory therapist?

It takes a minimum of two years to become a respiratory therapist. It takes roughly two years at the minimum to become a respiratory therapist, as you will need an associate's degree at minimum. That being said, most employers favor candidates who have a bachelor's degree in the field, which takes four years to complete.

Q: How much schooling do you need to be a respiratory therapist?

You need a minimum of two years of schooling to be a respiratory therapist. To become a respiratory therapist, you need at minimum an associate's degree within the field. That being said, most employers expect at least a bachelor's degree.

Q: Is a respiratory therapist a good career?

Yes, respiratory therapist is a good career. The medical field is always in need of capable medical professionals, and this field is rarely considered. Especially given the COVID-19 pandemic, many hospitals and practices are in desperate need of respiratory therapists. The medical field provides excellent job stability as we will always need medical professionals for the foreseeable future.

Q: Respiratory Therapist vs Nurse

A respiratory therapist is a certified medical professional that treats patients that have medical issues with their lungs or breathing, while a nurse is a more broad medical role and helps to manage patient's physical needs, prevent illness, and treat health conditions.

Q: What are the pros and cons of being a respiratory therapist?

There are several pros and cons of being a respiratory therapist. The pros are good benefits and high activity, while the cons are educational requirements and physical demands. Here is a more detailed look at the pros and cons of being a school counselor:

What is a respiratory therapist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

A respiratory therapist specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with respiratory problems. They assess and treat patients with breathing difficulties, such as asthma, emphysema, and pneumonia. Respiratory therapists also help patients who require mechanical ventilation or oxygen therapy. Their duties include performing diagnostic tests, managing ventilators, administering medications and treatments, and educating patients. Respiratory therapists work closely with physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.

ScoreRespiratory TherapistUS Average

Salary

4.3

Avg. Salary $55,617

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.9

Growth rate 14%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.29%

Asian 6.44%

Black or African American 10.95%

Hispanic or Latino 14.63%

Unknown 4.16%

White 63.53%

Gender

female 62.49%

male 37.51%

Age - 47

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47

Stress level

9.9

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.0

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

8.3

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a respiratory therapist?

Pros

Ability to work in a variety of settings, including hospitals and home health care
Good job outlook with potential for growth and advancement
Competitive salary and benefits packages
Opportunities for specialization in areas such as neonatal or critical care
Collaborative work environment with other healthcare professionals

Cons

Can be physically demanding with long periods of standing, bending, and lifting patients
Exposure to infectious diseases and hazardous materials
May require working with difficult or non-compliant patients
Can be a challenging field to enter due to the required education and licensure
Requires ongoing attention to detail and the ability to quickly adapt to changes in patient conditions.

Key steps to become a respiratory therapist

Explore respiratory therapist education requirements

Most common respiratory therapist degrees

Associate

69.8 %

Bachelor's

22.4 %

Master's

2.7 %

Start to develop specific respiratory therapist skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	18.22%
Respiratory Care	10.70%
BLS	7.86%
RRT	7.02%
Acls	4.79%

Complete relevant respiratory therapist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New respiratory therapists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a respiratory therapist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real respiratory therapist resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming a licensed respiratory therapist usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed respiratory therapist in most of states. 41 states require respiratory therapists to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

State	Education	Exam	License url
Alabama	-	-	Licensed Respiratory Therapist
Arkansas	Degree required	State exam required	Respiratory Therapist
California	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Respiratory Care Practitioner
Colorado	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Respiratory Therapist
Connecticut	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Respiratory Care Practitioner

Gain additional respiratory therapist certifications

Respiratory therapist certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific respiratory therapist certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for respiratory therapists include Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) and Basic Life Support for Healthcare and Public Safety (BLS).

More About Certifications

Research respiratory therapist duties and responsibilities

Manage ventilators through morning planning and protocols for trauma, ICU, and open heart unit.
Manage artificial airways, mechanically ventilate patients, pulmonary rehab patients and perform CPR in code situations.
Perform diagnostic procedures such as EEG, PFT, and Bronchoscopy.
Perform all aspects of respiratory care from intubation to ventilation, and medication delivery.

Prepare your respiratory therapist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your respiratory therapist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a respiratory therapist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable respiratory therapist resume templates

Build a professional respiratory therapist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your respiratory therapist resume.

Apply for respiratory therapist jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a respiratory therapist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do respiratory therapists rate their job?

3.33/5

Based on 3 ratings

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Respiratory therapist reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2023

Pros

Helping people, utilizing your specialized training, schedule flexibility

Cons

Burnout, many in the healthcare system don't take you seriously despite your critical care experience, often in this field supervisors are not strong advocates for your field and bow to the administrators rather than enforce safety policies.

4.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2022

Pros

Helping make a difference in someone’s life.

Cons

Our field not offering compact license.

4.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2022

Pros

Watching a patient improve and sometimes come back for a visit that was once on the brink of death.

What is a respiratory therapist and how to become one

What are the pros and cons of being a respiratory therapist?

Respiratory therapist career paths

Key steps to become a respiratory therapist

Explore respiratory therapist education requirements

Most common respiratory therapist degrees

Start to develop specific respiratory therapist skills

Complete relevant respiratory therapist training and internships

Obtain the necessary licensing

Gain additional respiratory therapist certifications

Research respiratory therapist duties and responsibilities

Prepare your respiratory therapist resume

Choose from 10+ customizable respiratory therapist resume templates

Apply for respiratory therapist jobs

How did you land your first respiratory therapist job

Average respiratory therapist salary

How do respiratory therapists rate their job?

Respiratory therapist reviews

Respiratory therapist FAQs

How long does it take to become a Respiratory Therapist?

How many years does it take to become a respiratory therapist?

How much schooling do you need to be a respiratory therapist?

Is a respiratory therapist a good career?

Respiratory Therapist vs Nurse

What are the pros and cons of being a respiratory therapist?

Search for respiratory therapist jobs

Respiratory therapist jobs by state