Respiratory therapist vs respiratory care practitioner

The differences between respiratory therapists and respiratory care practitioners 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 therapist and a respiratory care practitioner. Additionally, a respiratory care practitioner has an average salary of $55,702, which is higher than the $55,617 average annual salary of a respiratory therapist.

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

Respiratory therapist vs respiratory care practitioner overview

	Respiratory Therapist	Respiratory Care Practitioner
Yearly salary	$55,617	$55,702
Hourly rate	$26.74	$26.78
Growth rate	14%	14%
Number of jobs	33,980	99,895
Job satisfaction	3.33	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 70%	Associate Degree, 70%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	12	12

What does a respiratory therapist do?

A Respiratory Therapist is responsible for the healthcare of a patient's Cardiopulmonary system. A Respiratory Therapist specializes in assessing, recommending procedures or precautionary measures, and treating infections, diseases, and even viruses that can cause dysfunction to a patient's breathing. Most duties will depend on the workplace or the condition of a patient. However, they must have extensive expertise, passion, and presence of mind as they work with patients of all ages, and the daily tasks are vital and unpredictable.

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.

Respiratory therapist vs respiratory care practitioner salary

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

	Respiratory Therapist	Respiratory Care Practitioner
Average salary	$55,617	$55,702
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $91,000	Between $31,000 And $99,000
Highest paying City	Lancaster, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Heartland Home Health Inc.	UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between respiratory therapist and respiratory care practitioner education

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

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

Respiratory therapist vs respiratory care practitioner demographics

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

	Respiratory Therapist	Respiratory Care Practitioner
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 37.5% Female, 62.5%	Male, 41.1% Female, 58.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.4% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	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 Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between respiratory therapist and respiratory care practitioner duties and responsibilities

Respiratory therapist example 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.
Provide critical care services including mechanical ventilation, pulmonary toilet, respiratory pharmacological medicine, overall respiratory evaluation and observation.
Attend and complete ACLS, BLS, and telemetry monitoring certification courses.

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.

Respiratory therapist vs respiratory care practitioner skills

Common respiratory therapist skills

Patients, 18%
Respiratory Care, 11%
BLS, 8%
RRT, 7%
Acls, 5%
Ventilation, 4%

Common respiratory care practitioner skills

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

Respiratory Therapist vs. similar jobs

Respiratory Therapist related careers

Respiratory Therapist related jobs

Respiratory Therapist jobs by location

Zippia Careers
Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Respiratory Therapist
Respiratory Therapist vs Respiratory Care Practitioner

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse healthcare practitioner and technical jobs