Respiratory therapist vs technician

The differences between respiratory therapists and technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a respiratory therapist, becoming a technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a respiratory therapist has an average salary of $55,617, which is higher than the $38,045 average annual salary of a technician.

The top three skills for a respiratory therapist include patients, respiratory care and BLS. The most important skills for a technician are patients, customer service, and patient care.

Respiratory therapist vs technician overview

	Respiratory Therapist	Technician
Yearly salary	$55,617	$38,045
Hourly rate	$26.74	$18.29
Growth rate	14%	1%
Number of jobs	33,980	596,842
Job satisfaction	3.33	2
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Average age	46	40
Years of experience	12	2

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 technician do?

Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with. They are usually working with electricity or with technological advancements. Technicians may be assigned to do the construction of equipment or materials related to their field of study. They may also be assigned to conduct diagnostics and other maintenance activities to ensure that the equipment works properly. Technicians may also be required to conduct basic repairs in case of problems. It is important that technicians have good analytical skills and decision-making skills.

Respiratory therapist vs technician salary

Respiratory therapists and technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Respiratory Therapist	Technician
Average salary	$55,617	$38,045
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $91,000	Between $24,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City	Lancaster, CA	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	California	Hawaii
Best paying company	Heartland Home Health Inc.	Microsoft
Best paying industry	Health Care	Telecommunication

Differences between respiratory therapist and technician education

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

	Respiratory Therapist	Technician
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common major	Medical Technician	Business
Most common college	Duke University	-

Respiratory therapist vs technician demographics

Here are the differences between respiratory therapists' and technicians' demographics:

	Respiratory Therapist	Technician
Average age	46	40
Gender ratio	Male, 37.5% Female, 62.5%	Male, 75.2% Female, 24.8%
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, 9.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 4.9% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	9%	2%

Differences between respiratory therapist and technician 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.

Technician example responsibilities.

Achieve multiple ASE certifications within first year of employment.
Implement and manage UHF radio base stations, repeaters, and command network, effectively linking all regional headquarters.
Manage telecommunications installation and repair for hospital Nortel network.
Maintain numerous automate scripts to assist in managing Linux systems.
Manage, troubleshot and repair multiple wireless technologies including fiber optic transmission switches.
Install peripherals including printers, fax machines, scanners, and smartphones.

Respiratory therapist vs technician skills

Common respiratory therapist skills

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

Common technician skills

Patients, 16%
Customer Service, 14%
Patient Care, 8%
Hand Tools, 6%
Diagnosis, 5%
Preventative Maintenance, 4%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Respiratory Therapist
Respiratory Therapist vs Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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