Therapy technician vs respiratory therapy technician

The differences between therapy technicians and respiratory therapy technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a respiratory therapy technician has an average salary of $42,438, which is higher than the $28,943 average annual salary of a therapy technician.

The top three skills for a therapy technician include patients, rehabilitation and CPR. The most important skills for a respiratory therapy technician are patients, BLS, and acls.

Therapy technician vs respiratory therapy technician overview

	Therapy Technician	Respiratory Therapy Technician
Yearly salary	$28,943	$42,438
Hourly rate	$13.91	$20.40
Growth rate	24%	14%
Number of jobs	36,360	36,234
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Associate Degree, 48%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	-	-

Therapy technician vs respiratory therapy technician salary

Therapy technicians and respiratory therapy technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Therapy Technician	Respiratory Therapy Technician
Average salary	$28,943	$42,438
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $37,000	Between $26,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	-
Highest paying state	Washington	-
Best paying company	Seattle Cancer Care Alliance	-
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between therapy technician and respiratory therapy technician education

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

	Therapy Technician	Respiratory Therapy Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Associate Degree, 48%
Most common major	Kinesiology	Medical Technician
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	Emory University

Therapy technician vs respiratory therapy technician demographics

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

	Therapy Technician	Respiratory Therapy Technician
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 28.6% Female, 71.4%	Male, 43.1% Female, 56.9%
Race ratio	Black 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, 14.4% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.5% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between therapy technician and respiratory therapy technician duties and responsibilities

Therapy technician example responsibilities.

Perform basic living care for patients and assist with exercises under supervision of a rehabilitation team member.
Provide patient assistance with rehabilitation protocol with appropriate education and technique while monitoring vital signs and effects of treatment.
Direct patients to need areas with crutches, wheel chairs, walkers, canes etc.
Work with the physical and occupational therapists to guide patients through prescribe exercise program efficiently and safely.
Prepare materials for assessments and provide assistance to individuals through hands-on methods and direct contact observations by assisting the rehabilitation supervisor.
Attend professional development workshops in augmentative communication devices, sign language, and skill integration.

Respiratory therapy technician example responsibilities.

Manage and maintain tracheostomy vent dependent patients.
Perform routine pulmonary testing including EKG, holter monitor, bedside PFT and ABG.
Care for long term care of ventilator patients and tracheostomy patients ensuring their safety upon transfer to another facility or home.
Administer and monitor oxygen and/or aerosol therapy.assist physicians in instituting and maintaining continuous ventilation.
Administer breathing and oxygen procedures such as ultrasonic nebulizer treatments and incentive spirometer treatments.
Perform various diagnostic monitory procedures on patients of all age categories for cardiopulmonary functional assessment.

Therapy technician vs respiratory therapy technician skills

Common therapy technician skills

Patients, 23%
Rehabilitation, 14%
CPR, 8%
Patient Safety, 6%
Occupational Therapy, 5%
Physical Therapy, 5%

Common respiratory therapy technician skills

Patients, 24%
BLS, 10%
Acls, 9%
CPR, 7%
Life Support, 7%
Diagnostic Procedures, 5%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Therapy Technician
Therapy Technician vs Respiratory Therapy Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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