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Respiratory Therapy Salary
Salary
Respiratory therapists make $56,222 on average in the United States (2005 American Association for Respiratory Care Human Resources Study). Beginning therapists make an average annual income of $41,538.What are the hours in this field?
For those respiratory therapists who work at hospitals, there are typically eight and twelve hour shifts, every other weekend, and
rotating holidays. Most hospitals have 12-hour shifts where RTs work only three days per week. There may also be opportunities for overtime work. Pulmonary rehabilitation, pulmonary diagnostics, and pulmonologists’ offices are typically opened the typical 8am-5pm Monday through Friday with weekends and holidays off. Learn more about repiratory therapy schools.
Is this a high demand profession?
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of respiratory therapist jobs will increase by approximately 19% over the next decade. Due to baby boomers aging, the elderly population continues to grow. Also, as previously mentioned, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States and continues to rise. Baby boomers who have smoked for many years oftentimes are eventually diagnosed with COPD. Also, while early diagnosis and education of asthma make it easier to control, asthma rates continue to increase. This increase is due in part to more children being born to young, impoverished mothers who are in environments that contain many allergens. Children without proper health care have a higher chance of developing asthma. With these statistics, more respiratory therapists will be needed to help educate and prevent, as well as treat COPD.What are the advantages of a job in this field?
One of the greatest advantages is that as the respiratory therapist, you are the “expert” when it comes to the lungs. Ideally, any time there is a patient who is having trouble breathing the RT is the first person called. Whether simply educating an asthmatic, or helping saving the life of an elderly man who had a heart attack and stopped breathing, the sense of price in making a difference in someone’s life is a wonderful feeling.Learn more about repiratory therapy certification.
Another exciting aspect of the job is working as part of the team to try to figure out how to help patients in need. While the medical field is based on science, trying to figure out what is wrong with patients and how to help them is an ART.
What challenges exist with a job in this field?
The job of a respiratory therapist can be stressful since these individuals are dealing with life and death situations daily. However, helping people in these high-stress situations can also be very rewarding.Another challenge in this field is trying to help people who are not receptive to being helped. There is also the challenge of dealing with an ever-changing health care system where some people come to the hospital because it’s free and other people will avoid coming or staying because they can’t afford to pay for the services.
