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Respiratory Technicians


Overview

Respiratory Technicians

Introduction

Respiratory technicians have many of the same responsibilities as therapists; however, technicians do not supervise other respiratory care workers. They help respiratory therapists in evaluating, treating, an caring for deficiencies or abnormalities of the cardiopulmonary (heart/lung) system by either providing temporary relief from chronic ailments or administering emergency care where life is threatened.

Working under a physician's direction and the direction of respiratory therapists, these workers set up and operate respi...

Quick Facts


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Median Salary

$42,863

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Employment Prospects

Good

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Minimum Education Level

Associate's Degree


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Experience

Internship


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Skills

Interpersonal
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Personality Traits

Outgoing
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Earnings

The average salary for respiratory therapy technicians employed in the U.S. in November 2020 was $42,863, according to Salary.com. Salaries ranged from $33,922 or less to $50,571 or more.

Hospital workers receive benefits that include health insurance, paid vacations and sick leave, and pension plans. Some institutions provide additional benefits, such as uniforms and parking, and offer ...

Work Environment

Respiratory technicians generally work in extremely clean, quiet surroundings. They usually work 40 hours a week, which may include nights and weekends because hospitals are in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The work requires long hours of standing and may be very stressful during emergencies.

A possible hazard is that the inhalants these employees work with are highly flam...

Outlook

Employment for respiratory technicians, included with the outlook for respiratory therapists, is expected to grow much faster than the average for all careers through 2029, by about 19 percent, according to the Department of Labor. This job growth is due to the growing middle-aged and elderly population with respiratory conditions such as chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disord...

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