Respiratory Technicians

Employers

Approximately 135,800 respiratory therapy workers are employed in the United States. About 82 percent of respiratory therapy jobs are in hospital departments of respiratory care, anesthesiology, or pulmonary medicine. The rest are employed by oxygen equipment rental companies, ambulance services, nursing homes, home health agencies, and physicians' offices. Many respiratory technicians hold a second job.

Starting Out

Graduates of Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care- and Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs-accredited respiratory therapy training programs may use their school's career services offices to help them find jobs. They may apply directly to the individual local health care facilities.

High school graduates may apply directly to local hospitals for jobs as respiratory therapy assistants. If your goal is to become a respiratory technician, however, you will need to enroll in a formal respiratory therapy educational program.