Respiratory Technicians

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 disorder, asthma, emphysema, pneumonia, and other disorders. The increasing demand for respiratory technicians is the result of other factors also, most recently including the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which has caused respiratory problems in many COVID patients. In addition, the field of neonatal care has been growing, and there are continuing advances in treatments for victims of heart attacks and accidents and for premature babies.

Employment opportunities for respiratory technicians should be also be favorable in the rapidly growing field of home health care (where employment is expected to grow by 34 percent through 2029), although this area accounts for only a small number of respiratory therapy jobs. In addition to jobs in home health agencies and hospital-based home health programs, there should be numerous openings for respiratory therapists in equipment rental companies and in firms that provide respiratory care on a contract basis. In addition, employment is expected to grow due to respiratory technicians' increasing role in disease prevention, emergency care, and the early detection of pulmonary disorders.