Respiratory Therapists
Also called: CRT (Certified Respiratory Therapist), Diagnostics RRT (Diagnostics Registered Respiratory Therapist), Licensed CRT (Licensed Certified Respiratory Therapist), Respiratory Care Practitioner (RCP)Assess, treat, and care for patients with breathing disorders. Assume primary responsibility for all respiratory care modalities, including the supervision of respiratory therapy technicians. Initiate and conduct therapeutic procedures; maintain patient records; and select, assemble, check, and operate equipment.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 6 of its 22 rated tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 8.5% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 0.7% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 5.0 hires for every 10 job openings in health care and social assistance, which employs about 93% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.5.0 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $66,150 | $57,480 to $76,920 | 2,350 |
| Alaska | $97,950 | $84,560 to $101,280 | 180 |
| Arizona | $79,780 | $70,680 to $86,070 | 3,500 |
| Arkansas | $73,870 | $63,120 to $78,520 | 1,400 |
| California | $104,820 | $87,750 to $129,010 | 18,650 |
| Colorado | $86,220 | $78,980 to $100,130 | 2,110 |
| Connecticut | $85,230 | $80,570 to $98,010 | 1,370 |
| Delaware | $91,080 | $82,880 to $97,000 | 500 |
| District of Columbia | $111,950 | $98,900 to $127,400 | 430 |
| Florida | $81,160 | $75,210 to $87,990 | 8,820 |
| Georgia | $83,700 | $74,400 to $101,690 | 5,150 |
| Hawaii | $94,210 | $86,150 to $102,170 | 510 |
| Idaho | $78,460 | $72,640 to $80,040 | 820 |
| Illinois | $84,090 | $77,440 to $96,260 | 4,880 |
| Indiana | $79,730 | $67,760 to $84,960 | 3,170 |
| Iowa | $74,760 | $64,670 to $80,730 | 910 |
| Kansas | $76,970 | $64,680 to $81,240 | 1,450 |
| Kentucky | $72,750 | $63,110 to $79,730 | 2,530 |
| Louisiana | $75,240 | $64,440 to $80,150 | 2,520 |
| Maine | $82,470 | $72,540 to $86,530 | 520 |
| Maryland | $88,960 | $82,920 to $101,340 | 1,800 |
| Massachusetts | $102,170 | $86,120 to $107,930 | 2,220 |
| Michigan | $79,850 | $71,740 to $83,020 | 4,520 |
| Minnesota | $98,710 | $86,440 to $103,010 | 1,250 |
| Mississippi | $63,270 | $57,150 to $75,850 | 1,670 |
| Missouri | $78,390 | $64,800 to $83,030 | 3,030 |
| Montana | $81,190 | $67,360 to $85,320 | 390 |
| Nebraska | $81,590 | $73,600 to $86,140 | 840 |
| Nevada | $85,480 | $75,310 to $106,820 | 1,270 |
| New Hampshire | $95,940 | $84,300 to $101,180 | 360 |
| New Jersey | $100,810 | $87,560 to $106,320 | 3,350 |
| New Mexico | $68,870 | $63,020 to $77,810 | 840 |
| New York | $107,810 | $95,690 to $126,880 | 7,010 |
| North Carolina | $80,090 | $68,010 to $87,820 | 4,630 |
| North Dakota | $81,230 | $66,820 to $84,570 | 270 |
| Ohio | $79,920 | $75,280 to $90,380 | 6,640 |
| Oklahoma | $78,800 | $67,110 to $83,610 | 2,000 |
| Oregon | $100,560 | $85,310 to $104,360 | 1,340 |
| Pennsylvania | $78,490 | $66,940 to $87,620 | 6,530 |
| Puerto Rico | $35,000 | $30,200 to $71,010 | 800 |
| Rhode Island | $86,900 | $83,040 to $102,500 | 260 |
| South Carolina | $77,740 | $67,410 to $82,400 | 1,960 |
| South Dakota | $68,240 | $62,010 to $79,370 | 430 |
| Tennessee | $72,140 | $63,660 to $78,640 | 3,440 |
| Texas | $79,540 | $69,670 to $93,680 | 12,130 |
| Utah | $80,650 | $70,230 to $85,790 | 1,170 |
| Vermont | $83,820 | $79,390 to $98,220 | 210 |
| Virginia | $82,910 | $78,820 to $94,770 | 3,340 |
| Washington | $101,130 | $84,870 to $106,150 | 1,860 |
| West Virginia | $68,670 | $63,870 to $77,350 | 1,140 |
| Wisconsin | $84,210 | $78,800 to $96,510 | 1,940 |
| Wyoming | $79,330 | $68,180 to $82,240 | 160 |
Nationally: $82,280. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 6 of its 22 rated tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Set up and operate devices, such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment. | Not published |
| Not much | Monitor patient's physiological responses to therapy, such as vital signs, arterial blood gases, or blood chemistry changes, and consult with physician if adverse reactions occur. | Not published |
| Not much | Read prescription, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition. | Not published |
| Not much | Provide emergency care, such as artificial respiration, external cardiac massage, or assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation. | Not published |
| AI + software | Work as part of a team of physicians, nurses, or other healthcare professionals to manage patient care by assisting with medical procedures or related duties. | Not published |
| AI + software | Enforce safety rules and ensure careful adherence to physicians' orders. | Not published |
See all 23 tasks
| AI + software | Maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information. | Not published |
| Not much | Inspect, clean, test, and maintain respiratory therapy equipment to ensure equipment is functioning safely and efficiently, ordering repairs when necessary. | Not published |
| AI alone | Determine requirements for treatment, such as type, method and duration of therapy, precautions to be taken, or medication and dosages, compatible with physicians' orders. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Relay blood analysis results to a physician. | Not published |
| Not much | Perform bronchopulmonary drainage and assist or instruct patients in performance of breathing exercises. | Not published |
| Not much | Make emergency visits to resolve equipment problems. | Not published |
| Not much | Demonstrate respiratory care procedures to trainees or other healthcare personnel. | Not published |
| Not much | Educate patients and their families about their conditions and teach appropriate disease management techniques, such as breathing exercises or the use of medications or respiratory equipment. | Not published |
| AI alone | Explain treatment procedures to patients to gain cooperation and allay fears. | Not published |
| Not much | Perform pulmonary function and adjust equipment to obtain optimum results in therapy. | Not published |
| Not much | Conduct tests, such as electrocardiograms (EKGs), stress testing, or lung capacity tests, to evaluate patients' cardiopulmonary functions. | Not published |
| Not much | Teach, train, supervise, or use the assistance of students, respiratory therapy technicians, or assistants. | Not published |
| Not much | Use a variety of testing techniques to assist doctors in cardiac or pulmonary research or to diagnose disorders. | Not published |
| Not much | Transport patients to the hospital or within the hospital. | Not published |
| Not much | Perform endotracheal intubation to maintain open airways for patients who are unable to breathe on their own. | Not published |
| Not much | Monitor cardiac patients, using electrocardiography devices, such as a holter monitor. | Not published |
| Not rated | Attend high-risk and caesarian section infant deliveries to provide neonatal respiratory care as needed. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 1 of the 23 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 23 tasks fall under 21 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #37 Determine operational methods or procedures
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Train others on health or medical topics | |||
| Monitor health conditions of humans or animals | |||
| Confer with healthcare or other professionals about patient care | |||
| Administer diagnostic tests to assess patient health | |||
| Assist healthcare practitioners during medical procedures | |||
| Administer emergency medical treatment | |||
| Maintain medical equipment or instruments | |||
| Determine operational methods or procedures |
Show all 21 activities
| Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Explain medical information to patients or family members | |||
| Collect information about patients or clients | |||
| Monitor operations to ensure compliance with regulations or standards | |||
| Administer basic health care or medical treatments | |||
| Treat injuries, illnesses, or diseases | |||
| Inspect commercial, industrial, or production systems or equipment | |||
| Supervise personnel activities | |||
| Operate medical equipment | |||
| Maintain health or medical records | |||
| Prepare medical equipment or work areas for use | |||
| Clean medical equipment or facilities | |||
| Transport patients or clients |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- An explanation or answer37%
- Advice or a recommendation31%
- A document or report11%
- A plan or strategy11%
- Teaching material6%
How they worked with Claude
63% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for respiratory therapists specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 8,981 moves out
- 1 Medical and Health Services Managers High +24.2% 11%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
- 3 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 5%
- 4 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products Very high -0.9% 5%
- 5 Registered Nurses High +5.6% 5%
Where people moved in from
of 8,176 moves in
- 1 Medical and Health Services Managers High +24.2% 8%
- 2 Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 3 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products Very high -0.9% 5%
- 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 5 Registered Nurses High +5.6% 4%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 1% less than high school
- 2% high school
- 11% some college
- 53% associate's
- 25% bachelor's
- 6% master's
- 1% professional degree
- 1% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 1,284 people surveyed.
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
1 program: Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
>99.5% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | 93.7% | 19.1% |
| a certification | 58.0% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | <0.5% | 2.8% |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 1 registered apprenticeship in this occupation (Respiratory Therapist (RT)). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Respiratory Therapists” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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