Respiratory Therapist Salary and Career Information

It is a good idea to look into a career in the healthcare industry, even more so if you believe you’ll enjoy it. In this job, you will not only feel content with being able to aid others but you will enjoy a decent compensation as well. Each position in the medical field is vital along with a respiratory therapist career. This job is growing popularity each day and many are pleased with the decent salary that can be potentially earned. With proper training, education, and experience, you won’t have difficulty finding a good job that pays well. Learn more about this career along with the respiratory therapist salary that you can earn.

Respiratory therapists are in charge of treating patients who experience breathing difficulties as well as related disorders. While performing these duties, they must work alongside doctors to develop the right solution for every patient. Other duties include diagnostic procedures, therapeutic treatment, and also supervision of respiratory therapy assistants.

In addition to these responsibilities respiratory therapists must attend to patients on life support. If need be, it is their job to make life decisions in such cases. This position requires great skill and knowledge, which is why therapists get paid well. Of course there are also other factors that are considered with compensation.

There are many reasons as to why respiratory careers are quickly rising. With the population of old people increasing, so is the need for respiratory therapists who can help them with breathing difficulties. Also, the advancement of technology has opened the doors for treatment of more respiratory disorders. Those who enjoy making a difference in lives of others will definitely find satisfaction in a career such as this.

Many are quite happy with the respiratory therapy assistant salary offered by this job. Most therapists earn an average of $52,000 every year. The lowest salary earned is $38,000, while the highest is $70,000. You have the chance to earn a good amount depending on your qualification and experience. As the years pass, your salary will increase as well. Regardless, you will be able to live a pretty decent life with this kind of salary.

To get paid well, you must complete all the requirements necessary. It is a must that you undergo training and obtain the qualifications you need. The minimum required level of education is a 2-year associate’s degree. However you can also decide to take up a bachelor’s or master’s degree. Certification is the minimum requirement but if you want to get paid handsomely then you should consider becoming a registered respiratory therapist.

There are a lot of benefits you can receive from entering a career as a respiratory therapist. It definitely is a good thing to know that you will be constantly saving lives. In addition you will receive a generous salary for all your hard work. By assisting babies, young children, and old individuals, you will have a chance to meet various people on a daily basis. You will also get to make a decision on what particular medical setting you would like to work in.

Career Change: Why Job Titles Don’t Matter

Career change and job search advice often goes like this:

“Figure out what you want to do. Identify titles of jobs that might be a good fit. Apply for those jobs.”

That advice might have made sense in the Mad Men era. Today when you follow that advice you’re more likely to be dead in the water.

Back in those days, your job title had meaning. Chances are you could figure out what somebody did based on his or her title. (Actually, it was even easier: “his” titles were probably managerial while “her” titles were more likely to be clerical or secretarial).

In those days, a prestigious job meant a private office with a door. A prominent carpet company created a slogan – probably after hiring a Mad Men type agency – suggesting that a title on the door rated a high-quality carpet on the floor.

Today you rarely see closed doors or plush carpets. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal reported that younger workers want a coffee shop set-up, which means no permanent desks or partitions.

Today’s job titles are more open, too.

For example, a systems analyst might be on the senior leadership team of one company and the support staff team at another. You have to learn about the specific role of that job in that company.

The truth is, some job titles weren’t around five or ten years ago. If you haven’t been in the job market for a while, you might not have run across jobs related to gamification and social media. You might even come across a one-of-a-kind title, such as the Southwest Airlines People Department.

What does this change mean for your job search or career change?

Your job search focuses on functions, not titles. During a career change, you have to be suspicious of tests that promise to match your skills and interests with a particular job or job title.

At the same time, before taking a new job, you need to do some research on the company and industry. When your job turns out to be on a lower level, you might not get taken seriously and you could get frustrated with your position.

At the same time, when your new title calls for higher responsibilities, you want to understand what’s expected so you can deliver value to your company and build your career. You also have to consider how you will be perceived within your industry and field when you use this title on your business card.