News

Respiratory Therapist: Job Outlook

Posted Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Health care and health care needs are changing every day, faster than ever before. The economy’s changed, too, but unlike so many other industries, respiratory care professionals are even more in demand now than they were just a year ago.

Statistics say our population is aging, which means that not only will RTs always have work, but also advancement opportunities as the baby boomers, the largest population demographic in the U.S., begin to retire.

Respiratory therapists earned a median income of about $48K in 2001. That’s a $10K increase from the year before. And respiratory care is expected to grow not just faster than average over the next ten years, but at a rate of twice the average growth of all occupations measured by the Bureau of Labor statistics. This means that even as the labor market grows, the demand for RTs will be twice that of most other occupations measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Working in a career you love means you want to keep working in it for as long as you can. It's a comfort to know that you'll continue to enjoy prosperity and fulfillment as an RT for the rest of your career.

Source:  AARC.org