According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the median respiratory therapist salary with a Bachelors degree is $51,650. The lowest 10% of salaries are $35,780 and the highest 10% are $69,030.
Introduction
A bachelor’s degree in respiratory therapy can lead to a rewarding career. Becoming a respiratory therapist requires specialized training, which is why many aspiring professionals choose to enroll in a college program that leads to an associate degree or bachelor’s degree. Once you complete the necessary coursework and clinical experience, you may be ready for this type of employment. The average annual salary of a respiratory therapist with just a high school diploma was $56,440 as of May 2018.* That figure jumps up significantly when you add higher education: Respiratory therapists with bachelor’s degrees earn about $57,750 per year on average—over $9000 more than those who only have an associate degree!* This article will help explain what it takes to become one of these highly trained professionals and outline the different types of programs available for aspiring respiratory therapists who want to make these kinds of salaries
Respiratory therapists can earn a bachelor’s and make $57,750 annually.
If you have a bachelor’s degree in respiratory therapy, you can expect to earn $57,750 per year. This is about average for the profession, which means that even though not all of your peers will have the same education level as you do, they may still be earning similar salaries because of their experience level.
Bachelor’s programs are offered by universities across the country, including Baylor University in Texas; Thomas Jefferson University in Pennsylvania and Missouri; University of California at San Diego; and many others.
Starting pay is highest in Hawaii, at $74,970 per year.
- The highest paying states, which pay an average of $74,970 per year, are Hawaii, California, Alaska and New York.
- The lowest-paying states have average salaries below $50K per year: Alabama ($49,960), Arkansas ($48,650), Mississippi ($47,500) and West Virginia ($47,240).
Schools offering respiratory therapy programs include Baylor University, Thomas Jefferson University and the University of Missouri.
Schools offering respiratory therapy programs include Baylor University, Thomas Jefferson University and the University of Missouri.
Baylor University offers a Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Care program with tracks to prepare students for entry into clinical practice or further study at the graduate level. The curriculum includes courses such as:
- Introduction to Clinical Practice
- Principles in Medical Surgical Nursing I and II
- Critical Care Management Skills 1 and 2
You can become a respiratory therapist with a bachelor’s degree in this field.
You can become a respiratory therapist with a bachelor’s degree in this field.
Respiratory therapists are experts on the lungs and breathing, who assist patients with breathing problems. Some of the things they do include putting tubes into the airways, helping them breathe at night with machines called ventilators, and teaching patients how to use their own breathing muscles. They also care for people who have been injured in accidents or who have lung diseases like emphysema or chronic bronchitis.
Respiratory therapists work primarily in hospitals and other health care facilities like nursing homes or skilled-nursing facilities where they treat patients suffering from acute or chronic respiratory illnesses including asthma; pneumonia; COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease); cystic fibrosis; pulmonary embolism (PE); pneumonia/ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome); as well as other disorders such as tuberculosis which affect the lungs
Conclusion
If you are interested in becoming a respiratory therapist, a bachelor’s degree can help you. It will prepare you for the work and give you an advantage over those who have only completed high school or less education. You may also consider taking some college courses before applying for this progam
