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Major · Health Professions

The lungs of clinical care: a licensed path into respiratory medicine

Respiratory Care Therapy prepares students to assess and treat patients with breathing disorders — asthma, COPD, post-surgical recovery, critical care — under physician supervision. About 6,344 degrees are awarded annually across 414 colleges, most at the associate's level, with a direct pipeline into a licensed, growing healthcare role.

Schools offering
414
Annual completions
6,344
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$67k

About this major

Respiratory Care Therapy programs prepare students to work with patients who have breathing disorders — asthma, COPD, emphysema, respiratory failure — under the supervision of physicians. The curriculum covers applied biomedical sciences, anatomy and physiology of the respiratory system, pathology, clinical medicine, and therapeutic procedures. Students also train in equipment operation and maintenance, personnel supervision, data collection, and patient communication. A significant portion of every program is spent in supervised clinical rotations, not a classroom, and the CIP definition specifically notes training in procedures for special population groups — neonates, pediatric patients, and the elderly all appear in a standard respiratory care clinical curriculum.

The major sits at both the associate's and bachelor's level, with the associate's being the more common entry point into the field. The BLS lists an associate's degree as the typical education for respiratory therapists, which means the two-year credential directly qualifies graduates for the primary career destination in this field. About 6,344 degrees are awarded annually across 414 colleges. Top programs by volume include Boise State University, which awards 174 completions annually at the bachelor's level, and San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia, which produces 163 completions split across degree levels. Ivy Tech Community College is the leading pure associate's-level producer with 113 annual completions.

The primary career destination is respiratory therapist, where the median occupational wage sits at $80,450 and projected job growth is 12.1% over the next decade. That growth rate is notably strong for an allied health field — nearly three times the average across all occupations. The work happens in hospitals, ICUs, emergency departments, neonatal units, and increasingly in home health settings as outpatient pulmonary care expands. It is a clinical, patient-facing role throughout, not a research or administrative one.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary $106k +17.3% Doctoral or professional degree
Health technologists and technicians, all other $49k +5.2% Postsecondary nondegree award
Respiratory therapists $80k +12.1% Associate's degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$67k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$65k

Bachelor's

$71k

Who this major is for

You may thrive here if you are drawn to clinical healthcare but want a technical specialty focused on a specific body system rather than broad generalist nursing or emergency work. Respiratory therapy is a defined modality — the day-to-day involves ventilator management, arterial blood gas analysis, nebulizer treatments, pulmonary function testing, and patient education on breathing techniques. If you find the intersection of critical care medicine and hands-on technical skill compelling, and if working across hospital environments from the ICU to the neonatal unit sounds grounding rather than overwhelming, this program is structured around that exact combination. The associate's-level option is particularly relevant if you want to enter the workforce within two years with a credential that leads directly to a licensed role at a median wage of $80,450 and growing 12.1%.

Think twice if you expect the bachelor's degree here to function the way it does in business or computer science — the occupation's typical education is listed as an associate's, and the five-year earnings gap between degree levels is about $5,400, not transformative. The bachelor's matters for management tracks and eventually teaching roles, but it is not the differentiator at career entry that it is in most other fields. Think twice also if your interest is in healthcare broadly but you haven't thought specifically about respiratory and pulmonary work — related programs like Radiologic Technology, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, and Surgical Technology each produce graduates for genuinely different roles, and program choice should match the clinical setting you want to occupy. And as with all licensure-gated allied health programs, graduating from a CoARC-accredited program is not optional — non-accredited programs can leave graduates unable to sit for the NBRC credentialing examinations.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Boise State University Boise, ID 0 174 174
San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia Visalia, CA 62 101 163
Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN 113 0 113
San Joaquin Valley College-Rancho Cordova Rancho Cordova, CA 87 0 87
American Career College-Anaheim Anaheim, CA 85 0 85
Pima Medical Institute-Tucson Tucson, AZ 15 66 81
American Career College-Ontario Ontario, CA 71 0 71
Weber State University Ogden, UT 31 35 66
San Joaquin Valley College-Ontario Ontario, CA 66 0 66
Midwestern State University Wichita Falls, TX 0 62 62
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiographer

9,572 completions/yr

Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician

5,766 completions/yr

Surgical Technology/Technologist

5,490 completions/yr

Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic)

3,988 completions/yr

Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapist

3,612 completions/yr

Cardiovascular Technology/Technologist

1,133 completions/yr

Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions, Other

869 completions/yr

Athletic Training/Trainer

812 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What do Respiratory Care Therapy majors actually study day-to-day?
Coursework covers applied biomedical sciences, anatomy and physiology of the respiratory system, pathology, clinical medicine, and therapeutic procedures — plus equipment operation, patient communication, and record-keeping. A significant portion of the program is spent in supervised clinical settings, managing real patients with conditions like COPD, asthma, and respiratory failure. The CIP definition specifically notes training in procedures for special population groups, meaning students work with neonatal, pediatric, and geriatric patients as part of the core curriculum.
Do I need a bachelor's, or is an associate's enough for Respiratory Care Therapy?
An associate's degree is the standard entry credential for respiratory therapists — the BLS lists an associate's as the typical education for the occupation, and the median occupational wage of $80,450 is attainable at that level. The five-year earnings data here shows a modest gap: associate's completers average about $65,449 versus $70,854 for bachelor's completers, a difference of roughly $5,400. The bachelor's degree matters more for supervisory roles, management positions, or if you want to teach respiratory care at the college level. Many graduates start at the associate's level and complete a bachelor's while working.
What kinds of jobs do Respiratory Care Therapy graduates end up in?
The clear primary destination is respiratory therapist, with a median wage of $80,450 and projected job growth of 12.1% — a notably strong outlook. Most work in hospital settings, particularly ICUs, emergency departments, and neonatal units, as well as home health and outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation. The data also lists health specialties teachers ($105,620, 17.3% growth), but that path requires a doctoral or professional degree well beyond this program. The realistic near-term job for almost every graduate is clinical respiratory therapist.
How strong is the job market for respiratory therapists?
Projected job growth for respiratory therapists is 12.1% over the next decade — well above the average for all occupations. The aging US population, rising rates of chronic pulmonary disease, and expansion of home respiratory care are the structural drivers. The key credential is the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) examination administered by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC); most employers require or prefer the RRT over the entry-level CRT. Graduating from a CoARC-accredited program is essentially a prerequisite for sitting for the NBRC exams, so accreditation status of any program you're considering matters.
Is Respiratory Care Therapy the right fit, or should I consider a related program?
Respiratory Care Therapy is specifically about pulmonary function and breathing-related treatment. If diagnostic imaging interests you more, Radiologic Technology (about 9,572 completions) or Diagnostic Medical Sonography (about 5,766 completions) are closely related CIP programs leading to distinct roles. If emergency or surgical settings appeal, EMT Paramedic (about 3,988 completions) or Surgical Technology (about 5,490 completions) are worth comparing. The career destinations across these allied health programs are genuinely different — picking based on the specific patient care context you want to work in will serve you better than picking based on general healthcare interest.
What's a realistic earnings picture after a Respiratory Care Therapy degree?
Five-year median earnings for this major run about $67,139 overall, with associate's completers at $65,449 and bachelor's completers at $70,854. The respiratory therapist occupation posts a $80,450 median wage — the gap between that and the five-year earnings figure reflects graduates who are still in early career at the five-year mark. The occupation's earnings ceiling is relatively defined without additional credentials or specialization, but the base is solid for an associate's degree, and the 12.1% growth projection means the pipeline into employment is active.