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Between the sputum and sleep walkers, insomnia and asthma, more than 90 percent of respiratory and sleep professionals have reached the same conclusion: They love their job.
"I enjoy interacting with patients," said Alberto Suarez, RRT, a staff therapist in Florida. "However, the very best feeling I get is when we are successful in a code situation. I recommend a career in respiratory therapy because, let's face it, it's a cool job."
| View more results of the 2009 Salary Survey. An audio slideshow provides more detailed analysis, including salary breakdown by job title. |
The field of sleep medicine offers its own benefits. "It's a very good career with growing opportunities for those who don't fit into the nurse or respiratory mold and want to see what else is out there," said Bob Ziegler, RPSGT, technical/clinical director of a sleep center in Illinois.
So while it is clear a career in health care offers personal rewards, does it also pay off financially? We asked critical questions about dollars and cents for the ADVANCE 2009 National Salary Survey of Respiratory Care and Sleep Medicine. A whopping 1,268 people responded during a four-month period earlier this year to give us a snapshot of today's wages.
Getting to know you
Survey respondents hailed from departments large and small: 39.1 percent worked with between 1 and 10 people, 21 percent worked with 11 to 20 people, and 15.6 percent worked in a department with more than 50 people. They mainly reported working in respiratory care (42 percent), although a fair number punch the clock in sleep disorders (22 percent) and critical care (14 percent).
A majority of respondents (60 percent) penned RRT after their name, while 27 percent identified themselves as a RCP and 20 percent as a RPSGT. Other less frequently named credentials included: RRT-NPS (7 percent), CRT-NPS (7 percent), AE-C (4 percent), RPFT (4 percent), CRT (2 percent), BRPT-eligible (2 percent). Less than one percent of respondents held an RN or MD.
More than 56 percent of respondents have contributed their expertise for at least 16 years, and 32.1 percent have worked for more than two decades. But don't expect them to give up those positions any time soon.
Just ask Barbara Schenk, RRT, director of Community College of Baltimore County's respiratory care therapy program. Her program's clinical site managers report having fewer openings for new therapists, especially plum day shift positions. In fact, our readers in California report an overflow of respiratory therapists seeking jobs, while those in Delaware and Maryland have encountered all out hiring freezes.
"I think there are still jobs out there, (but) I don't think they are as plentiful," Schnek said. According to our survey, only 6 percent of those working in the field expect to retire within the next five years. Most are in it for the long haul. Thirty-two percent expect to retire more than two decades from now. Another 23.9 percent expect to remain in their field through 2024.
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