A respiratory therapist is responsible for administering, under physician’s prescription, many types of breathing therapeutics, and utilizing specialized breathing, aerosol and humidification equipment. These include the use of oxygen or oxygen mixtures, chest physiotherapy, mechanical ventilation, and aerosol medications.

Respiratory therapists evaluate and treat all types of patients, ranging from premature infants whose lungs are not fully developed to elderly people whose lungs may be diseased. Respiratory therapists provide temporary relief to patients with chronic asthma or emphysema, as well as emergency care to patients who are victims of a heart attack, stroke, trauma, drowning, or shock.

They perform limited physical examinations, and conduct diagnostic tests that assess breathing capacities and determine the concentration of oxygen and other gases in patients. The respiratory therapist works closely with the physician and also directly with the patient in the treatment situation by performing regular assessments of patients and equipment.

This program is designed to provide necessary training for successful completion of the requirements for the entry-level practitioner as defined by the National Board for Respiratory Care.

Job opportunities are expected to be very good, especially for respiratory therapists with cardiopulmonary care skills or experience working with infants. Employment of respiratory therapists is expected to increase significantly through 2029 due to substantial growth in the numbers of the middle-aged and elderly population and the expanding role of respiratory therapists in the early detection and treatment of pulmonary disorders. There are also job opportunities for respiratory therapists with advanced cardiopulmonary care and neonatal care experience.

Although hospitals will continue to employ the vast majority of therapists, a growing number can expect to work outside of hospitals in home health care services, offices of physicians or other health practitioners, or consumer-goods rental firms.

National median annual earnings of respiratory therapists were $70,540 in 2022. (Source: U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics) Additional career advancement opportunities exist in education, administration, research, and in commercial companies as clinical specialists, pharmaceutical sales, and technical support.

Occupational Outlook

Application Instructions

General Education Worksheet 2025

2025 RPT Program Application (to open Spring 2025)

The Wallace State Community College Respiratory Therapy Program, CoARC program number 200255, offering the Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S) Degree, at its Hanceville campus location, is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (www.coarc.com).

CoARC accredits respiratory therapy education programs in the United States. To achieve this end, it utilizes an 'outcomes based' process. Programmatic outcomes are performance indicators that reflect the extent to which the educational goals of the program are achieved and by which program effectiveness is documented. (https://coarc.com/students/programmatic-outcomes-data/)

Accreditation Status:  Continuing Accreditation
Last Accreditation Review:  December 2021
Next Accreditation Review:  December 2031
Board Actions: CoARC accepts the Progress Report for Standard 3.07 IRR as final and maintains Continuing Accreditation for the remainder of the 10-year acreditation cycle.  All Standards are in compliance. 

Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care
264 Precision Blvd.
Telford, TN 37690
(817) 283-2835