Respiratory therapists
SOC Code: 29-1126
Respiratory therapists carries a 23% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $80,450 and +12.1% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 139,600 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 23% AI exposure, Respiratory therapists sits 14 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 9% of them. It ranks among the more AI-resilient roles in the dataset.
Career outlook score
88/100
Respiratory therapists, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage B+ $80,450
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth A+ +12.1%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) A+ 23% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Respiratory therapists in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Associate / award entry with a named growth shelf
Entry credential Associate / award covers 99 of 832 occupations; BLS places this one in Fast growth (67/832). Mid-credential standing - thicker than graduate shelves, thinner than HS-dominated mass.
Where Respiratory therapists sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Respiratory therapists sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
23% Among the lowest lower than 91% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Respiratory therapists vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Respiratory therapists is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Respiratory therapists's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 29-1126) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Respiratory therapists be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Respiratory therapists. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Perform endotracheal intubation to maintain open airways for patients who are unable to breathe on their own.
- 2. Provide emergency care, such as artificial respiration, external cardiac massage, or assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
- 3. Monitor patient's physiological responses to therapy, such as vital signs, arterial blood gases, or blood chemistry changes, and consult with physician if adverse reactions occur.
- 4. Set up and operate devices, such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment.
- 5. Work as part of a team of physicians, nurses, or other healthcare professionals to manage patient care by assisting with medical procedures or related duties.
- 6. Maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information.
- 7. Read prescription, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition.
- 8. Relay blood analysis results to a physician.
- 9. Inspect, clean, test, and maintain respiratory therapy equipment to ensure equipment is functioning safely and efficiently, ordering repairs when necessary.
- 10. Explain treatment procedures to patients to gain cooperation and allay fears.
Key Skills Required
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Learning
- Social Perceptiveness
- Service Orientation
- Coordination
- Complex Problem Solving
Knowledge Areas
- Customer and Personal Service
- Medicine and Dentistry
- English Language
- Education and Training
- Psychology
- Biology
- Computers and Electronics
- Chemistry
- Mathematics
- Therapy and Counseling
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Respiratory therapists?
Respiratory therapists has an AI exposure score of 23%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Respiratory therapists?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Respiratory therapists is projected to grow by 12.1% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 139,600 workers.
What skills are needed for Respiratory therapists?
Key skills for Respiratory therapists include Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, and others. Typical entry-level education is Associate's degree.
How much do Respiratory therapists earn?
The median annual wage for Respiratory therapists is $80,450, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Respiratory therapists?
The typical entry-level education for Respiratory therapists is Associate's degree. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves None. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Respiratory therapists?
Respiratory therapists roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Respiratory therapists: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (23% here).
- Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists · AI exposure 23%
- Dietitians and nutritionists · AI exposure 23%
- Home appliance repairers · AI exposure 23%
- Psychiatric technicians · AI exposure 23%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+12.1% here).
- Animal caretakers · growth +12.1%
- Computer network architects · growth +11.9%
- Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors · growth +11.9%
- Medical assistants · growth +12.5%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 45 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Respiratory therapists' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Respiratory therapists side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).