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Hello everyone, I have been visiting these forums for over a year now while finishing up school for respiratory therapy. I know I know , its a nursing forum but I have a thirst for knowledge that doesn't just stop at the heart and lungs. I love critical care and I feel if more therapists out there learned just the little bit extra it would make all the difference for our patients. I applaud anyone who goes into healthcare , regardless of specialty. With my introduction out of the way I have a question that pulled me into registering an account here :)

I am graduating and taking more boards in March and have a few job offers already. Unfortunately they did not quote me salaries just yet , and while I may have made the mistake of being timid asking them at the time ( just excited to get a few offers while other students cannot find work ) I find myself really wondering what new grad respiratory pay is like. I know this may seem like an odd place to look for this answer but trust me when I say I have torn through the internet left and right and have had zero luck in finding what I seek. I will be taking a job in the Boynton, Boca area. I have my heart set on West Boca/Delray ( tenet facilities ). If you could give me a solid idea of what to expect as a new grad I swear I will help you clean patients during my off time !!!;)

Much appreciated in advance !:D

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Welcome, you might need to wait around a bit, but there are more than a few RTs, and RT to RN on this board.

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.

40-60K

Does it have to be Tenet? You're kind of limiting yourself if you don't consider other options.

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It doesn't need to be tenet , but I had my heart set on a tenet hospital. I have heard so many different stories from other therapists who said new grad hourly starts from $15/hr to $26/hr depending on who you ask. Mind you , these are people quoting what they started at 15 or more years ago. Haven't had the chance to meet a new therapist in the field yet. When I go on places like indeed.com the salary range is very difficult to understand considering that it doesn't tell you new grad salary , diff. included, etc.

But thanks for the quick replies !

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Welcome RT Guy! Just wanted to say some of my favorite people in the ICU are RT's...ours rock! Good luck in your new career!

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.

Have you tried posting to a message board for resp. therapists? You might get more feedback talking to people in the profession. I did a quick search and saw a couple sites.

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
Welcome RT Guy! Just wanted to say some of my favorite people in the ICU are RT's...ours rock! Good luck in your new career!

Yes. When I worked in the ED, I loved how they helped me decipher ABGs.

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Have you tried posting to a message board for resp. therapists? You might get more feedback talking to people in the profession. I did a quick search and saw a couple sites.

I have , without too much luck unfortunately. I am hoping for 20/hr or more to start here in south florida. Does that seem reasonable for a full time position ?

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I am a RN/RRT in VA. I made $20/hr when I started in respiratory 4 years ago, so hopefully the going rate is a bit higher now. Be sure to ask if there is any additional compensation if you obtain other certifications like the NPS or AE-C. Both of these will open up additional opportunities for you. Best of luck!

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Specializes in MPCU.

national mean wage is 26.06. the lowest 10% make 18.77. Those are the national figures and will vary greatly by location. Here is my source http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291126.htm. You can find more specifics from there.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele, PCU.
Welcome RT Guy! Just wanted to say some of my favorite people in the ICU are RT's...ours rock! Good luck in your new career!

Ditto on what Nrse1966 says! RT's always manage to come to the rescue when all heck breaks loose! Welcome respiratory guy! I think nursing, rt or any profession for that matter, you always have to take a hit on salary because lets face it, the first year or two is when we are learning the ropes in all areas, clinical, profession environment, prioritizing, time management and oh...so much much more.

But once you've got a little bit of experience under your belt, you can confidently shop around for a salary that is competitive and that you can confidently say you are worth.

Have fun respiratoryguy.... you're in for the ride of your life!:yeah::nurse::up:

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Thank you all for the responses! I appreciate all the feedback. Who knows, perhaps we will meet one day in the unit...

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