Surgical Technician & Respiratory Therapist Pay & Demand

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Hi,

I am torn between becoming a Surgical Technician or a Respiratory Therapist. I know they are both different fields with different pay scales but both really interest me. From what I have seen, where I am from, RTs will make more money but the demand is not as high as ST. I like how involved RTs are with patients but surgery also really fascinates me. I want a career that is in demand but one that I can also have future growth with. Can anyone give me advice or suggestions on either one? I don't know which to choose. Thanks.

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We'd love to but this is a site for nurses so we probably aren't the best source of information for the careers you are looking at.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

The appropriate term is surgical technologist. Technician went out in the 1980s (I work with several STs who are very sensitive about the distinction). I don't know anything about RTs, but at my facility, STs are 4 pay grades below the RNs- they max out just a tad over where nurses start. You may want to check out Association of Surgical Technologists for ST specific info.

STs are going to be fairly limited in the setting in which they work- surgery.

RTs may have a bit more flexibility in regards to the setting (outpatient, inpatient, clinic, etc.)

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Nursing has both beat when it comes to face value availability of job opportunities as well as diversity of practice settings. Like with medical assistants, if you can't find consistent, desired, or appropriate work, then it could be a mistake to choose certain specialties. Entire field of health care bears careful scrutiny when deciding which career path to follow.

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I'm located in northern New Jersey. RT's here (and including NYC) start in the low to mid 30's. They usually top out in the 40's after about 10 years. Supervisors can make 90-100k a year, and directors of RT usually bring in about 100-150k. This is referring to salaries in larger hospitals where your most lucrative/secure work is generally found. While it's not uncommon, most RT's at the staff level don't have to take on-call. I don't think the same is true for surgical tech's.

I agree with the above post to think wisely about a career choice and really understand your personal objectives and what makes you happy. RT can be soul crushing for some and heaven on earth for others.

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