Travel respiratory therapist salary

A job as a travel respiratory therapist, or travel RT, is an excellent choice for those looking to achieve their financial goals and take on new challenges in their career. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for respiratory therapists is projected to grow a robust 14% by 2031. This signals a promising future for the travel respiratory therapy profession. As demand continues to increase, the opportunities for skilled travelers to achieve better pay and job flexibility will only grow as well.

At Nomad, we understand earning a high salary while having work-life balance is an important factor for many of our travel respiratory therapists. To empower our clinicians to make informed decisions, we’ve created a salary guide to help navigate the basics of travel respiratory therapist pay. This guide includes an overview of the factors that can influence your pay as a travel RT, along with current salary data for both staff and travel RTs. So whether you’re trying to negotiate higher pay for an assignment, or are simply wanting to understand industry-wide salary benchmarks for travel respiratory therapist jobs, Nomad is here to help.

Average travel respiratory therapist salary

The average weekly salary or total compensation for travel respiratory therapists at Nomad Health is $2,277 including stipend. Compared to staff respiratory therapists who earn an average pay of around $1,288 per week, becoming a traveler is an excellent way to increase a respiratory therapist's salary.

Respiratory therapist travel salary range

Salary ranges for travel respiratory therapists can change frequently based on compensable factors like location, certifications, and specializations, and more. At Nomad Health, the average weekly salary or compensation range for a travel respiratory therapists is $1,404 to $3,204 including stipend.

Average travel respiratory therapist pay rate

Travel respiratory therapists at Nomad Health earn an average hourly pay rate of $60 per hour. On the high end, travelers can earn as much as $89 per hour.

What is the highest salary for a traveling respiratory therapist?

The highest weekly salary or compensation reported for travel respiratory therapists at Nomad Health is $3,204 including stipend. Keep in mind that travel respiratory therapists salaries can always increase or decrease depending on different salary factors.

Factors that influence respiratory therapist travel pay

Travel respiratory therapist pay is influenced by a number of compensable factors, which include but are not limited to:

Travel respiratory therapist experience

Facilities are always looking for highly skilled respiratory therapists with strong experience who can start their assignments quickly and confidently. The more relevant experience you have as a travel respiratory therapist, the more willing a facility is to pay you a higher salary for your skills.

Travel respiratory therapist education

Travel respiratory therapists are required to obtain the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) from the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC).

Specialization

Travel respiratory therapists who specialize in different clinical settings such as intensive (ICU), neonatal ICU, and Pediatric ER may be able to negotiate a higher pay rate compared to travel RTs without specialization experience.

Certifications

As a travel respiratory therapist, earning additional certifications from the American Respiratory Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) can increase your clinical proficiency and knowledge. Having more certifications can help you stand out amongst your peers and give you more bargaining power with the facility. 

Facility demand

When facilities experience respiratory therapist shortages, they often rely on travel RTs to fill those gaps. Depending on the severity of the shortage, travel RTs may be able to negotiate a higher pay with the facility.

Location

The cost of living in each city and state will directly influence how much pay facilities can offer travel respiratory therapists. For example, a travel RT assignment in a rural area is likely to pay less than a travel assignment in a big city where the cost of living is higher.