Respiratory Therapist Resume Examples & Writing Tips

Respiratory therapist resume template

This resume template follows a standard resume format that emphasizes the applicant’s strengths.

How to write a respiratory therapist resume

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, between 2019 and 2029, demand for respiratory therapists will grow by 19%, a significantly higher rate than the 4% average growth rate for all professions.

This growth can be attributed to increasing levels of pollution and the increase in the population of older people, leading to more people with respiratory conditions.

However, securing a respiratory therapist job remains difficult because of its stringent hiring process.

To secure a job, a respiratory therapist must know how to highlight their educational background, licenses, and clinical experience with a well-crafted resume.

Below are four solid tips for writing an excellent respiratory therapist resume:

1. Highlight your respiratory therapist resume skills

Hiring managers look for specific educational qualifications, certifications, and technical skills in their desired respiratory therapist candidates.

In your resume skills section, highlight your expertise to catch the hiring manager’s attention.

Here are some top skills to include in your respiratory therapist resume:

• MEDITECH
• MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Life support equipment management
• Patient education
• Rehabilitation
• Basic life support
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Infection control
• Bedside manner
• Blood O₂ Analysis
• Artificial airway management
• Lung capacity assessment
• Interpersonal skills
• Time management skills
• Teamwork
• Communication skills
• Problem-solving skills

2. Open with a strong respiratory therapist resume summary

A strong resume summary is the quickest way to stand out from other respiratory therapists.

Located at the top of your resume, a resume summary highlights your most impressive professional accomplishments. An effective resume summary could make the difference for your respiratory therapist application because hiring managers take just 7 seconds to decide whether they’ll continue reading a resume.

In your resume summary, include your job title, industry experience, and responsibilities. Also focus on your notable achievements, areas of expertise, and qualifications.

Here’s an example of a well-written respiratory therapist resume summary:

Registered Respiratory Therapist with 10+ years of experience in dynamic health care settings. Solid expertise in cardiopulmonary diseases, treatment methods, respiratory rehabilitation, ventilator management, and protocols and diagnostic procedures.

3. Add hard numbers to your achievements

As a respiratory therapist, you save people’s lives and relieve them of pain and suffering.

Demonstrate your professional achievements with hard numbers to impress hiring managers.

Add hard numbers to the resume accomplishments in your experience section by including data such as the number of patients you treated, the junior professionals you trained, and the other specific ways in which you contributed as a respiratory therapist.

Below are two examples of how a candidate uses hard numbers to enhance their respiratory therapist resume:

Changed trach tubes without any side effects, replaced artificial airways, and prepared and managed ventilators for 50+ patients

Relieved 200+ patients of respiratory distress and mechanically ventilated 100 patients, administrating lifesaving procedures for acute and chronic illnesses

4. Include strong respiratory therapist action verbs

In the work experience section of your resume, add strong respiratory therapist action verbs.

Action verbs impress hiring managers by highlighting your proactivity as a respiratory therapist.

Below are some of the strongest action verbs to use to boost your respiratory therapist resume:

• Conduct
• Administer
• Relieve
• Deliver
• Mentor
• Maintain
• Perform
• Provide
• Change
• Manage
• Monitor
• Supervise
• Check
• Record
• Train
• Assign
• Orient
• Analyze
• Identify
• Guide
• Handle
• Observe
• Develop
• Implement
• Educate
• Assist
• Collaborate
• Inspect
• Clean
• Test
• Document
• Respond
• Sanitize
• Supervise
• Operate

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Average respiratory therapist salaries in the US

After you’ve written your resume, make sure you use it to apply for jobs within a fair salary range.

The following table includes information from the most recent US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report (May 2024). Here are the ten states with the highest salaries for respiratory therapists, as well as the national average for your reference when applying for work.