Did you know that RTs are some of today's most in-demand healthcare professionals? And that you can get paid to travel to places where that demand is highest? Here's what you should know about travel respiratory therapist jobs in 2025 and how to get the most from these amazing career opportunities.
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Why Work Travel Respiratory Therapist Jobs?
What are travel respiratory therapist jobs? Temporary assignments where you fill in at a facility that needs extra workers, travel RT jobs are usually 13-week contract positions located more than 50 miles from where you live.
What are the Benefits of Working Travel RT Jobs?
If you’re open to temporarily living in new places, there’s a lot to love about travel RT jobs, including the flexibility to work when and where you want — perfect if you need time to attend school, spend time with family, or any other reason.
Traveling can also provide opportunities to gain experience in new settings or with different equipment or technology. It also shows that you have soft skills like adaptability, teamwork, and communication — all of which you'll need to be a successful traveler — while offering a way to help communities that truly need it.
Do Travel Respiratory Therapist Jobs Pay More?
Travel respiratory therapist jobs reimburse you for housing and meals, which can add up to more than $1,000 per week. When you add that to your salary, some travel RT jobs pay more than $90,000 per year, compared to the current average of about $77,960.
Are You Eligible for Travel Respiratory Therapist Jobs?
For the most part, landing a travel job is the same as any other RT position. Whether you’re credentialed as a certified respiratory therapist (CRT) or registered respiratory therapist (RRT), you must first pass an education program and get licensed in your state (except Alaska).
In addition, you’ll usually need at least one year of experience, and should expect to pass a background check, general fitness test, and maybe a drug screening test, too. You might also have to show health records and vaccination status.
7 Tips for Your Travel Respiratory Therapist Career
Once you're qualified and ready to work, here are a few tips for getting the most value from your travel RT career.
Tip #1: Build Experience in New Settings & Facilities
Traveling is a great way to build experience in different types of facilities than you usually work, and to develop skills with new technology, equipment, and clinical best practices. If you’d like to move into a higher-earning job someday, this kind of experience could help you eventually land that dream job.
Tip #2: Maximize Your Earnings by Traveling Smart
Since travel jobs reimburse you for housing, choosing an assignment in an area where those costs are lower than the national average — say, Kansas or Tennessee — could help you earn even more while you travel.
Tip #3: Maximize Your Earnings with Clinician Discounts
Did you know that clinical workers get tons of discounts on everyday purchases? It’s true! And that can help you save big on hotels, rental cars, luggage, active-wear, and lots of other travel-related services and accessories. Learn more here.
Tip #4: Join a Travel Rewards Program
Another way to maximize your take-home pay is by taking advantage of the many rewards programs available to frequent travelers. These include not just airlines and hotel chains but also credit card companies, apps for your phone, and much more. And we’ve got everything you need to know about them right here.
Tip #5: Maximize Flexibility with Per Diem RT Jobs
In addition to travel jobs, demand is surging for respiratory therapists to work per diem assignments, too. If you’re motivated to earn, you may be able to pick up per diem shifts during your off days while traveling to earn even more.
Or you can work per diem positions between travel jobs to keep an income stream open while you search for that perfect assignment. You can learn more about the benefits of per diem work here, and search per diem RT jobs here.
Tip #6: Choose a Travel Job Provider You Can Trust
Because you’ll need a license to work in any new state, most travelers prefer to work with an agency who can arrange all of those details on their behalf.
And when you work with an industry leader like HealthTrust, you also get access to travel jobs you won’t find anywhere else. Even better, you can book directly on our travel and per diem jobsite for priority access to those exclusive positions. You may even get priority pay for some opportunities, too — learn more here.
Tip #7: Go Mobile with Healthcare's Best Travel Job App!
Another perk of working with HealthTrust: Once you’re in our network, you’ll have access to the Go HWS Mobile App, designed to make your life easier by putting your schedule and shifts preferences right in the palm of your hand. You'll also get access to our entire network of healthcare facilities, where you can search new jobs, book and confirm shifts and more, all on your phone. Learn more here.
Find the Best Travel RT Jobs with HealthTrust
With more and more travel jobs opening up each month, there’s never been a better time to be a respiratory therapist! And we’re here to connect you with the best job opportunities and help make sure you get the most from each one. Search travel and per diem RT jobs here to see what’s available right now!
