SOUTH AFRICA · SALARY IN RANDS

Respiratory Therapists salary in South Africa

About R432,286 a year, before tax. That is about R36,024 a month. Then the work, the skills, and a free assessment if you want to know whether it fits.

  • Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Respiratory Therapist
  • Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT)
  • Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT)
  • Respiratory Care Practitioner (RCP)
  • Respiratory Therapist (RT)
  • Staff Respiratory Therapist
  • Staff Therapist
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What do Respiratory Therapists do?

Respiratory Therapists are healthcare professionals who specialize in the assessment, treatment, and care of patients with respiratory and cardiopulmonary disorders. They play a crucial role in the healthcare system, working with patients of all ages—from infants with respiratory distress to elderly individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Their primary focus is on helping patients improve their breathing and overall respiratory health. This profession requires a comprehensive understanding of human anatomy, physiology, and the various technologies utilized in respiratory care, including ventilators and other breathing apparatus.

Education and Training

To become a Respiratory Therapist, individuals typically need to obtain an associate's or bachelor’s degree in respiratory therapy from an accredited program. These educational pathways include both theoretical and practical training, covering topics such as cardiopulmonary anatomy, oxygen therapy, and critical care techniques. After completing their education, graduates must pass a national certification exam to become licensed to practice. Continuing education is also essential, as it allows Respiratory Therapists to stay updated with the latest advancements in the field.

Work Environment

Respiratory Therapists work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, outpatient clinics, rehabilitation centers, and home healthcare agencies. In hospitals, they often work in critical care areas, such as the intensive care unit (ICU) and emergency department, where they may assist in life-supporting measures for patients in acute respiratory distress. Outside of the hospital setting, they may be involved in educating patients and families about managing chronic respiratory conditions, as well as providing therapies and equipment for home use.

Impact and Job Outlook

The impact of Respiratory Therapists on patient care is significant, as they help to improve the quality of life for individuals with breathing difficulties. With the growing prevalence of respiratory illnesses and an aging population, the demand for skilled Respiratory Therapists is expected to rise. As a result, job opportunities in this field are projected to grow faster than the average for all healthcare occupations, making it a promising career choice for individuals interested in making a difference in people's lives through respiratory care.

What the work actually is

  • Provide emergency care, such as artificial respiration, external cardiac massage, or assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
  • Monitor patient's physiological responses to therapy, such as vital signs, arterial blood gases, or blood chemistry changes, and consult with physician if adverse reactions occur.
  • Set up and operate devices, such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment.
  • Work as part of a team of physicians, nurses, or other healthcare professionals to manage patient care by assisting with medical procedures or related duties.
  • Maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information.

Skills employers expect

Skills

  • Active Listening Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Critical Thinking Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
  • Monitoring Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Speaking Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Active Learning Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Abilities

  • Inductive Reasoning The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Oral Expression The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Problem Sensitivity The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
  • Deductive Reasoning The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Information Ordering The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

Knowledge

  • Customer and Personal Service Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Medicine and Dentistry Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
  • English Language Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Education and Training Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Psychology Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

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How people get into it

Education of new hires

Associate's degree
Bachelor's degree
Post-secondary certificate
Awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in Personnel Services, Engineering-related Technologies, Vocational Home Economics, Construction Trades, Mechanics and Repairers, Precision Production Trades)

A normal week

  • Documenting/Recording Information
  • Assisting and Caring for Others
  • Getting Information
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems

Tools used on the job

Tools

  • Spirometers Incentive spirometers · Pulmonary function testing PFT equipment · Wright's spirometers
  • Nebulizers Aerosol masks · Small particle aerosol generators · Tracheotomy masks
  • Medical oxygen masks or parts Medical oxygen masks · Oral airways · Oxygen masks
  • Arterial blood gas monitors Blood gas kits · Blood gas machines
  • Flow sensors or regulators or components Oxygen flowmeters · Oxygen regulators

Who it suits

Social

Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.

Realistic

Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.

Investigative

Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.

The Respiratory Therapists guide

How to Know if You are Ready to be a Respiratory Therapist in South Africa

Is Respiratory Therapy Right for Me? (Psychometric Checklist)

Before committing to the rigorous training required, it is essential to assess whether your temperament and natural abilities align with the demands of the intensive care unit (ICU) and general wards. Consider the following traits:

  • Critical Thinking: Can you remain calm and analytical when a patient’s oxygen levels drop suddenly?
  • Empathy and Compassion: Are you able to provide comfort to patients and families dealing with chronic or acute respiratory distress?
  • Technical Aptitude: Do you have an affinity for complex machinery? You will be responsible for managing ventilators and diagnostic equipment.
  • Manual Dexterity: Are you comfortable performing delicate procedures, such as arterial blood gas sampling or intubation assistance?
  • Effective Communication: Can you clearly and concisely relay vital information to doctors and nurses in a high-pressure environment?
  • Physical Stamina: Are you prepared for long shifts that involve standing, walking, and moving equipment across large hospital wings?

A Day in the Life: The South African Context

In South Africa, a Respiratory Therapist's day often begins with "handover" in the ICU or High Care unit. Whether you are working in a private facility like Netcare or Mediclinic, or serving in a bustling public provincial hospital, your role is the same: you are the guardian of the patient’s airway.

Your morning may involve checking ventilator settings for a premature infant in the neonatal ICU, followed by performing lung function tests on an elderly patient with COPD. You will work closely with Pulmonologists and Anaesthesiologists, often being the first person called when a "Code Blue" is announced. The environment is fast-paced, occasionally clinical, but deeply rewarding as you witness the literal "first breath" of a recovering patient.

Education & Upskilling

To enter this profession in South Africa, a formal qualification is non-negotiable. You must register with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). This typically requires a four-year Bachelor of Health Sciences in Clinical Technology, specialising in Pulmonology, offered at various Universities of Technology (formerly Technicons).

However, the learning does not end at graduation. To remain competitive and provide the best patient care, you must engage in:

  • Continuous Professional Development (CPD): Earning points annually through HPCSA-accredited seminars and workshops.
  • Short Courses: Certifications in Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) and Paediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) are highly sought after by employers.
  • Specialisation: Consider short programmes in sleep laboratory management or home-care ventilation to diversify your career path.

Continuous learning is the cornerstone of any successful medical career in South Africa. As medical technology advances, the therapists who thrive are those who actively seek to master the latest pulmonary ventilation techniques and diagnostic software.

Next Steps

If you possess the resilience, technical curiosity, and heart for patient care described above, you are likely an excellent candidate for this vital profession. With the sector seeing significant salary growth and a steady volume of vacancies, there has never been a better time to transition. Test your readiness now by taking our specialised career assessment to see if you have the profile to become South Africa’s next leading Respiratory Therapist.

Compare this with Acute Care Nurses, Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians and Critical Care Nurses, which pay a similar kind of salary in South Africa.

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Questions people ask

How much do Respiratory Therapists earn in South Africa?

The average Respiratory Therapists salary in South Africa is about R432,286 a year, before tax. A typical range is R270,997 to R603,583 a year.

What do Respiratory Therapists do?

Provide emergency care, such as artificial respiration, external cardiac massage, or assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation, Monitor patient's physiological responses to therapy, such as vital signs, arterial blood gases, or blood chemistry changes, and consult with physician if adverse reactions occur and Set up and operate devices, such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment.

How do I know if this career fits me?

Take the free Assessify career assessment. It matches your answers to careers and shows the South African salary next to each one.