Respiratory Therapy
San Joaquin Valley College - Central Administration Office · Visalia, CA
- Cost
- $57,265
- Length
- 79 weeks
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
Program names, program descriptions and occupation titles appear here in English, because that is the only language the federal and state records publish them in. Everything else on this page is translated.
What happened to people who took this
- People enrolled
- 3,535
- Finished the program
- 80%Based on 1,483 people
- Working 6 months later
- 72%
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
The jobs this trains for
This describes the jobs people do, not the classes this program teaches. It comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, which asks people already doing the work. The Department publishes it in English only, so the job names and the sentences below stay in English on this page.
Trains for more than one job. The outlook shown is the weakest of them.
Where California publishes a separate figure for Visalia MSA (Tulare County), it appears beneath the statewide one. Statewide stays the headline: people who train here do not necessarily work here.
Respiratory Therapists
Job ads may call this: Staff Therapist · Respiratory Therapist (RT) · Staff Respiratory Therapist · Respiratory Care Practitioner (RCP)
Some of what people in this job do. The Department rates how important each one is, and they appear in that order.
- Perform endotracheal intubation to maintain open airways for patients who are unable to breathe on their own.
- 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.
What this pays in Visalia MSA (Tulare County)
Each bar runs from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth. The darker middle is where half the people are, and the line is the median.
| Area | The lowest-paid tenth earn under | Half earn under | The highest-paid tenth earn over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visalia MSA (Tulare County) | $68,742 | $84,326 | $100,178 |
| Across California | $79,166 | $107,754 | $149,583 |
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for Visalia MSA (Tulare County) beside the same figures for the whole state. A region can sit well below or above the statewide spread, and the statewide number is the one most often quoted — so where they differ, the local row is the one that describes the work near this program.
- Typical pay in California
- $107,754per year
- Projected openings
- 14,350
- Projected change
- +22.2%
- Usually needs
- Associate's degree
California publishes no separate figure for this job in Visalia MSA. The statewide figures above are the only ones there are.
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- None
No earlier job experience is expected, and new hires are not put through a long training period. For work like this, a program is usually the way in.
These are the federal government's answers for the occupation, not rules this provider sets. California publishes the same two answers for every one of these jobs.
What people in this job actually studied
Most common: Two-year degree — 53% of the people doing this work.
California says this job usually needs: Associate's degree. 11% of the people doing it went less far than that.
- No high school diploma
- 0.4%
- High school diploma
- 1%
- Started college, no degree
- 10%
- Two-year degree
- 53%
- Four-year degree
- 28%
- Master's degree
- 7%
- Doctorate or professional degree
- 1%
This counts people already doing this job, across the whole United States. Every other figure on this page is California's, and the federal government publishes no state version of this one. It is what people happen to have, not a rule about who gets hired. A small row does not mean you would be turned away, and a large one is not a promise of a job.
Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other
Pay, hiring, and what people studied
The Department publishes no list of daily tasks for this job. This is how it describes the work instead.
All health technologists and technicians not listed separately.
What this pays in Visalia MSA (Tulare County)
Each bar runs from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth. The darker middle is where half the people are, and the line is the median.
| Area | The lowest-paid tenth earn under | Half earn under | The highest-paid tenth earn over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visalia MSA (Tulare County) | $46,404 | $54,227 | $82,496 |
| Across California | $48,799 | $62,080 | $123,349 |
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for Visalia MSA (Tulare County) beside the same figures for the whole state. A region can sit well below or above the statewide spread, and the statewide number is the one most often quoted — so where they differ, the local row is the one that describes the work near this program.
- Typical pay in California
- $62,080per yearVisalia MSA: $50,414
- Projected openings
- 22,750Visalia MSA: 210
- Projected change
- +14.3%
- Usually needs
- Postsecondary non-degree award
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- None
No earlier job experience is expected, and new hires are not put through a long training period. For work like this, a program is usually the way in.
What people in this job actually studied
Most common: Started college, no degree — 29% of the people doing this work.
California says this job usually needs: Postsecondary non-degree award. That is not one of the steps below, so there is no way to count how many people meet it.
- No high school diploma
- 3%
- High school diploma
- 19%
- Started college, no degree
- 29%
- Two-year degree
- 18%
- Four-year degree
- 20%
- Master's degree
- 8%
- Doctorate or professional degree
- 4%
It is also measured on a different scale from “Usually needs” above, so the two cannot be subtracted from one another.
Program details
This program provides in-person instruction only.
The Respiratory Therapy program is 80 weeks in length and prepares students to be a member of a health care team that evaluates, treats, and manages patients with respiratory illness and other cardiopulmonary disorders. In addition to performingrespiratory care procedures, respiratory therapists are involved in clinical decision making and patient education. Students receive extensive clinical practice inhospitals and clinics to gain real world experience. The Respiratory Therapy associate degree program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC).
Someone else may be able to pay for this
This program was on California's Eligible Training Provider List when the state last reported it to the U.S. Department of Labor (2026-08-04). Programs on that list can be paid for through an Individual Training Account. Listings are renewed periodically and can lapse, so a program listed when the state last reported may not be listed today. Ask before you rely on it.
The place to ask is an America's Job Center of California
Tulare County Employment Connection - VisaliaComprehensive center
Phone: 559-713-5000
4025 West Noble AvenueEmployment Connection Suite BVisalia, CA 93277about 3.6 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am-5:00pm (Closed on Holidays)
Has a veterans' representative
Tulare County Employment Connection - TulareAffiliate site
Phone: 559-684-1987
155 N. K StreetTulare, CA 93274about 5.9 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
Tulare County Employment Connection - DinubaAffiliate site
Phone: 559-406-1001 or 559-591-5701
400 West Tulare StreetPrroteus Suite CDinuba, CA 93618about 17.2 miles away
Hours: Mon - Fri 8am- 5pm
Distances are straight-line, so the drive is longer. Call before you travel: opening hours here are as the federal directory published them, and the state notes its own staff are not present at every location.
Find a center anywhere in California, and check what is on the list today:
CareerOneStop — American Job Center Finder (U.S. DOL) · California EDD — Office Locator · California EDD — Eligible Training Provider List
How this gets paid for, and what to ask →
Whether a person can have a program paid for is decided by their local workforce development board and the America's Job Center staff who interview them — not by this site, and not by the training provider. California has 45 local workforce development areas and each sets its own policies, so the answer can differ between two people in neighboring counties. Nothing here is a promise of funding or a determination of eligibility.
The rules cited here, and the state and federal sites linked to, are published in English.
How this site gets its figures, and what they do not tell you →