Respiratory Therapists build social perceptiveness, service orientation and complex problem solving skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians (92%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians | 92% | $74,310 | −10% | None |
| 2 | Nuclear Medicine Technologists | 81% | $101,370 | +23% | None |
| 3 | Physical Therapist Assistants | 80% | $68,380 | −17% | None |
| 4 | Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | 79% | $96,590 | +17% | None |
| 5 | Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists | 79% | $95,480 | +16% | None |
| 6 | Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | 79% | $80,110 | −3% | None |
| 7 | Paramedics | 77% | $60,600 | −26% | None |
| 8 | Occupational Therapy Assistants | 77% | $72,300 | −12% | None |
| 9 | Surgical Assistants | 73% | $66,800 | −19% | None |
| 10 | Forensic Science Technicians | 69% | $72,060 | −12% | None |
Compared with Respiratory Therapists, median $82,280. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as respiratory therapists (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
92% skill match · $74,310 · −10% pay
Operations Monitoring · Equipment Maintenance · Programming
81% skill match · $101,370 · +23% pay
Programming · Equipment Maintenance · Management of Material Resources
80% skill match · $68,380 · −17% pay
Programming · Technology Design · Management of Financial Resources
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians (92% skill match, median $74,310), Nuclear Medicine Technologists (81% skill match, median $101,370) and Physical Therapist Assistants (80% skill match, median $68,380), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 6 pay more than respiratory therapists at the median. The biggest increases: Medical Dosimetrists (+79%, $147,470), Nuclear Medicine Technologists (+23%, $101,370) and Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (+17%, $96,590).
24 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.