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Respiratory Therapist I

UNC Health Care

Chapel Hill, NCFull-time$28.87–41.5/hrSeen 1w agoSeen in employer's feed 2 days ago

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At a glance

Compensation
$28.87–41.5/hr
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Schedule
Full-time
Work Authorization
Not specified

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

North Carolina Respiratory Care Practitioner LicenseCRT Or RRT RegistrationBLS Certification

Job overview

The Respiratory Therapist I administers respiratory care procedures and treatments to assess, prevent, stabilize, or remedy patients’ respiratory dysfunction. After orientation, the therapist works independently with minimal supervision in an academic medical center. The position includes inpatient care and may involve on-call shifts, ventilator management, patient monitoring, staff training, and documentation. It is an onsite, full-time role with a hiring range of $28.87–$41.50 per hour.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Respiratory CareAerosol Medication DeliveryPulmonary Function TestingBreathing ExercisesOxygen TherapyArterial CannulationArterial PuncturesAirway ManagementTracheostomy CareEndotracheal IntubationVentilator ManagementPatient MonitoringWeaning Techniques

Qualifications

Accredited Respiratory Therapy ProgramNorth Carolina Respiratory Care Practitioner LicenseCRT or RRT RegistrationBLS Certification

Benefits

Relocation Assistance

Full job description

Description

Position qualifies for our inpatient Respiratory Care Incentive Program:

This position qualifies for a $10,000 commitment incentive bonus for a two (2) year commitment or a $15,000 commitment incentive bonus for a three (3) year commitment, relocation assistance (relocation amounts based on location distance), and participation in our employee referral program ($3,000 referral bonus to employees who refer other Respiratory Therapists).

Breathing Life Into Careers

Join a team where Respiratory Therapists practice at the top of their license in a nationally recognized academic, medical center. From cutting-edge technology to complex adult and pediatric care, UNC empowers Respiratory Therapists to make a real impact--every patient, every breath, every day.

Your passion belongs at UNC Health. Join more than 56,000 teammates working together to improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve across North Carolina.

Summary:

Under the direction of department management and according to policies and procedures as defined in the Department Policy and Procedure Manuals, administers respiratory care procedures and treatments designed to assess, prevent, stabilize or remedy patients' respiratory dysfunction. After completion of orientation, functions independently with minimal supervision.

Responsibilities:

  1. Administers standard Respiratory Care including but not limited to, aerosol medication delivery, basic bedside pulmonary function testing, breathing exercises, oxygen therapy, arterial cannulation and arterial punctures. Provides for all aspects of airway management including aspiration of established airways, tracheostomy care, tracheostomy tube changes, endotracheal intubations and extubations. May perform Pulmonary Function Testing as needed.

  2. May be required to be on-call days, nights, weekends and holidays.

  3. May Perform all aspects of ventilator care to include but not limited to setting up the ventilator and verifying function using specialized ventilator modes to manage the patient's disease process. Provide for an appropriate monitoring of these patients and provide appropriate weaning techniques.

  4. Maintains and improves job knowledge and skills. Serves as resource to other staff reflective of experience level. Serves as resource for physicians and other UNCHCS staff. Aids in training new staff members, students and new physicians. Provides in-services as required. May assume Charge Therapist responsibilities.

  5. Records completely all pertinent information pertaining to patient care procedures per hospital and departmental policies. Records patient information in electronic medical record system.

Other Information

Other information:

Education Requirements:

  • Graduation from an accredited Respiratory Therapy program.

Licensure/Certification Requirements:

  • Licensed as a Respiratory Care Practitioner by the North Carolina Respiratory Care Board and registry eligible by the National Board of Respiratory Care (CRT or RRT). Must be registered (CRT or RRT) within 6 months of hire. BLS on hire.

Professional Experience Requirements:

  • No prior experience required.

Knowledge/Skills/and Abilities Requirements:

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Job Details

Legal Employer: STATE

Entity: UNC Medical Center

Organization Unit: Respiratory Therapy

Work Type: Full Time

Standard Hours Per Week: 36.00

Salary Range: $28.87 - $41.50 per hour (Hiring Range)

Pay offers are determined by experience and internal equity

Work Assignment Type: Onsite

Work Schedule: Variable

Location of Job: US:NC:Chapel Hill

Exempt From Overtime: Exempt: No

This is a State position employed by UNC Health Care System with UNC Health benefits. If, however, you are presently an employee of another North Carolina agency and currently participate in TSERS or the ORP, you will be eligible to continue participating in those plans at UNC Health.

Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran or political affiliation.

UNC Health makes reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as applicants and employees with disabilities. All interested applicants are invited to apply for career opportunities. Please email [email protected] if you need a reasonable accommodation to search and/or to apply for a career opportunity.

Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

How this job compares

Set against the 4,121 open Respiratory Therapist jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 6, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$28.87–41.5/hr
  • North Carolina median$31–46/hr107 hourly ranges
  • US median$34–47/hr1,745 hourly ranges

This range's midpoint, $35.19/hr, is 8% below the North Carolina median midpoint ($38/hr) — in the lowest quarter of Respiratory Therapist hourly ranges in North Carolina.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 175 open Respiratory Therapist jobs in North Carolina and 4,121 across the US. Under 1% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in North Carolina
Experience
Respiratory Therapist postings that state a minimum ask for 1 year of experience at the median; the middle half ask for 1 to 2 years (1,259 postings).
Education
102 of the 4,121 open Respiratory Therapist jobs (2%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 6, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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