Respiratory Therapist Jobs in San Diego, CA
Respiratory therapists in San Diego hospitals see posted pay from about $40 to $62 an hour, and every one needs a California RCP license. Sharp, Scripps, UC San Diego Health, Rady Children's and Kaiser Permanente all run respiratory care departments here. Current openings are below, followed by who hires and how to get licensed.
Current respiratory therapist Openings in San Diego, CA
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Respiratory Therapist Work in San Diego
Respiratory therapists in San Diego work mostly in hospital ICUs, emergency rooms and newborn units. Kearny Mesa along SR-163 is the busiest cluster, with Sharp Memorial, Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women and Newborns and Rady Children's, the region's pediatric hospital, within a few blocks of Kaiser's San Diego Medical Center on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard. UC San Diego Health staffs therapists in Hillcrest, La Jolla and East Campus, Scripps covers Mercy San Diego, Mercy Chula Vista, La Jolla and Encinitas, and Sharp Grossmont serves East County from La Mesa.
The mix here leans toward critical and specialty care. Neonatal and pediatric work at Rady Children's and Sharp Mary Birch means many San Diego postings ask for PALS or NRP on top of the RCP license, and UC San Diego Health hires for interventional pulmonology. Scripps also posts seasonal and float pool RCP roles across its hospitals.
Top San Diego Employers for Respiratory Therapists
These San Diego health systems hire licensed respiratory care practitioners:
- Sharp HealthCare - hires RCPs for Sharp Memorial, Sharp Mary Birch and Sharp Grossmont, plus pulmonary function lab staff for Sharp Rees-Stealy.
- Scripps Health - staffs respiratory therapists at Scripps Mercy San Diego, Scripps Mercy Chula Vista, La Jolla and Encinitas, with full-time, night, float pool and seasonal roles.
- UC San Diego Health - the academic system hires respiratory therapists for Hillcrest, La Jolla and East Campus, including neonatal and interventional pulmonology roles.
- Rady Children's Health - the pediatric hospital in Kearny Mesa hires Respiratory Therapist I and II staff and pulmonary lab therapists under a union contract.
- Kaiser Permanente - hires respiratory care practitioners, including per diem staff, for San Diego Medical Center in Kearny Mesa.
Respiratory Therapist Salaries in San Diego
- Entry level: about $40 to $47 an hour for newly licensed RCPs.
- Experienced: roughly $48 to $57 an hour with a few years of adult or pediatric critical care.
- Senior: $57 to $62 an hour near the top of posted hospital scales, more for charge, supervisor and educator roles.
These are estimates drawn from pay ranges posted by San Diego hospital systems in 2026. The RRT credential, neonatal and pediatric certifications such as NRP and PALS, and night or per diem shifts move pay the most. Rady Children's sets pay through a union contract, and UC San Diego Health's posted scale runs above $62 an hour at the top.
How to Become a Respiratory Therapist in San Diego
California licenses respiratory therapists as Respiratory Care Practitioners (RCP) through the Respiratory Care Board of California. You need at least an associate degree, completion of a CoARC-accredited respiratory care program, the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential from the National Board for Respiratory Care, and a three-hour board-approved law and professional ethics course. The NBRC is replacing its two-exam path with a single Respiratory Therapy Examination starting in January 2027. Locally, Grossmont College at 8800 Grossmont College Drive in El Cajon runs a two-year, CoARC-accredited Associate of Science in Respiratory Therapy that prepares graduates for the NBRC exams and state licensure.
What the Job Involves
Respiratory therapists assess breathing, set up and manage ventilators and other oxygen equipment, give aerosol treatments and draw arterial blood gases. They respond to codes and rapid responses, assist with intubation, wean patients off breathing support and run pulmonary function tests. Therapists also teach patients and families how to use inhalers and home equipment and chart every treatment in the medical record.
Skills Employers Look For
- California RCP license and NBRC RRT credential
- Current AHA BLS, plus PALS or NRP for pediatric and newborn units
- Ventilator management and airway care
- Arterial blood gas sampling and analysis
- Calm judgment during codes and rapid responses
- Clear teaching for patients and families
- Willingness to work 12-hour day, night or per diem shifts
Career Path and Advancement
New San Diego RCPs often start on adult floors, float pools or per diem schedules, then move into ICU, neonatal or pediatric critical care. Rady Children's and UC San Diego Health post tiered therapist levels, and the ladder continues to charge therapist, respiratory therapy supervisor, educator and department manager. Some therapists specialize in pulmonary function testing, sleep medicine or pulmonary rehab at outpatient sites around the county.
Related Careers in San Diego
If respiratory care interests you, these San Diego health care roles are close matches:
- Registered Nurse Jobs
- Radiologic Technologist Jobs
- Surgical Technologist Jobs
- Medical Laboratory Technician Jobs
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license to be a respiratory therapist in San Diego?
Yes. California requires a Respiratory Care Practitioner (RCP) license from the Respiratory Care Board of California. The board notes that an NBRC credential alone does not authorize you to practice in the state.
How much do respiratory therapists make in San Diego?
Posted hospital ranges in 2026 run from about $40 an hour at the bottom to about $62 an hour at the top. Most experienced therapists fall between $48 and $57 an hour, with more for nights and specialty units.
How long does it take to become a respiratory therapist in San Diego?
Grossmont College's respiratory therapy program takes about two years full time, after which you sit for the NBRC exams and apply for the state license. Prerequisites can add time before you enter the program.
Do San Diego hospitals hire new respiratory therapy graduates?
Yes. Sharp lists one year of experience as preferred rather than required for some RCP roles, and Scripps posts float pool and seasonal jobs that suit new licensees. Rady Children's Respiratory Therapist II roles ask for at least one year.
Is the RRT credential required in California?
Yes, for new applicants. The Respiratory Care Board of California requires the RRT from the NBRC unless you earned a CRT before January 1, 2015.
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