Also called: Army 68V, Military Respiratory Therapist
Runs ventilators and breathing treatments for patients in Army hospitals and on medical evacuation flights.
Respiratory specialists set up and adjust ventilators in ICUs, give breathing treatments, draw blood to test oxygen levels, and respond to code blue emergencies. Some fly with critical care transport teams moving wounded troops between hospitals.
Regular military compensation (RMC = base pay + housing and food allowances + their tax advantage) for typical E-1 to E-6 ranks, 2026 estimate. Junior troops often live in free barracks, so cash in hand is lower early on.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 1.25 years after high school. High school diploma, Army basic training, then about a year of respiratory therapy training with clinical rotations. Free-college benefits: Tuition Assistance (up to $4,500/yr) while serving, the Post-9/11 GI Bill (36 months of tuition + housing stipend) afterward, and SkillBridge internships before separating.
Ways in: Military, On-the-job training, Certification. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Respiratory Therapy.
Growing about average. Military specialties are not in BLS projections. The services recruit for this job every year and openings track force size and retention rather than market growth.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Smart ventilators adjust themselves more; bedside judgment and emergencies stay human.
Classes: Biology, Chemistry, Health science.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.