Career Outcomes
A degree in Respiratory Care opens the door to a rewarding healthcare career with strong job demand and opportunities for long-term professional growth. Respiratory therapists play a critical role on the healthcare team, providing life-saving care to patients with breathing and cardiopulmonary disorders—from premature infants in neonatal intensive care units to adults recovering from trauma, surgery or chronic lung disease.
At UToledo, you'll graduate prepared to sit for national credentialing exams and pursue licensure as a registered respiratory therapist (RRT). Our graduates are highly sought after by healthcare employers thanks to extensive clinical education, advanced simulation training and a strong reputation for producing practice-ready professionals. UToledo has achieved a 100% job placement rate for recent graduates, with alumni working throughout Ohio, Michigan and across the country.
Where Our Graduates Work
Respiratory therapists are employed in a wide variety of healthcare settings, allowing graduates to choose a career path that matches their interests and lifestyle.
Our graduates work in:
- Acute care and community hospitals
- Adult, pediatric and neonatal intensive care units (ICU/NICU/PICU)
- Emergency departments
- Labor and delivery units
- Pulmonary function laboratories
- Sleep disorder centers
- Rehabilitation and skilled nursing facilities
- Home healthcare agencies
- Physicians' offices and outpatient specialty clinics
- Long-term acute care hospitals
- Medical equipment and respiratory device companies
UToledo graduates have been hired by healthcare organizations throughout the region, including nearly every major hospital system in northwest Ohio, every children's hospital in Ohio, and leading medical centers such as the University of Michigan.
Career Opportunities
As your experience grows, so do your career options. A bachelor's degree prepares you not only for clinical practice but also for leadership and specialized roles throughout healthcare.
Graduates pursue careers such as:
- Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT)
- Critical Care Respiratory Therapist
- Neonatal and Pediatric Respiratory Therapist
- Pulmonary Function Technologist
- Sleep Disorders Technologist
- Air and Ground Transport Respiratory Therapist
- ECMO Specialist
- Pulmonary Rehabilitation Specialist
- Respiratory Care Supervisor or Manager
- Clinical Educator
- Clinical Specialist for medical device companies
- Research Coordinator
- Program Director or Faculty Member
Opportunities for Career Advancement
Respiratory care is a profession that continues to evolve with advances in technology and patient care. Many respiratory therapists expand their expertise through specialty credentials or move into leadership, education, research and healthcare administration.
Graduates may choose to:
- Earn specialty certifications in neonatal/pediatric care or pulmonary diagnostics
- Advance into management and supervisory positions
- Teach in respiratory care education programs
- Work in clinical research
- Join medical technology and healthcare industry teams
- Pursue graduate or professional education in healthcare leadership or related fields
Why Employers Value UToledo Graduates
Employers recognize UToledo graduates for their clinical competence, professionalism and confidence in caring for patients with complex respiratory conditions.
Our students graduate with:
- Nearly 1,000 hours of supervised clinical experience
- Hands-on training in a state-of-the-art simulation center
- Experience caring for patients across the lifespan
- Preparation for national credentialing examinations
- Strong communication, teamwork and critical-thinking skills developed through real-world clinical practice
Whether your goal is working in a fast-paced intensive care unit, caring for newborns, specializing in advanced respiratory therapies or leading the next generation of healthcare professionals, a degree in Respiratory Care from The University of Toledo provides the knowledge, clinical experience and professional foundation to help you succeed.
