In the medical field, RT most commonly stands for respiratory therapist, a licensed healthcare professional who specializes in helping patients breathe. The abbreviation can also refer to registered technologist (R.T.), the credential earned by radiologic technologists who perform imaging procedures like X-rays and CT scans. Context usually makes the meaning clear: in a hospital unit, “the RT” almost always means the respiratory therapist on duty.
What a Respiratory Therapist Does
Respiratory therapists treat, manage, and evaluate patients with conditions that affect the lungs and cardiopulmonary system. Their scope covers everything from delivering oxygen and running ventilators to administering inhaled medications and performing life-support procedures. In critical situations, RTs are the specialists called to manage a patient’s airway, and in some settings they assist with sedation under a physician’s supervision.
On a typical hospital shift, an RT receives a handoff from the previous team, reviews patient assignments, and begins rounds. That means checking ventilator settings, adjusting them based on lab results, delivering nebulizer treatments (inhaled medication through a mouthpiece or mask), and performing techniques like cough-assist therapy to help patients clear mucus from their lungs. Throughout the day, RTs reassess patients, respond to new physician orders, assist with procedures like bronchoscopies, evaluate new admissions, and document progress before handing off to the next shift.
Where Respiratory Therapists Work
Most RTs work in hospitals, but the specific settings vary widely. Common environments include intensive care units, emergency departments, general hospital floors, neonatal and pediatric units, pulmonary function labs, rehabilitation centers, and home care. With experience, respiratory therapists can specialize in areas like neonatal or pediatric care, geriatrics, pulmonary rehabilitation, sleep studies (polysomnography), critical care, or pulmonary diagnostics. Some eventually move into administrative roles, start respiratory care companies, or work in medical equipment sales.
Education and Credentials
Becoming a respiratory therapist requires at least an associate degree from a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care. Graduates then sit for the Therapist Multiple-Choice Examination administered by the National Board for Respiratory Care. This single exam has two scoring thresholds: reaching the lower cut score earns the Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) credential, while reaching the higher cut score earns CRT status and makes the candidate eligible for a second clinical simulation exam to become a Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT). The RRT is the more advanced credential and is preferred or required by most employers.
Salary and Job Growth
Respiratory therapy is a field with strong demand. The median annual wage was $80,450 as of May 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment is projected to grow 12 percent from 2024 to 2034, which the BLS classifies as “much faster than average.” An aging population and the ongoing prevalence of chronic respiratory conditions like COPD and asthma are driving that growth.
RT as Registered Technologist
The other common use of RT in healthcare is R.T., the credential for radiologic technologists certified through the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT). These professionals perform medical imaging: positioning patients, operating X-ray and CT equipment, conducting MRIs, performing mammograms, and in some cases administering radiation therapy to cancer patients. A key part of their job is using proper technique to minimize each patient’s radiation exposure.
Earning ARRT certification requires completing an approved educational program, meeting ethical standards, and passing a certification exam. Credentials are available in several imaging disciplines, including radiography, MRI, nuclear medicine technology, radiation therapy, and sonography. You’ll sometimes see the abbreviation written as R.T.(R) for radiography or R.T.(MR) for magnetic resonance imaging, with the letters in parentheses indicating the specialty.
How to Tell the Difference
If you see “RT” on a hospital whiteboard, in a patient chart, or hear it called overhead, it nearly always means respiratory therapist. The radiologic technologist credential is typically written with periods (R.T.) and followed by a specialty abbreviation. In conversation, imaging professionals are more often called “rad techs” or “X-ray techs,” while respiratory therapists own the shorthand “RT.” If you’re a patient and unsure which professional is entering your room, the simplest answer: the one helping you breathe is the RT, and the one taking your images is the rad tech.