Minnesota Respiratory Therapy Employment

Minnesota respiratory therapy employment is similar to respiratory therapy employment across the country. Some differences may include different educational or licensing requirements, and differing types of respiratory cases that may appear commonly in patients, such as breathing difficulties caused by or contributed to by the climate of Minnesota. Other differences can include the concentration of jobs in the state and the salary that is typically available in Minnesota for respiratory therapists. In all other ways, such as typical duties and the places where a respiratory therapist might find employment, it is very much the same as in other states.

To obtain respiratory care employment in Minnesota, state guidelines for licensing and education will need to be met first. These regulations are overseen by the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice, although The Respiratory Care Advisory Council advises the board on many aspects of the licensing process, complaints, standards and law enforcement. Two members of the public, three respiratory therapists and two physicians who have respiratory care expertise make up the advisory board.

It can take 1 to 3 months to get through the respiratory therapist licensing process for Minnesota, but the state does offer a temporary license, as well. An application will need to be filled out and a fee will need to be paid. Documentation will need to be provided regarding some of the licensing requirements.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of May 2010, respiratory therapists in Minnesota had an annual mean salary of $59, 950. The annual mean hourly wage for respiratory therapists in Minnesota was $28.82. When compared to the rest of the United States, Minnesota had a very low location quotient of respiratory therapists. Neighboring North Dakota was slightly lower, neighboring Iowa was slightly higher, and neighboring states South Dakota and Wisconsin ranked the highest of the area in location quotient for respiratory therapists.

This information should not be found to be discouraging however, since the field of respiratory therapy has a projected "much faster than average growth" from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which means that opportunities to work in this field should be very good, overall.

Minnesota respiratory therapy employment can be found through a variety of means including cold calling facilities that hire or work with respiratory therapists such as hospitals, searching through online job listing services and checking with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development's Minnesota Works free online job bank. It should be noted that the Minnesota Works website is dot net, not dot com.