Respiratory Therapist - Per Diem Day or Nights

Respiratory TherapistPer Diem

Listed compensation

$45 per hour

The week · per this posting

Schedule not stated in this posting — no days, weekends, call or nights given.

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 11m ago · Verified live

Job Description

  • Position: Respiratory Therapist (RT) - Per Diem/ PRN
  • Location: San Diego, CA
  • Schedule: Per Diem / As Needed, 12-Hour Shifts (Days or Nights available)Compensation: $45.00 per hour

Our hospital is a critical illness recovery hospital committed to providing world-class inpatient post-ICU services to chronic, critically ill patients who require extended healing and recovery. We help patients during some of the most vulnerable, painful moments of their lives – and Respiratory Therapists (RT) play a central role in providing compassionate, excellent treatment every step of the way.

Why Join Us

Start Strong: Extensive orientation program to ensure a smooth transition into our setting.

Opportunity for Advancement: Demonstrate your skills and dedication, which could lead to potential full-time opportunities

Foster Well-being: We offer benefits that support the financial, work/life, and emotional well-being of you and your family members. Part time/Per Diem positions are eligible for 401k based on reaching 1,000 hours within their first anniversary or subsequent calendar year.

Your Impact Matters: Join a team of over 44,000 committed to providing exceptional patient care

Responsibilities

  • Evaluating patients and recommending an appropriate treatment plan.
  • Providing respiratory care to patients with critical and complex medical and surgical conditions.
  • Performing insertion and removal of endotracheal tubes.
  • Promoting continuous quality improvement.
  • Teaching and counseling patients/families.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements

Must possess "Active" CRT or RRT credential from the National Board of Respiratory Care (NBRC) or state equivalent.

  • Proof of graduation required: college transcript/diploma (preferred) or high school transcript/diploma or GED.
  • Possess a Basic Life Support (BLS) certification by start date.
  • Current state licensure is required.
  • ACLS is required upon hire. (Agency RT must have ACLS upon first shift)

Preferred Qualifications

  • One (1) year of related experience is preferred.
  • Additional Data

Equal Opportunity Employer/including Disabled/Veterans

We will consider for employment all qualified Applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including but not limited to the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the San Diego County Fair Chance Ordinance.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Key Skills

Respiratory therapyCritical careEndotracheal tube insertionPatient evaluationTreatment planningPatient counselingAdvanced Cardiac Life Support

Respiratory Therapy Career Context

Of the 40 active Respiratory Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 5% are remote, 60% have no call, 53% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$94k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $85k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Respiratory Therapy by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$94kRespiratory Therapy median $91k (middle half $77k–$107k)342 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$85k in purchasing powerCalifornia index 110.7 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Respiratory Therapy listings in California163 active3,922 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 5% remote · 60% no call · 53% no weekends40 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedCalifornia healthcare professional listings (all specialties): 8% state a sign-on bonus (median $1k) · 2% offer loan repayment171 active listings, Nov 2026
New Respiratory Therapy listings1,265 in the last 30 days749 the 30 days before (+69%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Nov 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top contract/1099 Respiratory Therapist Jobs

35 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

28 jobs · 19 employers
13
<$85k
4
$85k-100k
9
$100k-115k
2
$115k-130k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

18 jobs
401k / retirement match
72% this job
Sign-on bonus
67%
Loan repayment
33%
PSLF eligible
17%
CME allowance
6%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Per Diem Respiratory Therapist - RegPer Diem

Kaweah Health · Visalia, California

$39.29-$58.94/hr
#2

Per Diem Respiratory Therapist - SubacutePer Diem

Kaweah Health · Visalia, California

$39.29-$58.94/hr
#3

Allied Health: Respiratory Therapist Clinical Content Reviewer (Part-time, Remote, PRN Position)

$55/hr
#4

Respiratory Therapist RRT - Part Time - Evenings

$33.16-$51.4/hr
+ 33 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 3.0this job 3.0
Better work-life than 50% of Respiratory Therapy listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 3,919 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Select Specialty Hospital - San Diego logo

About Select Specialty Hospital - San Diego

Hospitals and Health Care
Mechanicsburg, PA
1,001-5,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Extensive orientation program
Potential full-time opportunities
401k eligibility after 1,000 hours

Living in San Diego

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$1.00M
Typical market rent
$3,004/mo
Residents’ average commute
24 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
111.9
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Sep 2026), Zillow market rents (Sep 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.