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UCSF
San Francisco, California

Respiratory Therapist 1 or 2

Respiratory TherapistFull-Time

Listed compensation

$66.4-$83.11/hr

The week · per this posting

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

Posted 1mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

The Respiratory Therapist I (RT I) provides a full range of diagnostic and therapeutic respiratory care services to patients of all age groups. Responds to cardiopulmonary emergencies providing airway maintenance and manual and mechanical ventilatory support using a variety of devices and techniques.

Administers therapeutic gases, inhaled aerosol medications and humidity therapy.

Obtains, reviews, and interprets data and assesses the need for and response to respiratory care interventions and consults with medical and nursing personnel to optimize patient care planning. Performs arterial blood gas analysis and a variety of cardiopulmonary diagnostic procedures. Provides patient and family instruction in respiratory therapy self-administration and proper use of equipment and supplies.

The Respiratory Therapist II: The Respiratory Therapist II serves as a role model and resource providing clinical leadership and service coordination that assures consistently high quality care and facilitating continuous improvement in respiratory care services. The Clinical Team Leader is responsible for providing patient care and assessment; interdisciplinary consultation; staff, patient, family, and community education; and performance monitoring.

Classification of Respiratory Therapist I or Respiratory Therapist II will be determined based upon the qualifications of the selected candidate.

About UCSF

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care.

It is the only campus in the 10-campus UC system dedicated exclusively to the health sciences. We bring together the world’s leading experts in nearly every area of health. We are home to five Nobel laureates who have advanced the understanding of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, aging and stem cells.

Pride Values

UCSF is a diverse community made of people with many skills and talents. We seek candidates whose work experience or community service has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to professionalism, respect, integrity, diversity and excellence – also known as our PRIDE values.

In addition to our PRIDE values, UCSF is committed to equity – both in how we deliver care as well as our workforce. We are committed to building a broadly diverse community, nurturing a culture that is welcoming and supportive, and engaging diverse ideas for the provision of culturally competent education, discovery, and patient care. Additional information about UCSF is available here.

Join us to find a rewarding career contributing to improving healthcare worldwide.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

Salary Information

The final salary and offer components are subject to additional approvals based on UC policy.

Your placement within the salary range is dependent on a number of factors including your work experience and internal equity within this position classification at UCSF. For positions that are represented by a labor union, placement within the salary range will be guided by the rules in the collective bargaining agreement.

To learn more about the benefits of working at UCSF, including total

Compensation, Please Visit

ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu

Key Responsibilities

The Respiratory Therapist provides diagnostic and therapeutic respiratory care services, including airway maintenance and mechanical ventilation for patients of all ages. The role also involves clinical leadership, interdisciplinary consultation, and staff education to ensure high-quality patient care and continuous service improvement.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a valid California Respiratory Care Practitioner license and RRT certification from the NBRC. Additional requirements include BLS certification and the ability to work effectively within interdisciplinary teams in a clinical environment.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Patient assessmentCardiopulmonary diagnosticsPatient educationCritical careEmergency careTroubleshootingTechnical competency assessmentRegulatory compliance

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Respiratory Therapist 1 or 2 at UCSF a 7.2 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as very good. This places the position in the top 5% in Respiratory Therapy — ranked against 3,704 active Respiratory Therapy listings on WeekdayDoc.

Respiratory Therapy Career Context

Of the 40 active Respiratory Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 3% are remote, 63% have no call, 63% require no weekends.

Respiratory Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is up 2.5% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$155k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $140k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Respiratory Therapist Jobs

10 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution10 jobs

3
<$115k
4
$115k-125k
1
$131k
2
$135k-145k

Annual compensation range

Work-Life Balance Distribution10 jobs

0
1-2
0
3-4
1
5-6
9
7-8
0
9-10

Higher = better work-life balance

#1

Respiratory Therapist

Sutter Health · Sacramento, California

$47.68-$66.75/hr
#2

Respiratory Therapist

Northwell · Terryville, New York

$80k-$136k
#3

RRT - Registered Respiratory Therapist

$58-$63/hr
#4

Respiratory Therapist (RT), Cardiopulmonary Rehab - Full Time (36hrs/week), Egg Harbor Township

$36.14-$56.23/hr
+ 8 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 3.0this job 7.2
Among the best 10% of Respiratory Therapy listings for work-life

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 3,704 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in San Francisco

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$1.74M
Typical market rent
$4,682/mo
Residents’ average commute
30 min
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

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

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

UCSF logo

About UCSF

Hospitals and Health Care
San Francisco, CA
11-50 employees

Benefits & Perks

Comprehensive Benefits
Retirement Plan