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Highmark Health
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Respiratory Therapist Extern

Respiratory TherapistPart-Time

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting

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

Ask the employer about the pay range, the work setting, call expectations and time off.

Posted 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

Company

Allegheny Health Network

Job Description

GENERAL OVERVIEW:

This job, under the supervision of experienced respiratory therapist and healthcare professionals, is responsible for assisting Respiratory Therapists with floor therapy with the delivery of respiratory modalities. This role is designed to provide an opportunity for individuals pursuing a career in respiratory therapy to gain hands-on experience.

Essential Responsibilities

Actively assist in delivering respiratory modalities and therapies to patients under the guidance of experienced respiratory therapists. (50%)

Assist in the setup, maintenance, and cleaning of respiratory equipment and devices. Ensure that all equipment is in proper working condition and readily available for use. (15%)

Assumes responsibility and takes initiative to expand knowledge and skills related to respiratory therapy. Collaborates effectively with the respiratory therapy team and other healthcare professionals. (15%)

Manage the storage and distribution of oxygen to ensure a continuous and safe supply to patients. Monitor and maintain oxygen equipment and storage areas. (10%)

Accurately document the delivery of respiratory modalities and maintain patient records as required by hospital protocols. (10%)

Other duties as assigned or requested.

Qualifications

Required

High School/GED

Currently enrolled in a CoARC approved school of Respiratory Care. The extern must have completed one semester of clinical rotations at a CoARC approved school of Respiratory Care.

  • Preferred
  • Associate degree in respiratory therapy

Additional Employment Requirements

BLS

Disclaimer: The job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and essential duties and responsibilities of work performed by employees within this job title. It may not contain a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees to do this job.

Compliance Requirement: This job adheres to the ethical and legal standards and behavioral expectations as set forth in the code of business conduct and company policies.

As a component of job responsibilities, employees may have access to covered information, cardholder data, or other confidential customer information that must be protected at all times. In connection with this, all employees must comply with both the Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) as described in the Notice of Privacy Practices and Privacy Policies and Procedures as well as all data security guidelines established within the Company’s Handbook of Privacy Policies and Practices and Information Security Policy.

Furthermore, it is every employee’s responsibility to comply with the company’s Code of Business Conduct. This includes but is not limited to adherence to applicable federal and state laws, rules, and regulations as well as company policies and training requirements.

Highmark Health and its affiliates prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on any category protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

California Consumer Privacy Act Employees, Contractors, and Applicants Notice

Key Responsibilities

The Respiratory Therapist Extern assists experienced professionals with the delivery of respiratory modalities and therapies to patients. They are also responsible for the maintenance of respiratory equipment and the accurate documentation of patient care.

Key Skills

Equipment maintenanceOxygen storagePatient documentationHealthcare collaboration

Respiratory Therapy Career Context

Of the 50 active Respiratory Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 4% are remote, 36% have no call, 54% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for Pennsylvania is 97.6 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 61.7% of Pennsylvania clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Respiratory Therapy by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed paynot listedRespiratory Therapy median $80k (middle half $79k–$95k)15 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost of livingPennsylvania index 97.6US average = 100BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Respiratory Therapy listings in Pennsylvania190 active3,959 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 4% remote · 36% no call · 54% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedPennsylvania healthcare professional listings: 30% state a sign-on bonus (median $15k) · 3% offer loan repayment198 active listings, Nov 2026
New Respiratory Therapy listings1,298 in the last 30 days715 the 30 days before (+82%)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 Respiratory Therapist Jobs

29 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

26 jobs · 18 employers
13
<$85k
4
$85k-100k
7
$100k-115k
1
$130k
1
$131k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

17 jobs
401k / retirement match
82%
Sign-on bonus
47%
Loan repayment
29%
CME allowance
6%
Relocation assistance
6%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Respiratory Therapist II

Olympic Medical Center · Port Angeles, Washington

$41.41-$62.92/hr
#2

Senior Respiratory Therapist -Dayshift

Sentara Health · Norfolk, Virginia

$41.74-$62.48/hr
#3

Respiratory Therapist

$37.61-$55.27/hr
#4

Respiratory Therapist RRT - Full Time - Nights

$33.16-$51.4/hr
+ 27 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 3,963 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Pittsburgh

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$229k
Typical market rent
$1,569/mo
Residents’ average commute
23 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
94.7
State income tax
Up to 3.1%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Pittsburgh, PA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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