Advocate Health logo
Advocate Health
Charlotte, North Carolina

MedCenter Air Critical Care Transport Respiratory Therapist

Respiratory TherapistIncludes callFull-Time

Listed compensation

$33.05-$49.6/hr

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about weekend coverage, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

Department: 70521 Atrium Health Mobile Medicine - Critical Care Ground Transports Status: Full time

Benefits Eligible

Yes

Hours Per Week

40

Schedule Details/Additional Information

Variable. This position is sign-on bonus eligible. Based on eligibility.

Pay Range

$33.05 - $49.60

Job Summary

Functions as a member of the critical care transport team and is responsible for the care of ill and injured patients transported by Med Center Air (MCA). Provides patient care which includes respiratory system assessment, stabilization and intervention while promoting safety and efficiency of MCA operations. Performs under the supervision of the Medical Control Physician either by continuous radio contact or direct consultation.

Essential Functions

  • Collects data pertinent to the healthcare consumer's health or the situation.
  • Uses clinical reasoning, coupled with clinical skills to conduct accurate clinical assessments and perform patient care intervention to ensure optimum patient care, safety and recovery.
  • Delegates elements of care to appropriate healthcare workers.
  • Utilizes appropriate resources to plan and provide services that are safe, effective, and financially responsible.
  • Participates in committees, shared governance, or other facility decision making activities.
  • Practices in an environmentally safe and healthy manner.
  • Maintains operational knowledge for multiple modes of transportation including ambulances, helicopters and airplanes.
  • Independently initiates advanced practice procedures to provide improved patient outcomes such as: drug assisted intubation, video laryngoscopy, needle chest decompression, chest tube insertion, central line placement (UA/UV, EJ), intraosseous placement, transvenous/transcutaneous pacing, needle cricothyroidotomy, surgical cricothyroidotomy, and initiation/titration of pharmacological agents.
  • Initiates intubation procedures and sets up ventilation equipment. Operates, assesses, and manages patient airway support, ventilator settings and equipment.
  • Transports and monitors patients requiring ECMO, Medical Circulatory Devices (VAD, Impella), Intra-aortic Balloon Counter Pulsation, Internal/External Pacing, Ventriculostomy, and Point of Care.

Physical Requirements

Work requires walking, standing, sitting, lifting, reaching, stooping, bending, pulling and pushing. Must weigh less than 240 pounds and maintain weight while employed with MedCenter Air to remain on flying status. Must have intact sense of sight, hearing, smell, and touch. Finger dexterity, good motor, and eye-hand coordination. Requires good personal hygiene and appropriate conduct. Must be able to speak English clearly.

Conditions of transport may vary and include exposure to extreme hot, cold and wet weather. Workspace may be confined and poorly lit. Exposure to patients with infectious diseases and biohazardous materials is possible. Good physical stamina and endurance are necessary to perform duties. Teammate must maintain fitness standards in accordance with Policy 2.210 (Fit for Duty).

Education, Experience and Certifications

Graduate from an accredited school of respiratory care required. Current RT license or temporary license as a registered petitioner in the working and residential state.

RRT required, BSRT preferred. BLS required. Meets qualifications of appropriate clinical advancement requirements required. Three years clinical respiratory care experience in the Emergency Department and/or Intensive Care Unit required.

Ability to demonstrate proficiency in advanced procedures and skills bi-annually required. Paramedic Certification required within 2 years of hire Must acquire NC EMT-P, SC EMT-P and National Registry. Must be maintained throughout employment. * Trauma Certification, ACLS, PALS, NRP and S.T.A.B.L.E. required upon completion of orientation and maintained. Advanced certification to include Adult Critical Care Specialty (ACCS) or equivalent as approved required to maintain position according to standards of commission on accreditation of medical transport systems (CAMTS). Aviation training required or flight status and must meet requirements of “flight crew member” per FAA Part 135 regulations to include Night Vision Googles to ensure safe landings. Must have a valid driver's license and qualify as insurable by Atrium Health insurance for driving MedCenter Air vehicles.

Must have an operational smartphone for use as communication device related to MedCenter air operations.

Annual compliance in education related to specialty area and/or primary base location outside of typical practice

  • Simulation lab
  • Mechanical Ventilator Management/Lab
  • Certified Emergency Vehicle Operations
  • Air Medical Resource Management
  • Night Vision Goggle
  • Survival Practical
  • Sleep Deprivation/Just Culture/Stress Management
  • Transport Vehicle Safety Training – ambulance/helicopter/airplane *Current teammates required to obtain paramedic certification by December 31, 2021.

Our Commitment to You

Advocate Health offers a comprehensive suite of Total Rewards: benefits and well-being programs, competitive compensation, generous retirement offerings, programs that invest in your career development and so much more – so you can live fully at and away from work, including:

Compensation

Base compensation listed within the listed pay range based on factors such as qualifications, skills, relevant experience, and/or training Premium pay such as shift, on call, and more based on a teammate's job Incentive pay for select positions Opportunity for annual increases based on performance Benefits and more Paid Time Off programs Health and welfare benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life, and Short- and Long-Term Disability Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses Family benefits such as adoption assistance and paid parental leave Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs Educational Assistance Program Note: Eligibility for programs listed above may depend on your FTE or status (e. g., full-time, part-time, per diem, temporary, etc.); please ask a Recruiter for more information during an interview.

About Advocate Health

Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States, created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health.

Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois; Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama; and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care.

Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health services nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise.

It is nationally recognized for its expertise in cardiology, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs.

Advocate Health employs 155,000 teammates across 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations, and offers one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs.

Committed to providing equitable care for all, Advocate Health provides more than $6 billion in annual community benefits.

Key Responsibilities

Functions as a member of the critical care transport team, providing respiratory assessment, stabilization, and intervention for ill and injured patients. Maintains operational knowledge for multiple transport modes including ambulances, helicopters, and airplanes while ensuring patient safety and recovery.

Requirements

Requires graduation from an accredited respiratory care program, RRT certification, and three years of clinical experience in an ED or ICU. Must obtain Paramedic certification within two years and maintain various clinical certifications including ACLS, PALS, NRP, and trauma-related credentials.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Patient stabilizationAirway managementAdvanced life supportClinical assessmentEmergency interventionPharmacological agent titrationECMO monitoringTrauma careAviation safetyPatient monitoring

Critical Care Medicine Career Context

Of the 40 active Respiratory Therapist listings this role was benchmarked against, 43% have no call, 60% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for North Carolina is 94.3 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$86k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $91k in an average-cost state. 59.2% of North Carolina clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Respiratory Therapist by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$69k–$103kRespiratory Therapist median $80k (middle half $73k–$80k)11 comparable listings, Oct 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$91k in purchasing powerNorth Carolina index 94.3 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Respiratory Therapist listings in North Carolina111 active4,097 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 43% no call · 60% no weekends40 benchmarked listings
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Oct 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Top Respiratory Therapist Jobs

23 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

23 jobs · 14 employers
7
<$85k
4
$85k-100k
7
$100k-115k
3
$115k-130k
2
$130k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

18 jobs · 14 employers
401k / retirement match
89% this job
Sign-on bonus
50% this job
Loan repayment
22%
PSLF eligible
17%
Relocation assistance
11%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Respiratory Therapist – CRT/RRT

Garnet Health · Middletown, New York

$45.05 - $63.70/hr
#2

Respiratory Therapist II

Olympic Medical Center · Port Angeles, Washington

$41.41-$62.92/hr
#3

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

$36.14-$56.23/hr
#4

Respiratory Therapist - Providence Kodiak Island

$37.08-$55.62/hr
+ 21 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 3.0this job 1.5
Below most Critical Care Medicine (Respiratory Therapy) listings for work-life

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 33 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • On-site
  • Includes call
Advocate Health logo

About Advocate Health

Hospitals and Health Care
Charlotte, North Carolina
10,000+ employees

Benefits & Perks

Sign-on bonus eligible
Paid Time Off programs
Health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, life, short- and long-term disability)
Flexible Spending Accounts
Adoption assistance
Paid parental leave
Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match
Educational Assistance Program

Living in Charlotte

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$352k
Typical market rent
$1,729/mo
Residents’ average commute
25 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
97.3
State income tax
Up to 4.8%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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