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Avera Health
Lincoln, Nebraska

Respiratory Therapist

Respiratory TherapistIncludes callNo nightsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$61K–$92K

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

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

Posted 2mo ago

Job Description

Location: Avera St Anthony's Hospital

Worker Type

Regular

Work Shift

Day Shift (United States of America)

Pay Range

The pay range for this position is listed below. Actual pay rate dependent upon experience.

$29.25 - $44.00

Position Highlights

  • Day Shift Schedule.
  • This position may be eligible for a $15,000 sign on bonus with a 3 year commitment.

This position is eligible for Avera's Student Loan Repayment Program which helps you pay off your loans and save money. Each month an extra payment of $167 (up to $10,000) from Avera will help pay down your principle balance faster.

You Belong at Avera

Be part of a multidisciplinary team built with compassion and the goal of Moving Health Forward for you and our patients. Work where you matter.

A Brief Overview

Responsible for the assessment, treatment, and management, diagnostic and therapeutic interventions affecting the cardiopulmonary system for neonates, pediatrics, adolescents, and adults.

The individual must demonstrate proficiency in all modalities of respiratory care, which may include, but not limited to oxygen therapy, breathing treatments, airway clearance, blood gases, airway management, non-invasive and invasive ventilator setup and monitoring. This position may also be required to work in the sleep lab.

What You Will Do

Evaluates patients in order to receive, review, interpret, and administer the prescribing orders regarding respiratory and cardiopulmonary treatments and tests. Accurately documents patient assessment, interventions, and progress in the electronic medical record, as well as submits charges in an accurate and timely manner.

Evaluates the effectiveness of the plan of care. Initiates and implements respiratory care plans and interventions to meet the needs of the patient in conjunction with the entire healthcare team to ensure full understanding and cooperation to improve patient outcomes.

Performs administration, set-up, titration, maintenance, evaluations and documentation of supplemental oxygen, aerosol therapy, airway clearance techniques, mechanical invasive or non-invasive ventilator management, and preparation and administration of respiratory medications.

Ensures airway patency including various means of suctioning. (tracheal, nasal, and oral). Attends and assists to patients in respiratory or cardiac arrest by performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency airway care.

Performs arterial and capillary punctures, runs venous, arterial and capillary blood gas samples, electrolytes and lactic acid tests and maintains and operates the Blood Gas analyzer.

May assist in Pulmonary Rehab by providing appropriate exercises and education to participants.

May assist in outpatient clinic as needed and may schedule sleep studies and obtains prior authorizations for the sleep studies when applicable.

Performs diagnostic testing through pulmonary function, stress exercise, electrocardiograms, electroencephalograms, oximetry, holter and cardiac event monitoring.

Instructs clinical staff on the use of respiratory therapy equipment and the use of the EKG equipment.

Assists with implementing and updating policies and procedures, maintenance of quality assurance reports and records, and maintenance of equipment and ordering of supplies.

Essential Qualifications

The individual must be able to work the hours specified.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job function satisfactorily including having visual acuity adequate to perform position duties and the ability to communicate effectively with others, hear, understand and distinguish speech and other sounds.

These requirements and those listed above are representative of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the essential job functions.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions, as long as the accommodations do not cause undue hardship to the employer.

Required Education, License/Certification, or Work Experience:

  • Respiratory Therapist - Licensing Board An active license in the state of practice Upon Hire and
  • Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) - National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) Upon Hire or
  • Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) - National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) Upon Hire

Preferred Education, License/Certification, or Work Experience:

Bachelor's

1-3 years

Expectations and Standards

Commitment to the daily application of Avera’s mission, vision, core values, and social principles to serve patients, their families, and our community.

  • Promote Avera’s values of compassion, hospitality, and stewardship.
  • Uphold Avera’s standards of Communication, Attitude, Responsiveness, and Engagement (CARE) with enthusiasm and sincerity.
  • Maintain confidentiality.

Work effectively in a team environment, coordinating work flow with other team members and ensuring a productive and efficient environment.

Comply with safety principles, laws, regulations, and standards associated with, but not limited to, CMS, The Joint Commission, DHHS, and OSHA if applicable.

Benefits You Need & Then Some

Avera is proud to offer a wide range of benefits to qualifying part-time and full-time employees. We support you with opportunities to help live balanced, healthy lives. Benefits are designed to meet needs of today and into the future.

  • PTO available day 1 for eligible hires.
  • Up to 5% employer matching contribution for retirement
  • Career development guided by hands-on training and mentorship

Avera is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, Veteran Status, or other categories protected by law. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request an accommodation for help with your online application, please call 1-605-504-4444 or send an email to talent@avera.org.

Key Responsibilities

The respiratory therapist is responsible for the assessment, treatment, and management of cardiopulmonary interventions for patients ranging from neonates to adults. They perform diagnostic testing, manage ventilator setups, and provide emergency airway care as part of a multidisciplinary healthcare team.

Requirements

Candidates must hold an active state license and be certified as a CRT or RRT by the NBRC. The role requires proficiency in respiratory care modalities and the ability to work effectively in a clinical hospital environment.

Qualifications

Experience
2+ years of experience

Certifications

CPR

Key Skills

Blood gas analysisElectronic medical recordsPulmonary function testingPatient educationClinical documentation

Respiratory Therapy Career Context

Of the 40 active Respiratory Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 3% are remote, 60% have no call, 57% require no weekends.

Respiratory Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is down 1.2% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

The cost-of-living index for Nebraska is 90.1 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$76k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $85k in an average-cost state. 59.4% of Nebraska clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Respiratory Therapist Jobs

22 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution22 jobs · 18 employers

10
<$105k
6
$105k-115k
3
$115k-125k
2
$125k-135k
1
$139k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks17 jobs

401k / retirement match
94% this job
Sign-on bonus
41% this job
Relocation assistance
24%
Loan repayment
12% this job
PSLF eligible
12%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Respiratory Therapist

Sutter Health · Sacramento, California

$47.68-$66.75/hr
#2

Respiratory Therapist II

Marian Regional Medical Center · Santa Maria, California

$52.03-$64.05/hr
#3

Respiratory Therapist – CRT/RRT

$45.05 - $63.70/hr
#4

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

$36.14-$56.23/hr
+ 20 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 3,900 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No nights
  • Includes call

Living in Lincoln

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$292k
Typical market rent
$1,308/mo
Residents’ average commute
18 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
91.6
State income tax
Up to 6.6%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Lincoln, NE metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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

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About Avera Health

Non-profit Organizations
South Dakota

Benefits & Perks

$15,000 sign-on bonus with 3-year commitment
Student Loan Repayment Program (up to $10,000)
PTO available day 1
Up to 5% employer matching contribution for retirement
Career development guided by hands-on training and mentorship