Respiratory Therapist (RT) - Per Diem

Respiratory TherapistPer Diem

Listed compensation

$40 per hour

The week · per this posting

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

Posted 44m ago · Verified live

Job Description

  • Position: Respiratory Therapist (RT) - Per Diem / PRN
  • Location: Des Moines, IA
  • Schedule:12-Hour Shift (Day Shift or Night Shift)Compensation: $40 per hour (New Rate Increase)
  • Sign-on bonus: $5,000

*Only One Floor Hospital - No Need to Float

*PRN Requirement = Working only Three Shifts within 6 weeks

Select Specialty 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 which 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. We also offer our employee assistance program to part time employees.

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

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Key Skills

Patient evaluationTreatment planningEndotracheal tube insertionEndotracheal tube removalCritical carePatient counselingAdvanced Cardiac Life Support

Respiratory Therapy Career Context

Of the 40 active Respiratory Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 3% are remote, 53% have no call, 50% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for Iowa is 87.8 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$83k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $95k in an average-cost state. 59.8% of Iowa clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Respiratory Therapy by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$83kRespiratory Therapy median $114k (middle half $104k–$133k)223 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$95k in purchasing powerIowa index 87.8 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Respiratory Therapy listings in Iowa74 active3,979 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 3% remote · 53% no call · 50% no weekends40 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repayment$5k sign-onUS healthcare professional listings: 21% state a sign-on bonus (median $10k) · 7% offer loan repayment1,000 active listings, Nov 2026
New Respiratory Therapy listings1,278 in the last 30 days802 the 30 days before (+59%)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

29 jobs · 18 employers
13
<$85k
2
$85k-100k
11
$100k-115k
2
$115k-130k
1
$131k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

19 jobs · 18 employers
401k / retirement match
74% this job
Sign-on bonus
68% this job
Loan repayment
42%
PSLF eligible
21%
CME allowance
5%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Per Diem Respiratory Therapist - RegPer Diem

Kaweah Health · Visalia, California

$39.29-$58.94/hr
#2

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

Elsevier · Remote - Nationwide

$55/hr
#3

Respiratory Therapist

$37.61-$55.27/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 3,953 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • On-site
Select Specialty Hospital - Des Moines logo

About Select Specialty Hospital - Des Moines

Medical Practices
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

Benefits & Perks

401k (eligible after 1,000 hours)
Employee Assistance Program
Extensive orientation program
Sign-on bonus ($5,000)

Living in Des Moines

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$225k
Typical market rent
$1,129/mo
Residents’ average commute
20 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
91.7
State income tax
Up to 6%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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