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Avera Health
Aberdeen, South Dakota

Respiratory Therapist | PRN

Respiratory TherapistIncludes callIncludes weekendsPer Diem

Listed compensation

$61K–$92K /yr

The week · per this posting

Ask the employer about the work setting, benefits and time off.

Posted 2mo ago

Job Description

Location: Avera St Luke's Hospital

Worker Type

PRN

Work Shift

Rotating days/evenings/nights/weekends (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

Schedule: Rotating 12 hour shifts; days/evenings/nights. PRN - work as needed.

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.

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

Responsible for the assessment, treatment, and management of cardiopulmonary systems for patients ranging from neonates to adults. Performs diagnostic interventions, ventilator management, and emergency airway care within a multidisciplinary healthcare team.

Requirements

Requires an active state license as a Respiratory Therapist and certification as a CRT or RRT from the NBRC. Candidates must be able to work rotating 12-hour shifts including days, evenings, nights, and weekends.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure
Experience
2+ years of experience

Certifications

CPR

Key Skills

Blood gas analysisPulmonary function testingElectronic medical recordsPatient care planningClinical documentation

Respiratory Therapy Career Context

Of the 40 active Respiratory Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 3% are remote, 55% have no call, 55% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for South Dakota is 88.6 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 58.2% of South Dakota clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Location & Logistics

South Dakota has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states.

Top contract/1099 Respiratory Therapist Jobs

39 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution27 jobs · 24 employers

6
<$85k
5
$85k-95k
4
$95k-105k
7
$105k-115k
5
$115k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks29 jobs · 24 employers

401k / retirement match
86%
Sign-on bonus
31%
Loan repayment
14%
Relocation assistance
7%
PSLF eligible
7%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Respiratory Therapist System Float

MultiCare Health System · Auburn, Washington

$41.44-$68.5/hr
#2

Respiratory Therapist - per diem, day shiftPer Diem

Beth Israel Lahey Health · Danvers, Minnesota

$39.59-$58.83/hr
#3

Respiratory Therapist

$37.61-$55.27/hr
#4

Respiratory Therapist II PRN

$37.61-$55.27/hr
+ 37 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 3,889 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • Includes call
  • Includes weekends

Living in Aberdeen

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$234k
Typical market rent
$1,097/mo
Residents’ average commute
12 min
State income tax
None
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.