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Links Healthcare
San Diego, California

Respiratory Therapist - Per Diem, Full Time

Respiratory TherapistNo weekendsFull-Time

Listed compensation

$38-$45/hr

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 1mo ago · Verified live

Job Description

Respiratory Therapist

Overview of the Position

The Respiratory Therapist role evaluates, treats, and cares for patients with breathing or other cardiopulmonary disorders. Practicing under the direction of the Respiratory Department Head. Respiratory therapists assume primary responsibility for all respiratory care therapeutic treatments and diagnostic procedures, including the supervision of respiratory therapy Technicians.

Work Type: Full time and Per Diem

Thursday, Friday and Saturday

Specific duties may include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Assesses patients and recommends respiratory therapy treatments.
  • The doctor recommends respiratory therapy treatments.
  • Plans, prepares and administers respiratory therapy treatments including IPPB, aerosol, chest physical therapy, incentive spirometry, and sputum inductions, in accordance with established policies and procedures.
  • Performs diagnostic pulmonary and cardiac tests.
  • Inspects, tests, maintains and operates respiratory therapy equipment.
  • Responds to “code blue” calls and assists by maintaining the patient’s airway and performs CPR.
  • Instructs respiratory technicians.
  • Patient care documentation is timely, legible, and efficient.
  • Notes are concise, pertinent and meet departmental documentation standards.
  • Oral reporting is clear, concise, relevant, and timely.
  • Utilize resources and materials in an efficient and safe manner.
  • Performs all duties promptly in a competent and caring manner.
  • Present a neat appearance and dress in compliance with the client facilities’ policies.
  • While on assignment, the Respiratory Therapist is responsible and accountable to their assigned patients and to the client institution. The Respiratory Therapist is under the direct supervision of the Department Head or other assigned personnel and must have the ability to follow directions/instruction from his/her supervisor.

Essential Functions

  • Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
  • Participates in continuing education and learning experiences to enhance and maintain current knowledge and skills for continued competence.
  • Perform all duties using proper body mechanics.
  • Frequently move/lift between 50-100 pounds, depending on assignment requirements.
  • Stand for long periods with frequent squatting, twisting, bending, kneeling and reaching to prepare equipment, materials or objects in order to provide patient care or maintain the patient environment.
  • Sensory requirements include speech for communication and vision, smell, touch and hearing to assess patient status.
  • Problem solving skills.
  • Manual dexterity and fine motor coordination.
  • Ability to work in a stressful environment.
  • Consistent attendance is required to assure that the client facilities’ needs and patient needs are met.
  • To comply with all client facilities’ policies, procedures and practices.
  • To comply with all client policies and to uphold our standards of excellence while on assignment at our client facilities

Key Responsibilities

The Respiratory Therapist evaluates and treats patients with cardiopulmonary disorders and performs diagnostic pulmonary and cardiac tests. They are responsible for administering therapeutic treatments, maintaining equipment, and responding to emergency code blue calls.

Requirements

Candidates must be able to communicate effectively and perform physical tasks such as lifting up to 100 pounds and standing for long periods. The role requires the ability to work in a stressful environment and maintain compliance with all facility policies and documentation standards.

Qualifications

Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Patient assessmentCardiopulmonary careDiagnostic testingEquipment maintenanceAirway managementAerosol therapy

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Respiratory Therapist - Per Diem, Full Time at Links Healthcare a 6.0 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the top 25% in Respiratory Therapy — ranked against 3,866 active Respiratory Therapy listings on WeekdayDoc. Contributing factors include no weekend requirements.

Respiratory Therapy Career Context

Of the 40 active Respiratory Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 48% have no call, 60% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$86k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $78k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top contract/1099 Respiratory Therapist Jobs

18 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution18 jobs · 16 employers

3
<$100k
9
$100k-110k
3
$110k-120k
0
$120k-130k
3
$130k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks15 jobs

401k / retirement match
93%
Sign-on bonus
33%
Loan repayment
13%
PSLF eligible
13%
Relocation assistance
7%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Respiratory Therapist

Sutter Health · Sacramento, California

$47.68-$66.75/hr
#2

Respiratory Therapist – CRT/RRT

Garnet Health · Middletown, New York

$45.05 - $63.70/hr
#3

Respiratory Therapist II

$41.41-$62.92/hr
#4

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

$36.14-$56.23/hr
+ 16 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 3.0this job 6.0
Better work-life than 80% of Respiratory Therapy listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 3,866 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • No weekends

Living in San Diego

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$1.01M
Typical market rent
$3,036/mo
Residents’ average commute
24 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
111.9
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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