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UCSF
San Francisco, California

Respiratory Therapist - Nights

Respiratory TherapistFull-Time

Listed compensation

$66.4-$83.11/hr

The week · per this posting

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

Posted 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

The Respiratory Therapist I (RT I) provides a full range of diagnostic and therapeutic respiratory care services to patients of all age groups. Responds to cardiopulmonary emergencies providing airway maintenance and manual and mechanical ventilatory support using a variety of devices and techniques.

Administers therapeutic gases, inhaled aerosol medications and humidity therapy. Obtains, reviews, and interprets data and assesses the need for and response to respiratory care interventions and consults with medical and nursing personnel to optimize patient care planning.

Performs arterial blood gas analysis and a variety of cardiopulmonary diagnostic procedures. Provides patient and family instruction in respiratory therapy self-administration and proper use of equipment and supplies.

Responsibilities

%

of time

Essential Function (Yes/No)

Key Responsibilities

45%

Yes

Assessment, administration and documentation of intermittent aerosolized medication therapy, bronchial hygiene, oxygen, and lung expansion therapies.

Consults with physician’s ordering services to assure patients are continually receiving the most appropriate and cost-effective modalities of therapy.

40%

Yes

Application, maintenance, monitoring, troubleshooting and documentation of non-invasive and invasive mechanical ventilatory support systems. Assessment and monitoring of patient-ventilator interrelationship to assure safe, appropriate, effective support and timely weaning.

5%

Yes

Contributes to the achievement of departmental quality and performance goals.

5%

Yes

Consults with RCS, Nursing, Medical, and other patient care personnel to develop and implement individualized care plans for optimal provision of respiratory care.

5%

Yes

Maintains all age specific, technical competencies, and compliance required to work in all clinical areas served by the Respiratory Care Service.

100%

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

  • This position requires flexibility to orient and work at all UCSF Medical Center locations.
  • Demonstrated ability to work independently and to collaborate and work effectively within intra and inter departmental teams.
  • Promotes positive work relationships with peers, supervisors, and others. Is cooperative, receptive, and responsive to the needs of others.
  • Possess the knowledge and abilities essential to the successful performance of the duties assigned to the position. This includes but is not limited to the ability to perform all of the required procedures and assessments and possession of a thorough understanding of the techniques and rationale for the selection and application of respiratory care procedures.

Preferred Qualification

  • Prior experience and demonstrated abilities in:
  • Critical or emergency care
  • Implementation and application of patient-driven protocols.

Required Licenses/Certifications

  • Valid and Current California Respiratory Care Board Respiratory Care Practitioner License.
  • Current Registered Respiratory Therapy (RRT) Certificate from NBRC.
  • Current American Heart Association Basic Life Support (HCP) certification
  • Current Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) Certification. (Applies only to Respiratory Care Practitioners who are employees at the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Mission Bay Campus).
  • Current AHA ACLS and PALS (applies only to Respiratory Care Practitioners who are employed at the ECSF HEALTH St. Francis and St. Mary’s)

About UCSF

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care.

It is the only campus in the 10-campus UC system dedicated exclusively to the health sciences. We bring together the world’s leading experts in nearly every area of health. We are home to five Nobel laureates who have advanced the understanding of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, aging and stem cells.

Pride Values

UCSF is a diverse community made of people with many skills and talents. We seek candidates whose work experience or community service has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to professionalism, respect, integrity, diversity and excellence – also known as our PRIDE values.

In addition to our PRIDE values, UCSF is committed to equity – both in how we deliver care as well as our workforce. We are committed to building a broadly diverse community, nurturing a culture that is welcoming and supportive, and engaging diverse ideas for the provision of culturally competent education, discovery, and patient care. Additional information about UCSF is available here.

Join us to find a rewarding career contributing to improving healthcare worldwide.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

Salary Information

The final salary and offer components are subject to additional approvals based on UC policy.

Your placement within the salary range is dependent on a number of factors including your work experience and internal equity within this position classification at UCSF. For positions that are represented by a labor union, placement within the salary range will be guided by the rules in the collective bargaining agreement.

To learn more about the benefits of working at UCSF, including total

Compensation, Please Visit

ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure
Experience
2+ years of experience

Certifications

BLS

Key Skills

Mechanical ventilationAerosol medication administrationPatient assessmentCritical carePatient educationOxygen therapyLung expansion therapyClinical documentationInterdisciplinary collaboration

Respiratory Therapy Career Context

Of the 40 active Respiratory Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 3% are remote, 63% have no call, 63% require no weekends.

Respiratory Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is down 9.1% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$155k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $140k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Respiratory Therapist Jobs

10 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution10 jobs

3
<$115k
4
$115k-125k
1
$131k
2
$135k-145k

Annual compensation range

Work-Life Balance Distribution10 jobs

0
1-2
0
3-4
1
5-6
9
7-8
0
9-10

Higher = better work-life balance

#1

Respiratory Therapist

Sutter Health · Sacramento, California

$47.68-$66.75/hr
#2

Respiratory Therapist

Northwell · Terryville, New York

$80k-$136k
#3

RRT - Registered Respiratory Therapist

$58-$63/hr
#4

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

$36.14-$56.23/hr
+ 8 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 3,704 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in San Francisco

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$1.74M
Typical market rent
$4,682/mo
Residents’ average commute
30 min
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.

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