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Ernest Health
Rancho Mirage, California

Respiratory Therapist - Per Diem

Respiratory TherapistIncludes weekendsPer Diem

Listed compensation

$27.7-$37.28/hr

The week · per this posting

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

Posted 23m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Respiratory Therapist - Per Diem - Rancho Mirage, California

Join our world-class team of driven, passionate healthcare professionals who are focused on service excellence and providing top quality care!

Rehabilitation Hospital of Southern California, located in Rancho Mirage, CA, is a premier inpatient rehab facility serving patients throughout the Coachella Valley and Southern California region. We provide intensive rehabilitative care for individuals recovering from strokes, brain and spinal cord injuries, orthopedic surgeries, and other serious conditions.

Our experienced rehabilitation team delivers comprehensive therapies – from advanced physical and occupational therapy to specialized neurological rehabilitation – all in a warm, supportive environment. The hospital features state-of-the-art equipment and individualized care plans to help patients reach their recovery goals.

Accredited by The Joint Commission, the Rehabilitation Hospital of Southern California is committed to exceptional patient outcomes and compassionate care.

Weekday and Weekend Hours Available

We are seeking a Respiratory Therapist to join our team of passionate patient caregivers!

As a participating hospital of Ernest Health, we offer robust recognition, wellness, and retention programs. These programs focus to enhance the employees’ work experience, recognize, and celebrate achievements.

We also encourage employees to share their work experience through “My Ernest Journey” and through our Engagement Survey, where our approach is “You Spoke, We Listened”. These platforms provide additional avenues for employees to give feedback about their work experience and share what is important to them.

Qualifications

Required Skills

  • Current state license as a Respiratory Therapist required.
  • Current CPR Certification required.
  • One (1) year recent experience in acute care setting preferred.

Additional Qualifications/Skills

  • Knowledge of clinical operations and procedures.
  • Demonstrates general computer skills including: data entry, word processing, email, and record management.
  • Demonstrates good judgment, initiative, problem solving, decision making, prioritizing and organizational skills.
  • Effective organizational and time management skills.
  • Effective written and verbal communication skills.
  • Ability to maintain proper levels of confidentiality.
  • Ability to work closely and professionally with others.
  • Ability to maintain quality, safety, and/or infection control standards.

Responsibilities

Evaluates and treats patients with breathing disorders. Performs lab functions. Assumes primary responsibility for all respiratory care treatments. Integrates the hospital’s mission and “Guiding Principles” into daily practice.

Posted Total Compensation

The wage range for this role takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including, but not limited to, skill sets, experience, education and training, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs.

It’s not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is $

Minimum Salary

USD $27.70/Hr.

Maximum Salary

USD $37.28/Hr.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Key Skills

Respiratory therapyPatient careSafety standards

Respiratory Therapy Career Context

Of the 40 active Respiratory Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 3% are remote, 45% 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 ~$68k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $61k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Respiratory Therapy by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$58k–$78kRespiratory Therapy median $91k (middle half $77k–$108k)315 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$61k in purchasing powerCalifornia index 110.7 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Respiratory Therapy listings in California196 active4,015 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 3% remote · 45% no call · 60% no weekends40 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedCalifornia healthcare professional listings: 6% state a sign-on bonus (median $1k) · 6% offer loan repayment205 active listings, Nov 2026
New Respiratory Therapy listings1,265 in the last 30 days790 the 30 days before (+60%)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

39 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

29 jobs · 18 employers
14
<$85k
4
$85k-100k
10
$100k-115k
0
$115k-130k
1
$131k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

23 jobs · 18 employers
401k / retirement match
74%
Sign-on bonus
57%
Loan repayment
22%
PSLF eligible
13%
Relocation assistance
4%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Respiratory Therapist System Float

MultiCare Health System · Auburn, Washington

$41.44-$68.5/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

$35.5-$53.25/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 4,013 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • Includes weekends
Ernest Health logo

About Ernest Health

Hospitals and Health Care
Mesquite, Texas
501-1,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Recognition programs
Wellness programs
Retention programs

Living in Rancho Mirage

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$835k
Typical market rent
$4,556/mo
Residents’ average commute
25 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
106.4
State income tax
Up to 13.3%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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