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Sentara Health
Norfolk, Virginia

Respiratory Therapist II

Respiratory Therapist Above average in Respiratory TherapyFull-Time

Listed compensation

$37.61-$55.27/hr

Listing transparency3 of 6 stated

Ask the employer about the work setting, weekend coverage and nights and shift pattern.

Employment & setting
Full-Time
Call expectations
Includes call
Weekends
Not specified
Posted 2h ago · Verified live

Job Description

City/State

Norfolk, VA

Work Shift

First (Days)

Overview

Sentara Health is currently recruiting for Registered Respiratory Therapists to work at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in downtown Norfolk, VA. This role is a Full Time, Day Shift position.

Up to $20,000 Sign On Bonus for Full Time Qualified Candidates! Up to $10,000 Sign On Bonus for Part Time Qualified Candidates! Experienced and New Graduates May Qualify Relocation, Moving Allowance and Housing Allowance available to candidates outside of geographic area.

Sentara Norfolk General Hospital

Are you looking for more? More autonomy, more innovative care and more engagement as a valued member of the team? We're looking for you - a highly motivated respiratory therapist who wants to collaborate with nurses, physicians and others using RT-driven protocols to provide exceptional care for our patients. Sentara Norfolk General Hospital is a 525-bed academic medical center and the region's only Level I trauma center. We are also the proud home of Nightingale, the first hospital-based air ambulance in Virginia. Sentara Norfolk General Hospital includes Sentara Heart Hospital, the area's first and only dedicated heart hospital. Within our variety of high-acuity, highly specialized units, we have nine ICUs (including burns, neuro, vascular, cardiac, general medicine and progressive ventilation). As a respiratory therapist at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, you will learn a multitude of advanced practices such as the use of esophageal balloon-guided ventilation, advanced ventilator strategies including lung protective ventilation and monitoring of indices that have been proven to reduce ventilator induce lung injury (VILI). Our respiratory-driven protocols afford our therapists the ability to use all of the tools in their tool belts (use of APRV, Volumetric Diffusive Respiration etc.). Our department's proactive approach is applauded and encourage by our physicians, nurses and other colleagues. But don't take our word for it - listen to what they have to say here.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlkArBUyxpA Our team also believes in setting you up for success. So we created a residency program to give new hires the tools and support they need to succeed. We train our therapists not only to be able to perform a task, but the science and reason behind it. We encourage our therapists to be proactive, think outside the box and ask questions. We understand the importance of balancing your home life with your work life too. So we provide self-scheduling to support our team’s needs. "

Required Qualifications

Education

Associates or Bachelor's degree required. Non degreed applicants with RRT credentials prior to January 1, 2006 and graduates from a military RT program with RRT credentials will also be considered.

Certification/Licensure

State Respiratory license

NBRC RRT

BLS required at time of hire.

For new graduates only, must have State license and BLS at time of hire, and must obtain NBRC RRT within 6 months of hire date.

Experience

  • None required
  • 1 year Respiratory Care experience preferred

Join our team, where we are committed to quality healthcare, improving health every day, and provide the opportunity for training, development, growth!

Keywords: Monster, Talroo-Allied Health, RRT, Respiratory Therapist, RT, CRT

We provide market-competitive compensation packages, inclusive of base pay, incentives, and benefits. The base pay range for full-time employment is $37.61 - $55.27 hourly. Additional compensation may be available for this role, such as shift differentials, standby/on-call pay, overtime, shift premiums, extra-shift incentives, or bonus opportunities. Compensation within the range may vary based on qualifications, experience, location, market conditions, and business needs.

Benefits: Caring For Your Family and Your Career

  • Medical, Dental, Vision plans
  • Adoption, Fertility and Surrogacy Reimbursement up to $10,000
  • Paid Time Off and Sick Leave
  • Paid Parental & Family Caregiver Leave
  • Emergency Backup Care
  • Long-Term, Short-Term Disability, and Critical Illness plans
  • Life Insurance
  • 401k/403B with Employer Match
  • Tuition Assistance – $5,250/year and discounted educational opportunities through Guild Education
  • Student Debt Pay Down – $10,000
  • Pet Insurance
  • Legal Resources Plan
  • Colleagues have the opportunity to earn an annual discretionary bonus if established system and employee eligibility criteria is met.

In support of our mission “to improve health every day,” this is a tobacco-free environment.

For positions that are available as remote work, Sentara Health employs associates in the following states:

Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Key Responsibilities

The respiratory therapist will collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to provide exceptional care using RT-driven protocols in high-acuity units. Responsibilities include managing advanced ventilator strategies and monitoring patient indices to reduce lung injury.

Requirements

Candidates must hold an Associate or Bachelor's degree and possess a state respiratory license, NBRC RRT credential, and BLS certification. New graduates are eligible to apply provided they obtain the RRT credential within six months of hire.

Qualifications

Education
Bachelor degree

Key Skills

Respiratory therapyVentilator managementPatient careCritical careTrauma careProtocol-driven careAirway managementClinical collaboration

Respiratory Therapy Career Context

Of the 40 active Respiratory Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 3% are remote, 73% have no call, 55% require no weekends.

Respiratory Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is up 3.4% vs. the prior quarter (through Aug 2026).

The cost-of-living index for Virginia is 101.1 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$97k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $96k in an average-cost state. 61.1% of Virginia clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Respiratory Therapist Jobs

10 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution10 jobs

4
<$115k
3
$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 1

$34.2-$55.75/hr
+ 8 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

4.8/ 10
Listing-based score

Above average in Respiratory Therapy

  • Includes call

Living in Norfolk

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$298k
Typical market rent
$1,757/mo
Residents’ average commute
23 min
State income tax
Up to 5.8%
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.

Sentara Health logo

About Sentara Health

Hospitals and Health Care
Virginia Beach, Virginia
10,000+ employees

Benefits & Perks

Up to $20,000 Sign-On Bonus for Full Time
Up to $10,000 Sign-On Bonus for Part Time
Relocation, Moving Allowance and Housing Allowance available
Medical, Dental, Vision plans
Adoption, Fertility and Surrogacy Reimbursement up to $10,000
Paid Time Off and Sick Leave
Paid Parental & Family Caregiver Leave
Emergency Backup Care