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Ernest Health
Sacramento, California

Respiratory Therapist - Per Diem

Respiratory TherapistPer Diem

Listed compensation

$38.5-$46.01/hr

The week · per this posting

Schedule not stated in this posting — no days, weekends, call or nights given.

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

Posted 50m ago · Verified live

Job Description

Respiratory Therapist - Per Diem - Sacramento, California

Sacramento Rehabilitation Hospital in Sacramento, California is a state-of-the-art inpatient rehabilitation hospital clinically ranked in the Top 10% of all rehabilitation hospitals nationwide.

We offer high-quality rehabilitative care to patients in the Sacramento region. We specialize in treating individuals recovering from strokes, brain and spinal cord injuries, major orthopedic surgeries, and other debilitating medical events.

Our team of dedicated rehabilitation professionals provides comprehensive therapy services – including intensive physical, occupational, and speech therapies – utilizing advanced techniques and equipment in our hospital.

  • We pride ourselves on our warm, team-oriented culture where patient success is our top priority.
  • Joint Commission-accredited and aligned with national best practices, Sacramento Rehabilitation Hospital delivers patient-centered care that is effective, efficient, and tailored to help each person reach their fullest recovery potential.
  • 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 $38.50/Hr.

Maximum Salary

USD $46.01/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, 50% have no call, 55% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$88k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $79k 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$80k–$96kRespiratory Therapy median $94k (middle half $68k–$94k)23 comparable listings, Nov 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$79k in purchasing powerCalifornia index 110.7 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Respiratory Therapy listings in California193 active3,973 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 3% remote · 50% no call · 55% no weekends40 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedCalifornia healthcare professional listings: 7% state a sign-on bonus (median $1k) · 7% offer loan repayment200 active listings, Nov 2026
New Respiratory Therapy listings1,278 in the last 30 days802 the 30 days before (+59%)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

37 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

29 jobs · 19 employers
13
<$85k
2
$85k-100k
11
$100k-115k
2
$115k-130k
1
$131k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

19 jobs
401k / retirement match
74%
Sign-on bonus
68%
Loan repayment
42%
PSLF eligible
21%
CME allowance
5%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Per Diem Respiratory Therapist - RegPer Diem

Kaweah Health · Visalia, California

$39.29-$58.94/hr
#2

Per Diem Respiratory Therapist - SubacutePer Diem

Kaweah Health · Visalia, California

$39.29-$58.94/hr
#3

Allied Health: Respiratory Therapist Clinical Content Reviewer (Part-time, Remote, PRN Position)

$55/hr
#4

Respiratory Therapist

$37.61-$55.27/hr
+ 35 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 3,953 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Ernest Health logo

About Ernest Health

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

Benefits & Perks

Recognition, wellness, and retention programs

Living in Sacramento

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$452k
Typical market rent
$2,045/mo
Residents’ average commute
25 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
106.7
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 · Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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