Respiratory Therapist Jobs in Minneapolis, MN
Respiratory therapists in Minneapolis earn a metro median of about $49.88 an hour, and the University of Minnesota Medical Center has posted night roles up to $62 with a sign-on bonus. Here are the current openings, followed by who hires RTs, what they earn and how to get licensed in Minnesota.
Current respiratory therapist Openings in Minneapolis, MN
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Respiratory Therapist Work in Minneapolis
Most respiratory therapy jobs in Minneapolis sit in hospital ICUs and emergency departments. HCMC, the Level 1 trauma center downtown at 701 Park Avenue, staffs RTs around the clock, and the University of Minnesota Medical Center on the East Bank runs adult critical care and ECMO teams alongside Masonic Children's Hospital. Abbott Northwestern and Children's Minnesota share the Chicago Avenue medical campus in Phillips, the Minneapolis VA Medical Center sits by Fort Snelling on the Blue Line, and North Memorial in Robbinsdale adds another trauma center just off Highway 100.
The metro employs about 820 respiratory therapists, according to Minnesota DEED's first-quarter 2026 wage survey, and Minneapolis hospitals compete for them with night and weekend differentials and sign-on bonuses, including a $13,500 bonus on a recent University of Minnesota Medical Center night posting.
Top Minneapolis Employers for Respiratory Therapists
These Minneapolis-area hospital systems employ licensed respiratory therapists:
- Hennepin Healthcare - HCMC's downtown campus hires respiratory therapists and senior RTs on 12-hour night shifts, plus respiratory therapy assistants still in school.
- M Health Fairview - the University of Minnesota Medical Center East Bank and Masonic Children's Hospital staff RTs and ECMO specialists, with a $4 an hour night differential.
- Allina Health - Abbott Northwestern's parent system hires respiratory therapists across its metro hospitals, including Unity Hospital in Fridley.
- Minneapolis VA Health Care System - the VA Medical Center hires registered respiratory therapists from GS-5 to GS-11.
- Children's Minnesota - the pediatric system hires full-time and part-time respiratory therapists on day and night shifts, with recent postings at its St. Paul hospital.
- North Memorial Health - the Robbinsdale trauma hospital runs a respiratory therapy department for its inpatient and critical care patients.
Respiratory Therapist Salaries in Minneapolis
- Entry level: about $38 to $43 an hour for newly licensed therapists.
- Experienced: roughly $45 to $51 an hour, around the metro median.
- Senior and specialty: $52 to $62 an hour for senior RTs, ECMO specialists and night roles.
These are estimates drawn from DEED wage data and pay ranges posted by Hennepin Healthcare, M Health Fairview and Allina Health. The RRT credential, critical care, neonatal or ECMO experience, and night and weekend differentials move pay the most. VA pay follows the GS scale; a recent Minneapolis posting listed $44,410 to $105,845 a year across grades.
How to Become a Respiratory Therapist in Minneapolis
You need a degree from a respiratory care program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC), a credential from the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC), and a respiratory therapist license from the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice. The license application fee is $222, and the Board wants your NBRC exam taken within five years of applying. Locally, Saint Paul College offers a full-time Respiratory Therapist AAS with day classes, and St. Catherine University offers a CoARC-accredited bachelor's in respiratory care on its St. Paul campus with about 900 clinical hours. Many Minneapolis hospitals want the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential, and some give new graduates a few months after hire to earn it.
What the Job Involves
Respiratory therapists assess breathing, manage ventilators and airways, give breathing treatments and oxygen, draw and run arterial blood gases, and respond to codes and rapid responses. In the ICU you work with physicians and nurses on ventilator weaning, and in neonatal and pediatric units you care for the smallest patients in the hospital.
Skills Employers Look For
- NBRC RRT credential, or CRT with RRT in progress
- Minnesota respiratory therapist license
- Ventilator and airway management
- BLS, plus ACLS, PALS or NRP for critical care units
- Arterial blood gas sampling and analysis
- Calm judgment during codes and rapid responses
Career Path and Advancement
Many Minneapolis RTs start on general floors and the emergency department at HCMC, Abbott Northwestern or the U, then move into adult, neonatal or pediatric ICU work. From there the path runs to senior RT, ECMO specialist, clinical educator, and respiratory care supervisor or manager, like the supervisor roles North Memorial posts in Robbinsdale.
Related Careers in Minneapolis
If critical care work interests you, these related Minneapolis healthcare roles are close matches:
- Registered Nurse Jobs
- Surgical Technologist Jobs
- Radiologic Technologist Jobs
- Medical Laboratory Technician Jobs
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license to be a respiratory therapist in Minnesota?
Yes. Respiratory therapists are licensed by the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice. You need to finish an accredited respiratory care program and hold an NBRC credential, and the application fee is $222.
How much do respiratory therapists make in Minneapolis?
The metro median is about $49.88 an hour, per Minnesota DEED's 2026 survey. New therapists usually start around $38 to $43 an hour, and senior and night-shift RTs at the big hospitals can earn $52 to $62 an hour.
Do Minneapolis hospitals require the RRT credential?
Many do. M Health Fairview asks new graduates to earn the RRT within six months of hire, Hennepin Healthcare's senior roles list both CRT and RRT, and the VA hires CRT holders only on a temporary appointment while they work toward the RRT.
Where can I study respiratory therapy near Minneapolis?
Saint Paul College offers a full-time Respiratory Therapist AAS, and St. Catherine University in St. Paul offers a bachelor's in respiratory care. Both programs are CoARC-accredited, and both prepare you for the NBRC exams and Minnesota licensure.
Do respiratory therapists in Minneapolis work nights?
Often. Hospitals staff RTs 24 hours a day, and recent postings at HCMC and the University of Minnesota Medical Center were 12-hour night shifts with every third weekend, with M Health Fairview adding $4 an hour for nights.
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