Respiratory Therapist Duties and Responsibilities: Respiratory therapists assess and treat patients suffering from breathing or cardiopulmonary disorders. Salary: $ 57,790 Education: Associate's degree Demand for this particular career: Projected Job Growth is 12% from 2014-2024 Reflection: Do you think you would like to be one? Why? Why not? No I would not like to be one. I wouldn't want to deal with babies crying