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(Respiratory Technician, Respiratory Therapist, Oxygen Therapy Technician, Breathing Technician)
Health & Social Care
Salary
€32,000 - €58,000/yr
Level
Professional
Outlook
Growing
Sector
Health & Social Care
As a Respiratory Therapy Technician you support doctors, nurses, and respiratory physiologists in assessing and treating patients with breathing disorders such as asthma, COPD, and sleep apnoea. Your daily work involves performing lung function tests, operating ventilators, monitoring oxygen therapy equipment, and recording clinical data for the respiratory team. You work in hospital wards, intensive care units, pulmonary function laboratories, and outpatient clinics across the HSE and voluntary hospital network. You liaise closely with consultants, physiotherapists, and other allied health professionals to ensure continuity of care for patients with acute and chronic respiratory conditions.
Listen: a day as a Respiratory Therapy Technician
Your alarm goes off at 06:45. You work in the pulmonary function laboratory of a large HSE acute hospital, and your shift begins at 08:00. You cycle in, change into scrubs, and check the electronic patient list on the hospital's PAS system before the day's outpatient clinic opens. There are eleven patients booked this morning, many of them older adults with COPD or suspected asthma who have been referred by their GP or consultant. By 08:30 you are calibrating the spirometry machine, a device that measures how much air a patient can breathe in and out and how quickly. Calibration must be done every morning using a three-litre syringe and recorded in the equipment log. If the machine fails calibration, no tests can run until the issue is resolved, so you go through the steps carefully.
A strong Leaving Certificate with subjects such as Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Maths provides the best foundation for entry into this role. The most common route is a Level 7 Bachelor of Science in Clinical Measurement or Health Science at institutions such as TU Dublin, ATU, or SETU, with some graduates progressing to a Level 8 top-up programme. Alternatively, a QQI Level 5 or 6 PLC award in Science or Health Science, followed by progression to a Level 7 degree, can provide a pathway for those who do not enter higher education directly from the Leaving Certificate. Postgraduate CPD courses and specialist training in areas such as spirometry, polysomnography, and ventilator management are expected as your career develops. While respiratory therapy technicians are not yet subject to CORU statutory registration in Ireland, registration requirements for health and social care professions are evolving and you should monitor CORU updates. Relevant professional bodies such as the Irish Society of Clinical Measurement support ongoing education and professional standards in this field.
Most Respiratory Therapy Technicians begin their careers in a hospital pulmonary function laboratory or respiratory department, carrying out routine lung function testing under supervision. With experience, you can take on greater responsibility for ventilation management, sleep studies, and training junior staff, moving into a senior technician or clinical specialist role. Further professional development through postgraduate diplomas or masters-level study in respiratory care, clinical physiology, or health sciences can open pathways into management, education, or research roles within the HSE or academic institutions. Some experienced technicians move into roles in the medical devices or respiratory pharmaceutical industry.
AI-assisted diagnostic tools are increasingly being used to analyse spirometry data, interpret sleep study results, and flag anomalies in continuous monitoring data, which can improve the speed and consistency of diagnoses. As a Respiratory Therapy Technician, you will likely work alongside AI-powered software platforms that support but do not replace your clinical judgement and hands-on patient care. Skills in digital health tools and the ability to critically evaluate AI-generated outputs will become increasingly valuable in this role. The direct, person-centred nature of respiratory assessment and the need for skilled equipment management mean that human expertise remains central to this profession.
→ Respiratory Therapy Technician (Current role)
Organisations in Ireland that employ people in this occupation.
Nationwide
Largest employer of respiratory therapy staff across Irish hospitals.
Dublin 8
Major respiratory and pulmonary function lab serving complex patient cohorts.
Beaumont, Dublin 9
Runs busy respiratory and ICU services requiring ventilator and lung function support.
Wilton, Cork
Large regional hospital with active respiratory medicine and sleep apnoea services.
Dublin 7
Provides respiratory care including pulmonary function testing and ICU ventilation.
Galway City
West of Ireland hub for respiratory diagnostics and critical care services.
Tallaght, Dublin 24
Active respiratory medicine department supporting COPD and sleep disorder patients.
Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick, Tralee
Private hospital group with respiratory diagnostics and outpatient lung function clinics.
Dublin, Cork, Galway
Private hospital group offering respiratory assessment and sleep studies.
Dublin City
Supplies and supports ventilation and respiratory monitoring equipment in Irish hospitals.
Dublin City
Provides CPAP and sleep apnoea device support and clinical education roles.
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