Respiratory Therapists vs Registered Nurses AI Risk

Job 1

Job 2

Job 1

Job 2

medium risk

Respiratory Therapists

77 shared · 13 different

core competencies

low risk

Registered Nurses

Side-by-Side Comparison

Registered Nurses leads 4–1

Metric	Respiratory Therapists	Registered Nurses
Risk Score	27.1%	24.4%
Risk Tier	Medium Risk	Low Risk
Risk Percentile	25th	18th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)	3 / 15	4 / 15
Median Salary	$80,450	$93,600
Employment	136K	3.3M

Skill Comparison

Sorted by largest difference

Controlling Machines and Processes

Psychology

Analyzing Data or Information

Handling and Moving Objects

Therapy and Counseling

CoordinationAI-Resistant

Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events

Speech Recognition

Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material

Problem Sensitivity

Social PerceptivenessAI-Resistant

Oral Comprehension

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Respiratory Therapists

36%

total discount

Registered Nurses

36%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Respiratory Therapists

3 of 15 at risk

88%Relay blood analysis results to a physician.

86%Maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information.

80%Enforce safety rules and ensure careful adherence to physicians' orders.

49%Monitor patient's physiological responses to therapy, such as vital signs, arterial blood gases, or blood chemistry changes, and consult with physician if adverse reactions occur.

47%Read prescription, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition.

Registered Nurses

4 of 15 at risk

86%Maintain accurate, detailed reports and records.

65%Record patients' medical information and vital signs.

57%Conduct specified laboratory tests.

54%Modify patient treatment plans as indicated by patients' responses and conditions.

44%Monitor, record, and report symptoms or changes in patients' conditions.

Wage Comparison

Registered Nurses earns +$13,150(+16%) vs Respiratory Therapists

Respiratory TherapistsRegistered Nurses

10th

$61,900$66,030

25th

$68,410$78,610

Median

$80,450$93,600

75th

$95,530$107,960

90th

$108,820$135,320

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Respiratory Therapists2028–2035

Registered Nurses2028–2035

20242030203520402045

Registered Nurses has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Respiratory Therapists.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

Salary weighted by displacement risk: salary × (1 − risk%)

Respiratory Therapists

$58,672

from $80,450

Registered Nurses

$70,771

from $93,600

After adjusting for AI risk, Registered Nurses offers $12,099 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

Unique to Respiratory

Unique to Registered

Combined Protection Strategy

Regardless of which path you choose, focus on these protective factors

Fine Manipulation

Social Intelligence

Creativity

Regulatory Barriers

Respiratory TherapistsRegistered Nurses

Find transitions from Respiratory Therapists Find transitions from Registered Nurses