Army · 68V
Your Respiratory Specialist experience maps to civilian jobs like Respiratory Therapists and Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses—and well beyond. Explore the specific roles below, see what each pays and requires, and build from there.
The federal crosswalk lists only a broad “Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other” bucket for 68V—so here are the specific civilian roles Respiratory Specialist experience genuinely maps to. See what each involves, what it pays, and why it fits.
$77,960/yr mediantypical $59k–$104k~130K U.S. jobs
★ Bright Outlook — Rapid growth
Typical entry: Associate degree, apprenticeship, or vocational training
Assess, treat, and care for patients with breathing disorders.
Why it fits: Respiratory care experience maps to respiratory therapy (with a degree).
$59,730/yr mediantypical $46k–$78k~630K U.S. jobs
Typical entry: Associate degree, apprenticeship, or vocational training
Care for ill, injured, or convalescing patients or persons with disabilities in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, private homes, group homes, and similar institutions.
Why it fits: Clinical care supports LPN/LVN pathways.
$42,000/yr mediantypical $34k–$56k~763K U.S. jobs
★ Bright Outlook — Rapid growth; many openings
Typical entry: Associate degree, apprenticeship, or vocational training
Perform administrative and certain clinical duties under the direction of a physician.
Why it fits: Patient care transfers to medical assisting.
$53,180/yr mediantypical $39k–$79k~99K U.S. jobs
★ Bright Outlook — Rapid growth
Typical entry: Associate degree, apprenticeship, or vocational training
Administer basic or advanced emergency medical care and assess injuries and illnesses.
Why it fits: Acute care and airway skills support paramedic roles.
$66,170/yr mediantypical $37k–$105k~56K U.S. jobs
Typical entry: Associate degree, apprenticeship, or vocational training
Conduct tests on pulmonary or cardiovascular systems of patients for diagnostic, therapeutic, or research purposes.
Why it fits: Closely related to your Respiratory Specialist occupations on the healthcare (clinical) side—a natural next step.
$86,070/yr mediantypical $64k–$133k~3.2M U.S. jobs
★ Bright Outlook — Rapid growth; many openings
Typical entry: Bachelor’s degree typically expected
Provide specialized nursing care for patients in critical or coronary care units.
Why it fits: Closely related to your Respiratory Specialist occupations on the healthcare (clinical) side—a natural next step.
$86,070/yr mediantypical $64k–$133k~3.2M U.S. jobs
★ Bright Outlook — Rapid growth; many openings
Typical entry: Associate degree, apprenticeship, or vocational training
Provide advanced nursing care for patients with acute conditions such as heart attacks, respiratory distress syndrome, or shock.
Why it fits: Closely related to your Respiratory Specialist occupations on the healthcare (clinical) side—a natural next step.
$98,300/yr mediantypical $72k–$137k~17K U.S. jobs
Typical entry: Associate degree, apprenticeship, or vocational training
Provide radiation therapy to patients as prescribed by a radiation oncologist according to established practices and standards.
Why it fits: Closely related to your Respiratory Specialist occupations on the healthcare (clinical) side—a natural next step.
$99,710/yr mediantypical $72k–$131k~241K U.S. jobs
★ Bright Outlook — Rapid growth
Typical entry: Graduate or professional degree
Assess, plan, organize, and participate in rehabilitative programs that improve mobility, relieve pain, increase strength, and improve or correct disabling conditions resulting from disease or injury.
Why it fits: Closely related to your Respiratory Specialist occupations on the healthcare (clinical) side—a natural next step.
$86,070/yr mediantypical $64k–$133k~3.2M U.S. jobs
★ Bright Outlook — Rapid growth; many openings
Typical entry: Bachelor’s degree typically expected
Assess patient health problems and needs, develop and implement nursing care plans, and maintain medical records.
Why it fits: Closely related to your Respiratory Specialist occupations on the healthcare (clinical) side—a natural next step.
Roles selected from the O*NET occupations that fit Respiratory Specialist experience; the Department of Labor's own crosswalk lists only the broad “Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other” category for this code. Pay is BLS OEWS (May 2023). See the O*NET crosswalk.
Use the level that reflects what you actually did—not rank alone. Two people with the same code and very different experience should not submit the same résumé.
Lead with hands-on tasks, tools, equipment, qualifications, safety discipline, and the conditions in which you performed. Do not inflate supervisory scope.
Add team leadership, training, inspections, work allocation, quality control, readiness, and the people or assets you directly supervised.
Emphasize multi-team operations, schedules, resource forecasting, safety systems, policy enforcement, advising leaders, and organization-level results.
A translated title isn't enough. These four moves turn Respiratory Specialist experience into evidence a civilian hiring manager can act on.
List the systems, vehicles, equipment, and tools you personally operated as Respiratory Specialist—plus qualifications, certifications, and the recurring high-stakes tasks you owned.
Soldiers led, dollar value of equipment you were accountable for, workload, readiness rates, and safety or quality outcomes. Scope beats adjectives.
For any target role, name the license, degree, or software it requires and start now—your GI Bill and credentialing assistance can cover most of it.
Recruiters rarely search “68V.” Search job boards by the equipment, skills, and outcomes above as much as by “Respiratory Specialist.”
You don't have to make this jump alone. These programs exist specifically to move service members into civilian careers—most are free, and several pay you while you train.
Train or intern with a civilian employer during your last ~180 days on active duty—at full military pay.
Earn a paycheck while you train for a trade or technical role; USMAP can credit the military training you already have.
Corporate fellowships and hiring events that place transitioning service members and military spouses.
Free career training and nationally recognized certifications for service members, veterans, and spouses.
VA-funded high-tech training (IT, cyber, data, software) that does not touch your GI Bill entitlement.
Free local career centers plus certification and state-by-state license finders for any field.
How to use this: Treat these as targets, not limits. Your exact duties depend on your assignments, so lead with what you actually did—and remember that regulated careers require their own license, certification, or degree.