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Respiratory therapists are the breathing specialists of the hospital — running ventilators and critical-care interventions alongside doctors and nurses. Here's the roadmap, with the Arizona programs, credential, and employers that matter.
Where to train in Arizona
You complete a CoARC-accredited respiratory therapy program — the Maricopa Community Colleges (GateWay) and Pima Community College run accredited associate programs with hospital clinical rotations on real patients.
Credential & license in Arizona
You pass the NBRC exams to earn the CRT and then the RRT credential. Arizona requires respiratory therapists to be licensed to practice, and the RRT is the standard employers and the state look for.
Where the Arizona jobs are
Arizona RTs work in hospitals, ICUs, and emergency rooms — Banner Health (including Banner University Medical Centers), HonorHealth, and Dignity Health — plus sleep labs and home care. A growing, aging population keeps critical-care demand strong.
Ready to start? Browse live Arizona opportunities — internships, training programs, and scholarships across the state.
An accredited program plus the RRT credential and license is the gateway
The path is clear: finish a CoARC-accredited program, pass the NBRC exams for your RRT, and get your state license. It's a two-to-four-year path into critical-care medicine, with strong demand and room to specialize.
Keep going: see whether the trades are worth it, compare becoming a radiologic technologist, and check if it will pay off.