How to Get Your Respiratory Therapist License in Florida (2026)

## How to Become a Licensed Respiratory Therapist in Florida Florida is one of the largest healthcare markets in the United States and one of the most active states for respiratory therapist employment. The state licenses RTs through the Florida Department of Health's Medical Quality Assurance (MQA) division — the same agency that oversees a broad range of Florida healthcare professions. Florida is notable for accepting the CRT as the minimum credential for licensure, though in practice the RRT is expected by most hospital employers. This guide covers everything you need to know in 2026. ### Step 1: Complete a CoARC-Accredited Respiratory Therapy Program Florida has an extensive network of CoARC-accredited respiratory therapy programs, including programs at community colleges, state universities, and private institutions across all major metros — Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, and Fort Lauderdale all have accessible CoARC programs. Verify your program's CoARC accreditation at coarc.com before enrolling. Florida's large and competitive healthcare market means that the program you attend — and the clinical rotation sites it uses — can meaningfully affect your employment opportunities after graduation. Many Florida programs have relationships with major health systems (AdventHealth, HCA Florida, BayCare, Jackson Health) that can facilitate entry-level hiring. If you are choosing between programs, ask about clinical site affiliations and their employment pipeline into major health systems. BS degree programs are available and provide advantages in competitive urban markets, management tracks, and academic medical center specialty roles. ### Step 2: Pass the NBRC Examinations Florida requires NBRC certification as the basis for state licensure. Florida accepts the CRT as the minimum credential for a state license, which distinguishes it from most states that require the full RRT. **Therapist Multiple-Choice (TMC) Examination:** Taken after program graduation, the TMC covers all respiratory care clinical domains. Passing at the "CRT cut score" earns the Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) credential. Passing at the higher "RRT cut score" qualifies you to take the CSE. **Clinical Simulation Examination (CSE):** The CSE evaluates clinical reasoning in complex patient scenarios. Passing the CSE combined with the RRT-level TMC score earns the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential. Florida accepts both CRT and RRT for state licensure. However, the majority of Florida hospital employers — particularly in competitive urban markets — require the RRT for most clinical positions. Pursuing the full RRT credential before applying for Florida hospital positions is strongly recommended. The CRT alone will limit you primarily to outpatient, long-term care, or entry-level community hospital positions. Register for NBRC exams at nbrc.org. ### Step 3: Apply for Your Florida License Florida RT licenses are issued by the Florida Department of Health's Medical Quality Assurance (MQA) division. Applications are submitted through the MQA's online licensing portal. **Florida RT license application requirements:** - Completed online application through MQA (flhealthsource.gov or healthprofessions.doh.state.fl.us) - Official NBRC certificate or primary-source verification (CRT or RRT both accepted) - Official transcripts from your CoARC-accredited program - Application fee of approximately $75–$100 (confirm current fee on the MQA website — Florida fees are set by statute and subject to change with legislative sessions) - Social Security number (required for Florida health professional license applications) - Disclosure of prior disciplinary actions, criminal history, and substance use history (Florida has detailed background disclosure requirements) Florida MQA is a high-volume agency processing licenses for dozens of healthcare professions. Processing times for complete applications typically run 4–8 weeks. Florida has a license status verification tool where you can track your application status online. Florida licenses are issued without an expiration date at issuance — the license becomes active on the issue date and must be renewed on a 2-year cycle. **Interstate endorsement:** Florida participates in endorsement processes for RTs licensed in other states. You can apply using your primary-state license as the basis, submitting verification through MQA's endorsement pathway. Florida is a popular destination state for healthcare professional relocations, and the endorsement process is well-established. ### CRT vs. RRT: Which Do You Need in Florida? Florida technically allows state licensure with the **CRT** as the minimum credential. However, this has limited practical value for hospital-based employment, where RRT is almost universally required. **CRT is typically sufficient for:** - Long-term acute care (LTACH) facilities for some roles - Skilled nursing facilities and rehabilitation hospitals for some positions - Outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation programs - Home health respiratory therapy services (some positions) - Entry-level community hospital positions where the employer has agreed to support progression to RRT **RRT is required for:** - ICU and critical care positions at virtually all Florida hospitals - NICU and pediatric critical care - Emergency department respiratory care - Specialty positions (ECMO, pulmonary diagnostics, cardiothoracic) - Most positions at large health systems (AdventHealth, HCA Florida, BayCare, Jackson Health) The practical recommendation: obtain your RRT before applying for Florida hospital positions. The CRT may get you a state license, but it will not get you an ICU or ED position at most Florida hospitals. ### Continuing Education Requirements Florida RT licenses are renewed on a 2-year cycle. Renewal requires **30 contact hours of continuing education** completed during the license period. Florida's CE requirements for RT licensure are set by statute and may include mandated subject areas. Current Florida RT CE requirements include: - Medical error prevention training (typically 2 hours) — mandatory for Florida healthcare licenses - A human trafficking awareness course (1 hour) — required for Florida health professions - HIV/AIDS awareness (if not previously completed) - Remaining hours from AARC-approved, NBRC-recognized, or other Florida-approved CE providers Because Florida mandates specific CE topics for healthcare license renewal (unlike many states that allow free-choice CE), verify the current mandatory CE topics on the MQA website each renewal cycle. Meeting only the hour requirement without completing the mandatory topics is a common renewal error. CE can be completed through AARC programs, Florida Society for Respiratory Care (FSRC) events, online CE providers, hospital in-service programs with documented CE credit, and accredited academic coursework. ### Florida Respiratory Therapist Salary Ranges Florida is a large state with significant geographic variation in RT compensation, reflecting both cost-of-living differences and local healthcare labor market conditions. **Tampa Bay Area (Tampa/St. Petersburg/Clearwater):** - Entry-level RRT: $56,000–$66,000/year - Mid-career staff RT (3–7 years): $64,000–$76,000/year - Senior/specialty RT (ACCS, ECMO, NPS): $73,000–$88,000/year - Travel RT in Tampa market: $1,900–$2,500/week all-in **Orlando Metro:** - Entry-level RRT: $55,000–$65,000/year - Mid-career RT: $63,000–$75,000/year - Senior RT: $72,000–$86,000/year - Travel RT in Orlando: $1,900–$2,600/week (high-volume seasonal market) **Miami / South Florida:** - Entry-level RRT: $56,000–$67,000/year - Mid-career RT: $65,000–$78,000/year - Senior RT: $74,000–$90,000/year **Jacksonville:** - Entry-level RRT: $52,000–$62,000/year - Mid-career RT: $60,000–$72,000/year - Senior RT: $68,000–$80,000/year **Travel RT demand in Florida:** Florida is one of the most active travel RT markets in the country. The state's large retired population, high seasonal census fluctuations (particularly in South Florida, where winter population influx strains hospital capacity), and year-round tourism mean that travel RT assignments are consistently available. Florida is a top-5 travel RT destination nationally. ### Top Employers **AdventHealth (Orlando / Central Florida / Statewide)** — AdventHealth is one of Florida's largest health systems, with its flagship campuses in the Orlando area and a statewide network of hospitals. It is consistently one of the top RT employers in Florida and operates advanced programs in critical care, ECMO, and pediatric respiratory care. **HCA Florida (Statewide)** — HCA Healthcare's Florida division operates dozens of hospitals across the state, from the Panhandle to South Florida. As one of the largest private hospital networks in Florida, HCA Florida is a major employer of RTs across multiple acuity levels and markets. **BayCare Health System (Tampa Bay)** — BayCare is the dominant health system in the Tampa Bay area, operating St. Joseph's Hospital, Tampa General (through partnerships), Morton Plant, Mease, and other facilities. It is the largest RT employer in the Tampa Bay market. **Jackson Health System (Miami-Dade)** — Jackson is the public academic health system for Miami-Dade County, operating Jackson Memorial Hospital — a Level I trauma center and major tertiary care facility. Jackson employs a large RT department with significant critical care, trauma, and specialty program coverage. **UF Health (Gainesville/Jacksonville)** — The University of Florida's academic health system operates major teaching hospitals in Gainesville and Jacksonville. Both campuses are significant RT employers with academic medical center-level specialty programs. **Nemours Children's Health (Orlando)** and **Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital (Hollywood)** — These pediatric specialty health systems are among Florida's top employers for NPS-credentialed and pediatric-specialty RTs.