| Weekly pay | Up to $2,600 on a 12x3 schedule of 36 hours per week |
|---|---|
| License | Montana RT license required (built on your NBRC credential), through the state Board of Respiratory Care Practitioners |
| Shifts | Varied shifts available |
| What sets it apart | Broad-scope respiratory care covering large rural territories from regional referral centers |
| Extras | Weekly pay and a dedicated recruiter. Stipend details vary by contract; your recruiter breaks down every package. Call (866) 680-2920. |
| Pay updated | June 2026 |
Respiratory therapy in Montana is a different job than it is in a big-city hospital, and it is worth understanding before you decide it is for you. Montana's healthcare runs on a hub-and-spoke model: regional referral centers anchor enormous rural territories, and the critical-access hospitals between them often run lean respiratory coverage for service areas larger than some eastern states. As a traveler here, you are frequently a key part of a small RT team, sometimes the RT on shift, covering a broad range of patients rather than a single specialized unit.
That breadth is the appeal for the right therapist. You will move between ER, ICU, floor therapy, and rapid responses in a single shift, lean on your full skill set, and matter visibly to a small team and the patients who often traveled hours to reach care. If you want to deepen one narrow niche, this is the wrong assignment. If you want to practice at the top of your scope and stay sharp across the board, few places stretch you like rural Montana.
We Care Staffing's current Montana RT contracts pay up to $2,600 a week on a 12x3 schedule, a real premium over the national respiratory therapist median of about $80,450 a year per BLS data, once tax-free stipends are counted. The reason is the same one that lifts other Montana allied rates: a small resident workforce, full clinical schedules, and the difficulty of recruiting therapists to relocate permanently to a rural state. Facilities close that gap by paying travelers well, and Montana's modest living costs mean more of that rate stays with you.
Your package pairs a taxable hourly wage with tax-free housing and meal stipends following GSA rates for travelers who keep a qualifying tax home. Montana's income tax is graduated with a top rate near 5.9%, applied only to your taxable base.
Taxable Base Rate
Competitive hourly wage
Housing Stipend
Tax-free, GSA-based rates
Meal Stipend
Tax-free daily allowance
Weekly Pay
Transparent breakdown every week
$2,600
Max Weekly Pay
~5.9%
Top State Tax
12x3
Schedule
Montana licenses respiratory therapists through the state Board of Respiratory Care Practitioners, built on your NBRC credential (RRT strongly preferred). The application is manageable, but start it before your contract search so the license is in hand when your assignment begins, and confirm the current steps with your recruiter.
As a travel respiratory therapist with We Care Staffing, you assess and treat patients with cardiopulmonary conditions: managing ventilators and airway support, drawing and interpreting ABGs, delivering aerosol and oxygen therapies, responding to rapid responses and codes, and educating patients on chronic conditions. Montana contracts reward versatility, since you will often cover ER, ICU, and floor therapy across a single shift.
We Care Staffing places respiratory therapists across Montana's regional referral centers and its critical-access and community hospitals. Demand concentrates around Billings, Missoula, and Bozeman, with steady needs in the smaller rural facilities that depend most on travelers.
"As a new grad, I was nervous, but We-Care supported me. They landed me my first job in a supportive environment. Thank you!"
Brandon Lee
RN
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