This page compares two distinct NUCC-taxonomy specialties tracked by the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System: Registered Respiratory Therapist, which currently counts 4,205 enrolled providers across 54 U.S. states and territories, and SNF/Subacute Care Registered Respiratory Therapist, with 24 providers across 14 states. Each clinician on these rosters selected a primary NUCC code at NPI enrollment, so the totals measure how many providers self-identify their primary practice as Registered Respiratory Therapist or SNF/Subacute Care Registered Respiratory Therapist rather than the total population ever trained or credentialed in either field — dual-certified clinicians show up under whichever code they registered first.

On national volume, Registered Respiratory Therapist carries the larger provider roster (4,205 vs 24), and Registered Respiratory Therapist has the wider geographic footprint at 54 states versus 14. The top Registered Respiratory Therapist concentration sits in California (1,053 providers), while SNF/Subacute Care Registered Respiratory Therapist peaks in Florida (5). The per-capita columns in the table below normalize each state's raw count against 2023 Census population estimates, which matters because absolute provider counts track population scale first and specialty density second — a small state with a strong training pipeline can out-rank a larger state on per-100K availability.

Use this comparison to understand relative availability, not to judge clinical substitutability — Registered Respiratory Therapist and SNF/Subacute Care Registered Respiratory Therapist are distinct specialties with different scopes of practice, training requirements, and conditions they treat, even when their NUCC categories overlap. Important: PlainDoctor is a directory of publicly available CMS government data, not medical advice, a provider rating, or a recommendation about which specialty a patient should consult. Always work with a licensed clinician to determine which specialty is appropriate for your condition, verify any specific provider through the NPPES NPI Registry and the relevant state medical board, and consult the NUCC taxonomy documentation for the formal scope-of-practice definitions behind each specialty code.