Licensing guide · Alberta

How to Become a Respiratory Therapist in Alberta

Last checked 1 source checkedNOC 32103

Do you need a licence?

Licence required

You must be registered with the College of Respiratory Therapists of Alberta to work as a respiratory therapist in Alberta or to use a protected title.

Protected titles
Not listed in the sources checked
Show the source
“Under Alberta’s Health Professions Act [pdf], Health Professions Restricted Activity Regulation [pdf], and Respiratory Therapists Profession Regulation [pdf], registration with the College of Respiratory Therapists of Alberta (CRTA) is mandatory.”

From alis.alberta.ca/occinfo/certifications-in-alberta/respiratory-thera..., checked October 10, 2026.

At a glance

Licence status
Licence required See the source
Routes
Annual fees
Not stated by the regulator Check with CRTA

Your roadmap

Every route is listed. Follow the one that matches where you trained.

Trained in Canada

  • 3 steps without a listed fee

  1. The applicant must successfully complete an approved education program.

    Source
    “Successful completion of an approved education program”
    alis.alberta.ca/occinfo/certifications-in-alberta/respiratory-thera...

  2. The applicant must successfully complete an approved examination.

    Source
    “Successful completion of an approved examination”
    alis.alberta.ca/occinfo/certifications-in-alberta/respiratory-thera...

  3. The applicant must provide two declarations of personal character.

    Source
    “2 declarations of personal character”
    alis.alberta.ca/occinfo/certifications-in-alberta/respiratory-thera...

Listed fees for this route

No one-time fees listed by the regulator for these steps Check with CRTA

3 steps without a listed fee, so the total may not be the full cost.

Official page for this route

Licensed in another province

  • 1 step without a listed fee

  1. The applicant must be registered by and in good standing with a regulatory body elsewhere in Canada to be eligible for registration in Alberta.

    Source
    “Respiratory therapists who are registered by and in good standing with a regulatory body elsewhere in Canada may be eligible for registration in Alberta.”
    alis.alberta.ca/occinfo/certifications-in-alberta/respiratory-thera...

Listed fees for this route

No one-time fees listed by the regulator for these steps Check with CRTA

1 step without a listed fee, so the total may not be the full cost.

Official page for this route

Trained outside Canada

  • 1 step without a listed fee

  1. The internationally educated applicant applies through the CRTA Foreign Qualification Recognition pathway.

    Source
    “Internationally educated respiratory therapists can apply through the CRTA Foreign Qualification Recognition pathway.”
    alis.alberta.ca/occinfo/certifications-in-alberta/respiratory-thera...

Listed fees for this route

No one-time fees listed by the regulator for these steps Check with CRTA

1 step without a listed fee, so the total may not be the full cost.

Official page for this route

Requirements

Conditions the regulator sets on top of the roadmap steps.

Education

Experience

Good character

Other

Already licensed in another province?

Not stated

The page states that respiratory therapists registered and in good standing elsewhere in Canada may be eligible for registration in Alberta, but does not say whether they can register without retaking the entry-to-practice exam or a competence assessment.

Source
“Respiratory therapists who are registered by and in good standing with a regulatory body elsewhere in Canada may be eligible for registration in Alberta.”
alis.alberta.ca/occinfo/certifications-in-alberta/respiratory-thera...

Processing time: Not stated by the regulator Check with CRTA

Check a move between two provinces

Credential assessment

Not stated by the regulator Check with CRTA

Exams

Language tests

Not stated by the regulator Check with CRTA

Compare scores across provinces and professions

Canadian experience

Not stated by the regulator Check with CRTA

Supervised practice

Required

A provisional respiratory therapist must work under the supervision of an RRT or approved regulated health professional.

Source
“Must work under the supervision of an RRT or approved regulated health professional”
alis.alberta.ca/occinfo/certifications-in-alberta/respiratory-thera...

Demand and pay

Job Bank figures for NOC 32103, Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists. Wages for 2023-2024 in Canadian dollars an hour; outlook for 2025-2027.

Job Bank wages and outlook in Alberta and Canada
WhereLowMedianHighOutlook
Alberta $41.63 $48.00 $56.00 Good (4 of 5)
Canada $30.16 $41.00 $51.00 —

Wages by region and job outlook in Alberta

Wages in every province and territory

Respiratory therapists in other provinces and territories

Regulated in all 12 other jurisdictions checked so far. The rules differ from one place to the next.

Compare respiratory therapist licensing across Canada

Sources checked

Pages read on October 10, 2026.

  1. Respiratory Therapist: Certifications in Alberta - alis alis.alberta.ca/occinfo/certifications-in-alberta/respiratory-thera... · fetched October 10, 2026

Frequently asked questions

2

Do you need a licence to work as a respiratory therapist in Alberta?

Yes. Registration with the College of Respiratory Therapists of Alberta is required to practise in Alberta.

Which exams are required?

approved examination.

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