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Army MOS Career Guide

68V — Respiratory Specialist:
Civilian Career Guide

A 68V can move into respiratory therapy, pulmonary function support, sleep lab support, ventilator transport, home respiratory care, and respiratory department leadership. Civilian practice depends on NBRC credentials, state licensure, employer competency, and documented experience with ventilators, blood gases, pulmonary procedures, and patient assessment.

Army MOS · official Chapter 10C entry verified
Civilian role fit depends on credentials, licenses, clearances, or employer requirements
BLS wage data checked against current public sources
Army Chapter 10C note
Chapter 10C describes 68V duties as assisting physicians with acute and chronic respiratory and cardiac care, receiving physician orders, assessing patients, documenting treatments, administering ordered drugs, troubleshooting treatment problems, ventilator care, pulmonary functions, blood gases, patient transport by air or land, CPR, blood gas machines, advanced procedures such as thoracentesis, bronchoscopy, and intubation assistance, sterilizing equipment, training, budgets, reports, liaison duties, compliance monitoring, and home care program supervision.
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Section 01

Top Civilian Role Matches for 68V

Respiratory Therapist Top civilian bridge
$59k – $104k

68V experience is a strong respiratory care foundation, but civilian respiratory therapist practice normally requires NBRC credentialing and state licensure. Translate Army duties into assessment, treatment setup, ventilator support, blood gas work, pulmonary function support, documentation, CPR, medication administration under orders, and troubleshooting. Employers need current license status, shift experience, patient populations, equipment, and safety record. Quantify treatments, ventilator transports, procedures assisted, reports, and personnel trained.

RespiratoryVentilatorLicensePatients
Demand improves when experience is translated into civilian requirements, evidence, tools, and measurable scope
Source: BLS Respiratory Therapists · Median $77,960 (May 2023)
Pulmonary Function Technician
$50k – $90k

Pulmonary function work named in Chapter 10C can support PFT technician roles when paired with employer training or credential plans. Civilian teams need patient preparation, test setup, calibration awareness, coaching, data quality, infection control, and documentation. State clearly whether you performed PFTs, assisted, or trained in the process. Strong resumes include test volume, equipment, patient types, quality checks, and escalation to respiratory therapists or physicians.

PFTTestingCalibrationDocumentation
Demand improves when experience is translated into civilian requirements, evidence, tools, and measurable scope
Source: BLS Respiratory Therapists · Median $77,960 (May 2023)
Ventilator Transport / Critical Care Support
$58k – $105k

68V duties include continuous ventilator care and transporting patients needing ventilator support by air or land. That experience can fit critical care transport support, home ventilator support, or hospital respiratory roles when licensing is current. Employers need airway safety awareness, equipment checks, documentation, handoffs, and calm troubleshooting. Do not imply independent advanced practice. Show supervised scope, equipment, transport volume, and emergency response experience.

VentilatorTransportCritical careHandoffs
Demand improves when experience is translated into civilian requirements, evidence, tools, and measurable scope
Source: BLS Respiratory Therapists · Median $77,960 (May 2023)
Sleep Lab / Durable Medical Equipment Respiratory Support
$48k – $85k

Respiratory assessment, home care program supervision, equipment troubleshooting, and patient instruction can support sleep lab or respiratory DME roles. Employers need patient education, device setup, compliance downloads, mask fitting, documentation, and referral coordination. This path may be attractive for veterans who want respiratory work outside acute hospital shifts. Credential expectations vary, so verify state and employer requirements.

SleepDMEPatient educationDevices
Demand improves when experience is translated into civilian requirements, evidence, tools, and measurable scope
Source: BLS Respiratory Therapists · Median $77,960 (May 2023)
Respiratory Department Lead
$75k – $120k

Senior 68V duties include training respiratory personnel, budgets, technical reports, liaison work, compliance monitoring, care coordination, home care programs, and advanced training programs. That can support lead therapist or department supervisor roles after civilian credentialing and experience. Employers need staffing, policy adherence, quality metrics, equipment readiness, and interdisciplinary communication. Quantify staff trained, treatments, compliance findings, reports, and program improvements.

LeadershipTrainingComplianceReports
Demand improves when experience is translated into civilian requirements, evidence, tools, and measurable scope
Source: BLS Respiratory Therapists · Median $77,960 (May 2023)
Section 02

Transferable Strengths: What Civilian Employers Actually See

Credential-Aware Patient or Public Safety
Civilian employers value Army medical experience when it is paired with honest credential language, documented scope, and safety habits that protect patients, animals, or communities.
Inspection and Documentation Discipline
These MOSs produce records, reports, histories, treatment notes, lab results, surveys, and quality checks that other professionals rely on.
Calm Work Under Pressure
Clinical, behavioral, veterinary, respiratory, and preventive medicine settings all require steady communication when urgency, discomfort, risk, or uncertainty is present.
Cross-Functional Coordination
The civilian value includes working with providers, commanders, veterinarians, public health staff, lab teams, families, and outside agencies without losing track of procedures.
Training and Program Support
NCO-level duties often include training, budgets, reports, SOPs, equipment, and program evaluation. That turns hands-on experience into leadership value.
Section 03

Common Mistakes 68Vs Make in the Civilian Job Search

01
Overstating Licensure or Clinical Authority
Military experience supports a civilian case, but state licenses, boards, registries, and employer policies still control regulated healthcare roles.
02
Leaving Out Records and Quality Checks
Patient care or inspection duties sound stronger when paired with documentation, quality control, safety checks, reports, and follow-up actions.
03
Writing a Long Duty Dump
A civilian reader needs the problem, setting, scope, tools, and result. Condense Army tasks into readable functions and measurable outcomes.
Section 04

Certifications and Bridges That Matter for 68V

Basic Life Support
Cost Pricing varies by training centerTime Usually same-day courseFormat Healthcare provider CPR

AHA BLS is commonly required by healthcare employers; local training prices vary.

Hiring baseline · Expected in many clinical settings
State or Registry Credential
Cost Varies by state or boardTime Eligibility and exam rules applyFormat Civilian credential

Civilian healthcare roles are controlled by state boards, registries, and employers, so verify the exact target role before paying.

Legal gate · Required for regulated practice
FEMA Independent Study / NIMS
Cost Free for eligible online learnersTime Self-pacedFormat Emergency management courses

FEMA EMI lists Independent Study courses as free of charge for those who qualify.

Preparedness bridge · Useful for clinical emergency support
Section 05

Resume Translation: From 68V to Civilian Language

Translate the Army specialty into civilian functions, systems, scale, credential status, and measurable outcomes.

Before: Vague military language
Served as Army 68V. Supported operations, completed assigned tasks, followed procedures, trained personnel, and maintained readiness.
After: Civilian language that gets callbacks
Supported respiratory care by receiving physician orders, assessing patients, gathering equipment, documenting treatments, administering ordered medications within scope, troubleshooting treatment issues, supporting continuous ventilator care, performing pulmonary function and blood gas-related tasks, transporting ventilated patients, assisting advanced pulmonary procedures, maintaining respiratory equipment, training medical personnel, preparing technical reports, coordinating care requests, and supporting compliance, home care, and respiratory department operations.
68V resume formula
Start with the civilian function, not the unit name.
Name systems, equipment, records, people, inspections, cargo, patients, assets, or stakeholders.
Separate hands-on execution from supervision, quality control, training, reporting, and planning.
Show the environment: clinic, field site, port, railhead, shop, warehouse, recruiting station, or maintenance bay.
State credential status honestly: earned, eligible, pursuing, required, state-specific, clearance-based, or employer-specific.
Always quantify: people supported, inspections, repairs, records, shipments, interviews, reports, equipment value, cycle time, readiness, or errors reduced.
Sources checked June 14, 2026: BLS Respiratory Therapists, credential issuing organization pages named in the certification section, and the Army Chapter 10C enlisted MOS specification Markdown working copy.
Section 06

68V Civilian Career FAQs

What civilian jobs fit 68V experience best?
Strong matches include respiratory therapist, pulmonary function technician, ventilator transport support, sleep lab technician, respiratory DME support, and respiratory department lead.
Does 68V grant civilian respiratory therapist licensure?
No. Civilian practice normally requires NBRC credentials and state licensure. 68V experience is relevant clinical preparation, but the civilian license must be verified separately.
What should 68V quantify?
Quantify treatments, ventilator patients, transports, blood gas work, PFTs, CPR events, equipment maintained, personnel trained, reports, and compliance improvements.
Which credential matters most for 68V?
NBRC and state respiratory care licensure matter most for respiratory therapist roles. BLS, ACLS, PALS, and NRP can help depending on setting and employer requirements.
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