Also known as ECG tech, EKG tech, and Cardiographic Technician, the Electrocardiogram Technician is a rather interesting part of the health care team, typically found in both public health care facilities and private. What makes them interesting is their specific focus on the heart and it’s electric properties. So…
What does an Electrocardiogram Technician do precisely? Well, to put it simply, they take electrocardiograms on patients. They take electrocardiograms on patients that record readings from the electrical currents of the heart, allowing various diagnosis to be made. The whole recording/monitoring process takes about 5 minutes and it involves the technician placing a series of electrodes on the patient.
So now you may be wondering, what does an Electrocardiogram Technician make for a salary? Well, the range depends on factors such as if you have had training/licensing, and the location that you live, but a general range is around $20,000 – $38,000. It’s a modest income considering the steps involved to become one.
So, how does one become an Electrocardiogram Technician? Traditionally, they have been “on the job trained”. This means that you can technically land the job without having any schooling or certification because by law, it’s not required. Many junior colleges do offer a training program for it though, lasting about two years, and this would probably make it much easier to get in the door as opposed to having no hospital work experience. Employers will almost always opt to hire internally over someone that is applying from no medical background history. With the junior college certification under belt, you can probably command a higher salary than if you were to be on the job trained too.
One thing that you might consider is this fact I found from a recent survey stating that as of 2004, nearly 75% percent of Electrocardiogram Technicians are employed in hospital settings. This may or may not be your cup of tea, but fear not, there are other careers to choose from in the list of medical careers.