ECG/EKG Technician Careers
Looking to get a better job and a better paying career? Then maybe you should look into becoming an EKG technician! And like other careers in healthcare, the demand for EKG technicians is expected to grow substantially over the next few years. And, on average, an ECG technicians earn around $42,000 a year. Some are paid as little as $29,000, and some are paid as much as $55,670 a year. But overall, ECG technicians experience job security and good pay. And the best part is, you do not need to have a bachelor's degree to become an ECG technician.
So what does an ECG technician do everyday? As an EKG technician, you are primarily responsible to perform ECGs (also called EKGs, which are both abbreviations of the word electrocardiogram) on patients. 75% of EKG technicians work in hospitals, and the other 25% work in physicians’ offices, and clinics. ECGs measure your heart's electrical activity, and help monitor a patient's overall health during surgery, as well as help diagnose heart diseases. EKGs are one of the most basic procedures performed in hospitals, so there is always a demand for EKG technicians. As an ECG technician, you will often have other duties as well including taking a patient's history, taking vital signs measurements, and explaining the EKG procedure. You will probably also perform Holter monitoring tests as well as stress tests. There are several ways to become a certified EKG technician.
Where do I find ECG/EKG Programs and Schools?
If you are already working in a hospital, for instance as a nurse's aide, you can become an EKG technician by getting on-the-job training, which will usually last anywhere from 8 to 16 weeks. You can also take electrocardiogram courses within two or four year long health care programs at your local community college. The four year programs are more specialized (i.e. paramedic, nursing) and generally are programs to acquire a professional license. However, you can also opt to choose more basic programs that are as short as eight weeks. For short programs such as these, the fee is often as low as $1,500-$3,000. But, if you can get on the job training, that is the easiest way to become an ECG technician, and it is free. However, you will need to do a little bit of research. Some states will require you to actually be certified as an EKG technician, whereas in other states don't have such a requirement.
Cardiovascular Technologist
ECG/EKG Schools Training - Programs ECG/EKG Technician - ECG/EKG Rhythm Tutorials
ECG/EKG Tech Schools Training - Classes - Certification
