How Long Does It Take to Become an EKG Tech?
Jan 18, 2024
In order to become an EKG Technician, it's crucial that you attend a program that provides all the knowledge, experience, and skillset you need to do the job properly.
According to the NHA (National Healthcareer Association), 87% of employers require or encourage certification for EKG technicians.
How long is EKG tech school? What should you expect from the course materials itself? An EKG Technician program is a must-have if you're considering a career in this field. Let's take a look at the typical EKG tech school length.
Table of Contents
- Understanding the role of an EKG technician
- Process of becoming an EKG technician
- What is the job outlook for EKG technicians?
- What is the salary range for an EKG technician?
“National Healthcare Association (NHA) states that EKG technician training programs typically take 3 to 6 months to complete. ”
Understanding the role of an EKG technician
EKG technicians are an important part of the medical workforce. As a certified EKG Technician, you'll be responsible for a variety of necessary tasks that help with cardiac anatomy and conditions specifically.
Depending on your specialism, and the experience you have through EKG Technician training, you may deal with a variety of patients such as unborn, pediatric, and adult patients.
“According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Diagnostic medical sonographers and cardiovascular technologists and technicians operate special equipment to create images or to conduct tests.”
Before you know the typical EKG tech school length, it's worth understanding what responsibilities come with the job itself. What can you expect from an EKG technician role? Here are a few of the responsibilities that you'll typically find yourself with as an EKG Technician when it comes to the job descriptions.
- Obtain information for EKG records.
- Measuring basic vital signs.
- Conduct an electrocardiogram machine and measure electrocardiography tests.
- Proficient in the use of the EKG machine.
- Instructing patients on performing physical exercise as instructed by physicians.
- Identify any abnormal heart rhythms.
- Knowledge of medical terminology.
Skills for an EKG technician
- Excellent verbal and communication skills.
- Patient care.
- Medical terminology.
- Scheduling and customer service.
Process of becoming an EKG technician
As a wannabe EKG Technician, you'll want to do your due diligence and find the course that's best suited for your needs and financial requirements. The training program will often require you to gain experience in certain environments like medical and diagnostic laboratories for example.
In order to become certified, you'll need to take a certification exam. To ensure you pass, study hard, memorize everything from the program, and get a good night's rest the night before. An EKG certification is imperative in order to pursue a career as an EKG Technician.
When it comes to EKG tech school length, our program is designed to offer you everything you need to know and a quick turnaround to achieve certification.
What is the job outlook for EKG technicians?
According to the U.S Bureau of Labor, the outlook for EKG technicians is fairly positive. Of course, the medical field will always be needed and therefore you're likely to find great stability in an EKG technician role.
As a certified EKG Technician cet, the median pay for $78,210 per year or $37.60 per hour. As of 2022, there were 142,800 EKG technicians jobs. There's projected to be 10% rise in the job outlook between 2022-2032. That's a faster rate than average compared to other medical jobs.
What is the salary range for an EKG technician?
The salary range of EKG technicians vary depending on the level of training you have and where you choose to work. An EKG technician's salary in Florida, for example, is between $42,000 and $50,000 per year
As far as other salaries go, an EKG technician salary is one not to be sniffed at. The average salary for this role as of 2022 is $78,210 per year. That's a substantial amount that many individuals looking to train in a certain area of healthcare would likely be interested in pursuing.
