What does an echo technician do?
An echo technician is responsible for operating specialized equipment to develop ultrasound images of patients' hearts, diagnosing possible illnesses, and monitoring their conditions. Echo technicians carefully explain the process to the patients, assist the physicians in data interpretation, and ensuring that the image document was stored and developed properly for reference. They also inspect the machine and equipment's efficiency for operations and immediately call for repairs for any defects and malfunctions that may cause inaccuracies in the results.
Echo technician responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real echo technician resumes:
- Assist with placement and manage intra-aortic balloon pumps.
- Perform cardiac defibrillation, CPR, and initiate invasive procedures on patients in cardiac arrest.
- Utilize 2D , 3D, m-mode, and color Doppler.
- Perform EKG's and treadmill stress testing.
- Perform stress echo's, dobutamine stress echo's and bubble studies.
- Assist physician with echo stress tests as well as treadmill only studies.
- Conduct adult and pediatric echoes as well as Dobutamine stress tests and stress echoes.
- Clean and maintain all clinical equipment in compliance with ICAEL and ICAVL accreditation and office standards.
- Apply 12 lead ECG exams in addition to Holter monitor application and retrieval both in house and on outpatients.
- Demonstrate proficiency in taking patient medical histories and vital signs, as well as operating electrocardiogram (EKG) equipment.
- Perform echocardiography procedures to include M-mode/2D imaging, color Doppler, cardiac Doppler
- Co-developed stress echocardiography program using both supine bicycle and conventional treadmill methods.
- Pull intravenous catheter from post-operative patients after running blood test to assure blood has coagulate.
- Contribute to maintenance of ICAEL accreditation by continuously adhering to protocol standards and correlating echocardiogram studies for submission.
- Used CPR skills when need.
Echo technician skills and personality traits
We calculated that 19% of Echo Technicians are proficient in Patients, BLS, and Echocardiography. They’re also known for soft skills such as Detail oriented, Hand-eye coordination, and Interpersonal skills.
We break down the percentage of Echo Technicians that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 19%
Functioned effectively and independently under stress and working with trauma patients.
- BLS, 10%
Certified in BLS for Healthcare Providers CPR and AED.
- Echocardiography, 10%
Performed echocardiography procedures to include M-mode/2D imaging, color Doppler, cardiac Doppler
- Echocardiogram, 9%
Generate preliminary echocardiogram reports utilizing Synapse Cardiovascular digital reporting system.
- Patient Care, 8%
Assisted in maintaining supply inventory to ensure availability for patient care.
- Cardiology, 6%
Use GE Vivid 7, Phillips I33 and HP5500 Desert Regional Medical Center, Cardiology Department, Palm Springs, CA.
Most echo technicians use their skills in "patients," "bls," and "echocardiography" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential echo technician responsibilities here:
Detail oriented. One of the key soft skills for an echo technician to have is detail oriented. You can see how this relates to what echo technicians do because "diagnostic medical sonographers and cardiovascular technologists and technicians must follow precise instructions to obtain the images needed to diagnose and treat patients." Additionally, an echo technician resume shows how echo technicians use detail oriented: "perform high quality detailed adult echocardiograms in an acute hospital care setting. "
Hand-eye coordination. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling echo technician duties is hand-eye coordination. The role rewards competence in this skill because "to get quality images, diagnostic medical sonographers and cardiovascular technologists and technicians must accurately move equipment on the patient’s body in response to what they see on the screen." According to an echo technician resume, here's how echo technicians can utilize hand-eye coordination in their job responsibilities: "assist in coordination of scheduling patients and sending test reports. "
Physical stamina. A big part of what echo technicians do relies on "physical stamina." You can see how essential it is to echo technician responsibilities because "diagnostic medical sonographers and cardiovascular technologists and technicians stand for long periods and must be able to lift and move patients who need assistance." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical echo technician tasks: "obtain and record accurate patient history, including prior test results or information from physical examinations. "
Technical skills. Another common skill required for echo technician responsibilities is "technical skills." This skill comes up in the duties of echo technicians all the time, as "diagnostic medical sonographers and cardiovascular technologists and technicians must understand how to operate complex machinery and computerized instruments." An excerpt from a real echo technician resume shows how this skill is central to what an echo technician does: "work at a technical level, using echocardiography ultrasound equipment to produce high quality test results. "
The three companies that hire the most echo technicians are:
- Aya Healthcare434 echo technicians jobs
- MedPro Healthcare Staffing148 echo technicians jobs
- HealthTrust91 echo technicians jobs
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Compare different echo technicians
Echo technician vs. Cardiovascular sonographer
A cardiovascular sonographer specializes in operating non-invasive imaging equipment to help physicians in diagnosing and treating cardiovascular issues. They conduct imaging test procedures and assist patients by answering questions, preparing them for the tests, helping them understand the process, providing step-by-step instructions, and making them feel at ease the entire time. They are also responsible for evaluating the images, utilizing their knowledge to sort out abnormalities detected. Moreover, as a cardiovascular sonographer, it is essential to produce accurate results, all while maintaining a transparent and open communication line with physicians and nurses.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an echo technician are more likely to require skills like "cardiology," "cardiac ultrasound," "color doppler," and "compassion." On the other hand, a job as a cardiovascular sonographer requires skills like "rdcs," "exam," "vascular ultrasound," and "rvt." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
On average, cardiovascular sonographers reach similar levels of education than echo technicians. Cardiovascular sonographers are 1.5% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Echo technician vs. Sonographer
A Sonographer performs diagnostic procedures using sonographic equipment. Their duties include preparing patients, explaining the exam, and performing the procedure.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real echo technician resumes. While echo technician responsibilities can utilize skills like "bls," "echocardiography," "cardiology," and "cardiac ultrasound," sonographers use skills like "sonography," "ardms," "ultrasound procedures," and "radiology."
On average, sonographers earn a higher salary than echo technicians. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, sonographers earn the most pay in the technology industry with an average salary of $94,516. Whereas echo technicians have higher pay in the health care industry, with an average salary of $76,322.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Sonographers tend to reach similar levels of education than echo technicians. In fact, they're 1.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Echo technician vs. Cardiovascular invasive specialist
A cardiovascular invasive specialist works together with physicians in diagnosing and treating cardiovascular conditions. They primarily assist in different cardiac procedures, ensuring operations run smoothly and efficiently. Their responsibilities usually include gathering and studying the patients' records, operating and adjusting imaging equipment, setting-up facilities, preparing the patients for cardiac intervention and catheterization, and interpreting imaging data, coordinating with physicians at all times. Moreover, they monitor the patients' heart rate, blood pressure, and other waveforms, all while maintaining accurate records.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from echo technician resumes include skills like "echocardiography," "echocardiogram," "patient care," and "cardiology," whereas a cardiovascular invasive specialist is more likely to list skills in "acls," "rcis," "cvt," and "cardiac cath lab. "
Cardiovascular invasive specialists earn the best pay in the professional industry, where they command an average salary of $79,740. Echo technicians earn the highest pay from the health care industry, with an average salary of $76,322.When it comes to education, cardiovascular invasive specialists tend to earn similar degree levels compared to echo technicians. In fact, they're 1.1% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Echo technician vs. Cardiovascular specialist
Even though a few skill sets overlap between echo technicians and cardiovascular specialists, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an echo technician might have more use for skills like "bls," "echocardiography," "cardiac ultrasound," and "m-mode." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of cardiovascular specialists require skills like "electrophysiology," "critical care," "health system," and "cardiovascular disease. "
In general, cardiovascular specialists hold similar degree levels compared to echo technicians. Cardiovascular specialists are 2.4% more likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of echo technician
Updated January 8, 2025
