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Job outlook for health care technicians in the United States
Health care technician job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected health care technician job growth rate is 9% from 2018-2028.
About 12,500 new jobs for health care technicians are projected over the next decade.
Health care technician salaries have increased 13% for health care technicians in the last 5 years.
There are over 89,918 health care technicians currently employed in the United States.
There are 173,122 active health care technician job openings in the US.
The average health care technician salary is $36,553.
Are health care technician jobs in demand?
Health care technician job and salary trends over time
Health care technician jobs over time
Health care technician job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 89,918 | 0.03% |
| 2020 | 79,481 | 0.02% |
| 2019 | 80,336 | 0.02% |
| 2018 | 84,725 | 0.03% |
| 2017 | 81,392 | 0.02% |
Average health care technician salary over time
Health care technician salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $36,553 | $17.57 | +3.7% |
| 2024 | $35,249 | $16.95 | +2.8% |
| 2023 | $34,299 | $16.49 | +3.8% |
| 2022 | $33,047 | $15.89 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | $32,317 | $15.54 | --0.5% |
Health care technician jobs by state
Most common states for health care technicians
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 296 | 43% |
| 2 | Vermont | 623,657 | 232 | 37% |
| 3 | Delaware | 961,939 | 342 | 36% |
| 4 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,869 | 34% |
| 5 | Alaska | 739,795 | 252 | 34% |
| 6 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,266 | 33% |
| 7 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 1,876 | 32% |
| 8 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 964 | 31% |
| 9 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 2,120 | 30% |
| 10 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 1,850 | 30% |
| 11 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 260 | 30% |
| 12 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 1,920 | 29% |
| 13 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 387 | 29% |
| 14 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 2,872 | 28% |
| 15 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 2,056 | 28% |
| 16 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,579 | 28% |
| 17 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 208 | 28% |
| 18 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 2,314 | 27% |
| 19 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 1,297 | 27% |
| 20 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 1,328 | 26% |
Most common cities for health care technicians
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Urbana | 2 | 5% | $36,886 |
| 2 | Pueblo | 4 | 4% | $37,251 |
| 3 | Gardena | 1 | 2% | $50,825 |
| 4 | Norwalk | 1 | 1% | $48,741 |
| 5 | Atlanta | 1 | 0% | $35,717 |
| 6 | Chicago | 1 | 0% | $37,047 |
| 7 | Cincinnati | 1 | 0% | $38,864 |
| 8 | Washington | 1 | 0% | $41,810 |
Health Care Technician job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of health care technician experts
University of North Florida
Stonehill College
Oklahoma State University - Oklahoma City
Springfield College
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
The University of Arizona
Pennsylvania Institute of Technology
Georgia Southern University
University of Baltimore
Erie Family Health Centers
Cambridge College
Idaho State University
Misericordia Home
Marywood University
Rollins College
San Juan Bautista School of Medicine
The University of Alabama at Birmingham
Animal Hospital of Towne Lake and Cat Clinic of Woodstock
Healthcare Technology Management
MGMA
What general advice would you give to a Health Care Technician?
Dr. Hanadi Hamadi: Data Analytics: - Big Data and Health Informatics: Understanding how to analyze and interpret data to improve patient outcomes and operational efficiency will be increasingly important. - Electronic Health Records (EHR): Proficiency in managing and utilizing EHR systems is crucial as these systems become more sophisticated. Technology Integration: - Telehealth: With the rise of telehealth, being adept at integrating and managing telehealth services will be a valuable skill. - Health IT: Familiarity with health care technologies, cybersecurity, and IT management will be essential as the industry becomes more digital.
Mitch Glavin
ProfessorStonehill College
Health And Medical Administrative Services
What general advice would you give to a Health Care Technician?
Mitch Glavin: Understand that you are the CEO of You, Inc. No one else will be there every step of the way investing a major amount of time and attention toward your growth and development over your working career. Develop the discipline to do periodic self-assessment of your progress towards both short-term and long-term career goals. If necessary, schedule appointments with yourself in your calendar every 6-9 months for this, and then take the time to actually do it.
Become an active and engaged member of 2-3 professional organizations for healthcare managers. This is certainly not a complete list, but examples include:
American College of Healthcare Executives
Healthcare Financial Management Association
Medical Group Management Association
Association for Healthcare Resource & Materials Management
National Association of Health Services Executives
National Association of Latino Healthcare Executives
Healthcare Businesswomen's Association
American College of Health Care Administrators
Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society
American Medical Informatics Association
These professional organizations connect you with peers across an array of organizations and via continuing education opportunities and other modes enable you to stay informed on emerging challenges and opportunities in your industry. They can also provide you (via formal programs or informal means) with matches to senior individuals who can aid you as valuable mentors as you go forward in your career journey. Your college's alumni can also be an important networking resource for you.
Be a regular reader of material from both traditional business sources (e.g., Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Bloomberg Business) and healthcare-specific sources (e.g., Becker's Hospital Review, Modern Healthcare, Kaiser Health News, FierceHealthcare.com).
What Health Care Technician skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Mitch Glavin: Good news! In 2022, U.S. News & World Report identified "Medical & Health Services Manager" as the #1 Best Business Job for this decade, based on projected growth in job opportunities and salaries.
An interesting trend to note involves more states and municipalities enacting laws that require employers to include salary information in job listings. Still, the descriptions for most positions available in most locations still do not include salary ranges. How then to proceed in such circumstances?
Do your research and negotiate! Recruiters and hiring managers are fully expecting candidates to negotiate and will not pull back on an offer because a candidate asked if the salary is negotiable. To be effective, however, you as a job candidate should research typical salaries for a specific job title, involving an experience level similar to your own, and in that geographic area (salaries can differ greatly by location). If the recruiter or hiring manager says the salary is negotiable or shows interest in the conversation, provide them a small salary range that you feel is both realistic and allows you to feel confident moving forward with the opportunity. At the same time, be prepared to back up your request by explaining what you plan to bring to the team. Refresh their minds as to what makes you their top choice and worthwhile of more money.
Do not sell yourself short. While you may think passing up the chance to boost your starting salary by a few thousand dollars is a relatively small concern, understand that often your raises in future years will be built off of the base salary at which you started. As a result, a small initial difference can compound into a big difference over years of work.
Finally, salary is not the only matter for negotiation. There are other things to consider, such as paid time off and tuition support for additional education and certifications.
{Acknowledgement: Andrew Leahy, Director of Career Development at Stonehill College, assisted with the response to #3.}
Penny Ridenour
Dean of School of Health SciencesOklahoma State University - Oklahoma City
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences
What general advice would you give to a Health Care Technician?
Penny Ridenour: In order to maximize your earnings, flexibility is key to fit the niche the employer needs. Intentionally accept assignments that will allow growth in a specialization. If possible, ask to shadow other professionals proficient in the specialization you desire.
What Health Care Technician skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Penny Ridenour: To differentiate yourself from the other new professionals entering healthcare after graduation, pay attention to the soft skills employers are looking for. Listening, empathy, and communication skills polish professional persona. Also, developing skills in resiliency will equip new professionals for a growing career in healthcare.
What will help Health Care Technicians increase their earning potential?
Penny Ridenour: It is important to be committed to lifelong learning as healthcare is innovative and dynamic. Technological proficiency will be vital in adapting to any new changes in the field.
Megan Harvey Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Health ScienceSpringfield College
School of Health Sciences
What skills stand out on Health Care Technician resumes?
Megan Harvey Ph.D.: Students who plan to go into the health care field need to have both determination and thick skin and the ability to be empathic and understand their patients. We've seen the way health care professionals are being treated change, even just in the past 5 years. It can be a hard balance to walk for health care professionals, to be both firm about evidence-based practice and empathetic and kind to their patients, but it's really the only way to achieve the best possible patient outcomes. I imagine that showing that you have worked in challenging health care situations is one way to show that you're developing this skill on your resume.
What soft skills should all Health Care Technicians possess?
Megan Harvey Ph.D.: Problem-solving is such an important skill. We need health care providers who think for themselves and attempt to answer their own questions, AND - that know how to balance that with asking for help when they need it.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Health Care Technicians?
Megan Harvey Ph.D.: Understanding documentation and electronic medical records are a must-have in health care these days!
What skills will help Health Care Technicians earn the most?
Megan Harvey Ph.D.: The highest earners are probably those who know how to set themselves apart from their peers and who are warm and approachable to their patients. You can't fake being a good health care provider, and you won't be a high earner in this field unless you're good at what you do. There's no shortcut for putting the time and effort in that it takes to truly care about getting the best outcome possible for your patient.
What skills will help Health Care Technicians earn the most?
Kurt Houser: Early on in your career, one should focus on mastering their technical work. If you can be a trusted subject matter expert, you'll need to develop the soft skills to lead people. As you rise in leadership positions, soft skills are by far the most important. A 2015 Carnegie Foundation Study showed that "85% of your financial success depends on your soft skills". I've found that to be clearly true.
Amanda Sokan Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of PracticeThe University of Arizona
Phoenix Campus Department
What skills stand out on Health Care Technician resumes?
Amanda Sokan Ph.D.: Further to my statement above - it will likely depend on the particular position. Perhaps generally - leadership, business skills/acumen for operations/business administration, & finance management, data analysis and management, quality assurance/control, skills that indicate prowess in relevant technical, technological, or digital skills. May also reflect current trends or industry needs, e.g., Population Health & Value-based Contract, Predictive Analytics: Big data in healthcare, Digital Health - The business of telemedicine/ the barriers of disseminating telemedicine, Data Analytics
What soft skills should all Health Care Technicians possess?
Amanda Sokan Ph.D.: A long list! In no particular order:
Communication (in its various forms - written, spoken, inter-personal and includes the art of listening); relationship management -teamwork (and associated skills like patience, responsibility, and accountability, self-management/control); leadership, mentoring, networking; problem-solving, critical thinking, diplomacy and tact, flexibility; decision- making - conflict resolution, negotiation skills; planning - time management, innovation, and creativity, self-motivation and work ethic; ethics - ethical judgment/managerial and professional non-verbal; cultural humility/commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and access; emotional intelligence, empathy, and humor, etc.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Health Care Technicians?
Amanda Sokan Ph.D.: Healthcare technology! Data analytics, digital technology, quality assurance/control, project management, personnel management, finance/accounting, etc.
What skills will help Health Care Technicians earn the most?
Amanda Sokan Ph.D.: That said, I think it will depend on many factors (demand, specialization required, location, experience, etc. see statement above). Also, new areas of interest emerge as the industry evolves. See again question one and statement regarding industry trends and needs.
Areas of interest to me - population aging, health technology assessment, digital health technology, precision health, data analytics, human resource management for competitive advantage, diversity and culture and health advocacy, population health.
Robyn Tarpley
Director of Health and Medical SciencesPennsylvania Institute of Technology
Health and Medical Sciences Department
What skills will help Health Care Technicians earn the most?
Robyn Tarpley: NHA cert- being assertive and professional.
Joey Crosby Ph.D.
Professor of Health Sciences, Program Director - Master of Health Administration (MHA)Georgia Southern University
Department of Health Sciences and Kinesiology
What soft skills should all Health Care Technicians possess?
Joey Crosby Ph.D.: Communications, emotional intelligence
What hard/technical skills are most important for Health Care Technicians?
Joey Crosby Ph.D.: Critical thinking/problem solving
What skills will help Health Care Technicians earn the most?
Joey Crosby Ph.D.: A mix of soft and hard skills.
Sepideh Soheilian Ph.D.
Assistant ProfessorUniversity of Baltimore
Division of Applied Behavioral Sciences
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Health Care Technician job market given the pandemic?
Sepideh Soheilian Ph.D.: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of mental health counselors is projected to grow 25% from 2019 to 2029, which is much greater than the average for all occupations. The pandemic has greatly affected the mental health of Americans due to the necessity to quarantine and/or keep a safe distance from others. Human beings are social by nature. Thus, social isolation can significantly impact stress levels and mental health. Additional ways that the pandemic has negatively affected mental health is via job loss as well as creating increased responsibilities for people while working virtually such as caring for children engaged in distance learning, or caring for the elderly. The aforementioned situations can be challenging and create stress for individuals, especially if they are unable to engage in appropriate self-care, or positive ways of coping in response to the new stresses in their lives. As such, my prediction is that there will be an even greater demand for mental health services due to the pandemic, consequently resulting in a greater need for mental health professionals.
What Health Care Technician skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Sepideh Soheilian Ph.D.: If a recent college graduate decides to take a gap year between their undergraduate studies and starting a master's program in Counseling Psychology, my advice would be to try their best to be exposed to or engage in either 1) experiences in the field of mental health, or 2) experiences that will strengthen their social science research skills. Engaging in these types of experiences such as working as an administrative assistant in a private practice, or volunteering on a psychiatric unit at a hospital will provide greater exposure to the field of mental health and hopefully, help the graduate determine if entering the mental health field would be the right fit for their career expectations, goals, and values.
Valeria J. Stokes RN, BSN, MSN, EdD
Vice President of Human ResourcesErie Family Health Centers
What general advice would you give to a Health Care Technician?
Valeria J. Stokes RN, BSN, MSN, EdD: Health care is a very robust sector for employment. There are many career choices available that have positions that range from clinical jobs such as first responders, physicians, nurses, and other clinical staff. Additionally, there are a variety of work environments such as military, education, hospitals, ambulatory care, health and surgical care centers, and community health centers as well as occupations that include emergency medical technicians, X-ray techs, nutritionists, pharmacists, occupational and physical therapists, and behavioral and mental health care specialists.
Individuals may enter healthcare employment without extensive formal education and receive on the job training as medical, lab, and patient care technicians. The COVID-19 pandemic has illustrated the value and importance of those persons working in health care, and the opportunities offer numerous choices for entry from basic high school education to that of collegiate and advanced education and training.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Health Care Technician job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Felisa Albert: Since this pandemic has shined a light on this country's history of racism and racial health disparities, I believe there will be an increase in the job market as it relates to health care, public service, and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). As society continues to become more diverse based on race and ethnicity and with racism no longer being ignored but instead called out, we are seeing an emergence of leaders of color not only in the health professions but also various businesses, organizations, and institutions that are committed to developing policies and practices rooted in racial and social justice.
What Health Care Technician skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Felisa Albert: If a graduate in the field of healthcare administration and other health professions wants to take a gap year, I would suggest he or she work on cultural awareness and sensitivity. Unquestionably, this is a skill set that is important across all areas of professions, but more importantly when working with people.
Cultural awareness encourages a person to learn about other cultures, practices, languages, traditions, and beliefs. When people are seeking to learn about other cultures, it creates the space for them to be open to those differences by learning and understanding at the level of both hearts and minds. Having this awareness will increase cultural sensitivity, which is only evident based on actions that are respectful, inclusive, and empowering for all.
Learning how to work with people is not learned by reading a book or passing a test. The only way to strengthen these interpersonal and cross-cultural skills is to practice outside of one's comfort zone and spend purposeful and meaningful time within different cultures. Also, one must be courageous enough to ask him or herself these questions:
-Why do I believe what I believe?
-Where do my biases come from?
-What has influenced my thinking about this thing?
-Why do I react the way I do when this happens?
When cultural awareness and sensitivity are viewed as part of social responsibility - intentional and practiced - it creates the space for intellectual diversity or, in other words, deepened conversations of exploration and learning of oneself. People can then share diverse ideas, thoughts, and perceptions about the ways intellectual diversity has informed, shaped, and changed their worldviews over time.
What general advice would you give to a Health Care Technician?
Dr. Felisa Albert: I would like graduates beginning their career to understand that their journey is not a race but a self-discovery journey. One might start off on one track and later on realize that path is no longer the one they want to pursue. If that happens, please remember: be patient, and believe in yourself and the process in order to clear the mind of self-doubt. The number one goal is to find what one is passionate about, what gives one energy, and what makes the soul happy.
Because everyone has gifts for the world, a person should take action steps to find out what those are by journaling, creating a vision board, meditating, praying, or brainstorming with those who one is familiar with and, more importantly, who can support the exploratory process in that moment. One must remember to always set goals, reach goals, make new goals, and repeat.
College gives the foundation, but now the real world is going to give the test. Embrace the challenge. Stay current and knowledgeable about the professions of choice. One shouldn't be afraid to ask questions and for help, so find a mentor or coach to help guide in the process. The world owes you nothing; therefore, understand there will be obstacles, so creating action plans are necessary to stay focused and to keep moving with a vision in place.
Velma Payne Ph.D.
Program Director of Health InformaticsIdaho State University
College of Health
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Health Care Technicians?
Velma Payne Ph.D.: The COVID pandemic confirms the need for skilled personnel in Health Informatics. Informatics is the 'Science of Information.' It involves presenting the right information to the right person at the right time in the right format to enable them to make the right decision (we call this the five rights).
Trained Health Informaticists are needed to capture and analyze data to make sense of this pandemic and present information that helps people deal with the difficult time we live in. It is essential to track the virus, identify the hot spots, determine the extent of community spread, analyze statistics on the number of cases and deaths, and provide information to various stakeholders to make informed decisions.
It is anticipated the pandemic will increase interest in Informatics and Data Analyst careers and result in more individuals pursuing formal training in Health Informatics.
The pandemic has warranted faculty and students the opportunity to have access to COVID data to analyze and perform empirical research and apply theory and concepts to real-world situations.
What type of skills will young Health Care Technicians need?
Velma Payne Ph.D.: Graduates will need strong analytical, technical, critical-thinking, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills. Understanding concepts of informatics, including data acquisition, information processing, and dissemination, is also critical. There are multiple avenues of pursuit in Health Informatics, including extraction and analysis of data from electronic health systems; development of healthcare applications for use by various users including providers, healthcare administrators, and patients; and analysis of health data to identify patterns and trends of diseases, diagnoses, and drug and treatment efficacy specific to patient populations. Interpersonal skills are necessary for teamwork, and written and oral communication skills are essential.
What experience really stands out on Health Care Technician resumes?
Velma Payne Ph.D.: Experience organizations look for include competency in Health Informatics and a strong foundation in data storage and extraction, knowledge of relational database management systems such as SQL Server, Microsoft Access, Oracle, etc., and query languages such as Structured Query Language (SQL). Analytical skills and statistical applications such as R, SAS, SPSS, and advanced Excel functions are crucial. Data dissemination and visualization skills using packages such as Power BI, Tableau, Excel, etc., is essential. Application development skills demonstrate the ability to develop systems for platforms such as the Internet, cloud, and mobile devices using languages and development tools such as Python, Microsoft .Net and Amazon AWS will make a candidate stand out. Although not imperative, it helps individuals interested in a Health Informatics career to know the healthcare system.
What general advice would you give to a Health Care Technician?
Abby Murray: Smile! The gesture of a simple smile is so important when exploring new opportunities and while working. Your future employer and co-workers want to work with friendly and positive employees.
What experience really stands out on Health Care Technician resumes?
Dr. Alice Elaine McDonnell: Primarily, their internship experience as well as any other project or applied assignments completed as a contribution to the community.
How do you envision technology impacting Health Care Technicians in the next 5 years?
Dr. Alice Elaine McDonnell: Technology will create more new job openings in the health care field. Advances in technology will require exciting positions as innovations are evident.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Health Care Technicians?
Dr. Alice Elaine McDonnell: As the field of public health presents new challenges/issues, professionals will be needed for wellness education and research. New leadership is needed for reinventing and strengthening our public health systems. Therefore, our graduates are going to be in demand to enhance progress and share a new vision for public health. Our graduates will need to respond more quickly to these challenges.
Shan- Estelle Brown
Assistant Professor Co-Coordinator, Global Health MinorRollins College
Department of Anthropology
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Health Care Technician job market given the pandemic?
Shan- Estelle Brown: Given the pandemic, there will be an increased demand for people working in healthcare to support/relieve the healthcare workers who are just so exhausted at this point - long-term job burnout among existing workers is something I'm concerned about, so we're going to need skilled people to step in as permanent substitutes in case some of these people retire early - that goes for any frontline position right now.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Health Care Technicians in the next 3-5 years?
Shan- Estelle Brown: Ultimately, technologies to help people connect and stay connected to each other are going to continue to be terribly important, during and after the pandemic, but I also think tools to help us think about the novel and creative solutions to problems will also grow in popularity. I certainly want to advocate here for ethnography as a research method that requires active listening and observation, participant observation, and interacting with people in order to deeply understand them. This method is particularly useful for understanding beliefs and behaviors in any local context.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Health Care Technicians in the next 5 years?
Shan- Estelle Brown: I see an increase in demand for Anthropology graduates, but the onus is still going to be on the graduates to translate their knowledge and skills to their future careers. Anthropology students know quite a bit about the big problems facing humanity and know a lot about the need for empathy. It's empathy, critical thinking, and knowledge of the culture that anthropology students use and understand that will be really important in the next five years for contributing to community resilience in the years post-COVID-19, especially since another pandemic will come.
Dr. Jorge Pérez Rivera
Full Professor and DirectorSan Juan Bautista School of Medicine
Department of Anatomy
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Health Care Technician job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Jorge Pérez Rivera: Growth in health care fields from technicians to MD's, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and information technology specialists
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Health Care Technicians in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Jorge Pérez Rivera: Improvements in the transmission of information, distance teaching and learning, digital technology to augment the absence/reduction of cadaveric dissections.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Health Care Technicians in the next 5 years?
Dr. Jorge Pérez Rivera: Right now, there is a need for trained professionals to teach Anatomy, Physiology, and Anatomy/Physiology to all of the professionals that will be needed. This need will grow exponentially as the demand for the professional's increases.
What are the best companies to work for a Health Care Technician?
Trenton Cleghern: It would be hard to say the best "companies." Optometrists work in various practices ranging from private practice, hospital, commercial, and academic institutions. It depends on what you are looking for in your career. I would say the rules that allow you to practice high-quality medical eye care are the best practices.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Health Care Technicians in the next 5 years?
Trenton Cleghern: You would expect an increase in demand in the next five years due to the aging population. As the population ages, you see more cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and other eye diseases.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Health Care Technicians to find work opportunities?
Trenton Cleghern: There is a significant need for optometrists in rural areas.
Jamie Rauscher RVT
Medical ManagerAnimal Hospital of Towne Lake and Cat Clinic of Woodstock
What general advice would you give to a Health Care Technician?
Jamie Rauscher RVT: I would advise new graduates to look at their career as a whole. Do not get bogged down in the negativity of so many others. You will be told everything from you cannot survive on your own salary, the pay is terrible, clients are ungrateful, you will become burnt out within the first 5 years, etc. All that is part of a negative mindset. I have been in the field for 25 years. I love it. I have earned the salary I make due to hard work and determination. I am constantly looking for ways to grow myself, so I will be able to develop my career into what I am physically able to do, as well as mentally as I age. I can help to support my family, even if I was not able to have my husband's income to add in, I would be able to take care of myself and my son with no problem.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Health Care Technician job market given the pandemic?
Danielle C. McGeary: The job market for Medical Equipment Repairers, more commonly referred to as Biomedical Equipment Technicians (BMETs), will exponentially continue to grow, given the pandemic. Patients don't often think about everything that goes on behind the scenes in a hospital, but BMETs are critical to making sure a modern hospital works, and this job occupation became prevalent in this most recent pandemic, since COVID-19, a respiratory virus, amplified the vital need for safe and functional life supporting technology, such as ventilators so critically ill people could have access to the care they desperately needed. BMETs can be found in every hospital in the United States and across the world. BMETs are subject matter experts for fixing, troubleshooting, and testing medical devices, and many have received specialized training from medical equipment manufacturers on the proper use and maintenance of these devices. Additionally, BMETs are a critical knowledge base for equipment planning, purchase, installation, maintenance, troubleshooting, and on-call technical support.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, BMETs have been working alongside of doctors and nurses by helping to set-up and test ventilators and other critical medical equipment, find creative solutions through health technology to minimize clinician expose to the virus, help source and find medical equipment that was in dire need, and quickly help create and stand up new care units, specifically for COVID-19 patients. BMETs have been working long hours alongside clinicians in hospitals this entire pandemic, and have proven their presence is essential to a safe and functioning hospital. With the advent of new technologies, such as telehealth, that allow patients to receive care from their homes, BMETs will be at the forefront of the implementation of these health technologies to ensure it is secure, functional, and seamlessly integrates with existing technologies.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Health Care Technicians in the next 3-5 years?
Danielle C. McGeary: It's a really exciting time to consider a career as a BMET since COVID-19 has really redefined how healthcare system's deliver care. With the growth of existing telehealth programs and the emphasis of "Hospital at Home", BMETs will be at the forefront of implementing and supporting these technologies. The term medical equipment repairer, greatly underscores all that these highly skilled professionals do for hospitals. Medical devices are no longer stand-alone; they are now all part of networked systems that talk to one another. This is how your health information gets from a medical device to an app on your phone. BMETs work hand-in-hand with hospital IT departments to ensure this all works. And as technology continues to expand outside hospital walls, BMETs are essential to the future state of telemedicine as a permanent fixture of the U.S. healthcare system. BMETs will also play a large role in supporting other emerging technologies in healthcare such as virtual reality (VR), artificial intelligence (AI), surgical robots, and 3D printing.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Health Care Technicians in the next 5 years?
Danielle C. McGeary: The Medical Device industry is currently valued at $173 billion in the United States and is projected to grow to $208 billion by 2023 causing the need for BMETs to also grow. Technology that hospitals depend on is always changing and expanding and; therefore, there is always a steady demand for BMETs. If you choose this career path, you WILL get a job. Additionally, the BMET field is also facing the threat of an aging workforce as 60% of BMETs are over the age of 50. When you combine the aging workforce with the continuous changes and growth in health technologies, the need for BMETs in the next 5 year is astronomical.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Health Care Technician job market given the pandemic?
Andrew Hajde: The pandemic in 2020 has caused many employers to tighten their belts. This will mean fewer new healthcare practices, locations, and therefore, job opportunities. There will also temporarily be more competition for any management level openings due to some workers being displaced from their current jobs because of personal or work related circumstances. A similar situation happened during the 2008 financial crisis in which there was an influx of applicants for open positions, which in some cases favored those with higher levels of education, certifications, and experience.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Health Care Technicians in the next 3-5 years?
Andrew Hajde: If I had to pick one I would probably say virtual visits and monitoring, but likely all of the below.
-A continued increase of technologies to meet face-to-face virtually via Zoom, Teams, Duo or other methods will become the norm with less travel for meetings that don't require someone being present in person.
-Telehealth is also here to stay and patients will expect care where and when they need it, this will become even more prevalent over the next few years.
-There will also be an increase of remote monitoring, wearable, and home-based technologies so patients and doctors can keep close tabs on patients, even without them being seen in person.
-I would also expect new advancements in the ability to diagnose and treat patients through the use of A.I. and other evolving technologies.
-Patient portals and quick and easy access to schedule appointments, complete paperwork, check in, pay outstanding bills, the ability to quickly view test results and medical records will be expected, in addition to increased interoperability between different health systems and providers.