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What is a health technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Jason Mott Ph.D.
introduction image

A health technician assists medical professionals with diagnostic and treatment procedures. They conduct laboratory tests, take patient vital signs, and record medical histories. Health technicians may also work in radiology or pharmacy departments, preparing and dispensing medications or operating imaging equipment. They work under the supervision of doctors, nurses, or other healthcare professionals, and use communication skills to interact with patients and colleagues. Health technicians aid in the delivery of efficient and quality patient care.

What general advice would you give to a health technician?

Jason Mott Ph.D.Jason Mott Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Associate Professor, Pre-licensure Program Director/Assistant Dean, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh

I think the best advice for new graduates is to be flexible. Things are going to change daily. It is essential to be able to go with the flow. Also, take time for yourself. As the numbers of covid patients increase, staff members are at high risk of developing burnout. It is essential to take time for yourself to relax and get away from everything, even if for only a few minutes. That way, you can prevent becoming burned out.
ScoreHealth TechnicianUS Average
Salary
3.0

Avg. Salary $37,873

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
10.0

Growth rate 9%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.4
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.13%

Asian 6.43%

Black or African American 14.26%

Hispanic or Latino 20.09%

Unknown 6.17%

White 51.91%

Gender

female 69.10%

male 30.90%

Age - 30
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 30
Stress level
10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
6.7

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
5.9

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a health technician?

Pros

  • Job growth and stability

  • Competitive salaries and benefits

  • Flexible work schedules

  • Access to healthcare benefits

  • Collaborative team environment

Cons

  • Physically and emotionally demanding work

  • Long and irregular work hours

  • Limited autonomy in decision-making

  • Potential for workplace violence or abuse

  • Heavy workload and multitasking responsibilities

Health technician career paths

Key steps to become a health technician

  1. Explore health technician education requirements

    Most common health technician degrees

    Bachelor's

    38.5 %

    Associate

    25.6 %

    High School Diploma

    11.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific health technician skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Patients18.41%
    Excellent Interpersonal8.46%
    Customer Service7.76%
    Blood Pressure6.29%
    Veterans5.64%
  3. Complete relevant health technician training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New health technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a health technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real health technician resumes.
  4. Research health technician duties and responsibilities

    • Maintain and manage medical and administrative records for all patients assign to clinic area to assure accurate care and patient confidentiality.
    • Supervise labs, diets, schedule radiology procedures, EKG's, respiratory, and medical tasks for patients.
    • Can perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), first aid, and/or initiate appropriate emergency alert notifications.
    • Administer ABA therapy for children with autism and provide support for other technicians when not with own clients.
  5. Prepare your health technician resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your health technician resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a health technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable health technician resume templates

    Build a professional health technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your health technician resume.
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  6. Apply for health technician jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a health technician job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first health technician job

Zippi

Are you a health technician?

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Average health technician salary

The average health technician salary in the United States is $37,873 per year or $18 per hour. Health technician salaries range between $27,000 and $51,000 per year.

Average health technician salary
$37,873 Yearly
$18.21 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do health technicians rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Health technician reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2022
Pros

I like the Patient care part of the job. Seeing the patients get better and go home

Cons

Nothing


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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2022
Pros

taking care of people love it been doing it for 34 years and getting patient back home and be able to return to there daily activities

Cons

patient who are real sick and not able to return home it make me sad but i make sure there stay is the best care when they are in hospital this is the only hospital they want to come to and they tell other about the best care they got


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019
Cons

There really is not anything that comes to mind.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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