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Job outlook for health technicians in the United States
Health technician job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected health technician job growth rate is 9% from 2018-2028.
About 12,500 new jobs for health technicians are projected over the next decade.
Health technician salaries have increased 13% for health technicians in the last 5 years.
There are over 70,079 health technicians currently employed in the United States.
There are 110,277 active health technician job openings in the US.
The average health technician salary is $37,873.
Are health technician jobs in demand?
Health technician job and salary trends over time
Health technician jobs over time
Health technician job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 70,079 | 0.02% |
| 2020 | 64,269 | 0.02% |
| 2019 | 59,430 | 0.02% |
| 2018 | 54,188 | 0.02% |
| 2017 | 50,905 | 0.02% |
Average health technician salary over time
Health technician salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $37,873 | $18.21 | +3.7% |
| 2025 | $36,522 | $17.56 | +2.8% |
| 2024 | $35,538 | $17.09 | +3.8% |
| 2023 | $34,240 | $16.46 | +2.3% |
| 2022 | $33,484 | $16.10 | --0.5% |
Health technician jobs by state
Most common states for health technicians
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 206 | 30% |
| 2 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 1,894 | 28% |
| 3 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,527 | 27% |
| 4 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 841 | 27% |
| 5 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 202 | 27% |
| 6 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 2,459 | 24% |
| 7 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 1,463 | 24% |
| 8 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 687 | 23% |
| 9 | Delaware | 961,939 | 223 | 23% |
| 10 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 1,260 | 22% |
| 11 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 2,094 | 21% |
| 12 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 1,449 | 21% |
| 13 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,266 | 21% |
| 14 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 587 | 20% |
| 15 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 341 | 20% |
| 16 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 271 | 20% |
| 17 | Alaska | 739,795 | 148 | 20% |
| 18 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 2,206 | 19% |
| 19 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,429 | 19% |
| 20 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 922 | 19% |
Most common cities for health technicians
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Loma Linda | 3 | 12% | $48,157 |
| 2 | Pensacola | 4 | 7% | $30,157 |
| 3 | Beverly | 3 | 7% | $62,357 |
| 4 | North Chicago | 2 | 7% | $38,166 |
| 5 | Fitchburg | 2 | 5% | $62,332 |
| 6 | Rockford | 6 | 4% | $37,951 |
| 7 | Iowa City | 3 | 4% | $36,099 |
| 8 | Palo Alto | 3 | 4% | $50,732 |
| 9 | Gainesville | 2 | 2% | $30,125 |
| 10 | Aurora | 2 | 1% | $34,970 |
| 11 | Little Rock | 2 | 1% | $29,768 |
| 12 | Orlando | 2 | 1% | $30,415 |
| 13 | Phoenix | 5 | 0% | $36,293 |
| 14 | Chicago | 4 | 0% | $38,135 |
| 15 | Los Angeles | 2 | 0% | $48,720 |
Health Technician job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of health technician experts
University of North Florida
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of Baltimore
Georgia State University
Georgia State University
Misericordia Home
Carlow University
ACVP - Alliance of Cardiovascular Professionals
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
University of Charleston
Holy Names University
Eastern Michigan University
Northwestern Oklahoma State University
Bellevue College
Fairfield University
What Health Technician skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Hanadi Hamadi: Gain Practical Experience: - Internships and Volunteering: Seek out internships, volunteer opportunities, or part-time jobs in health care settings. Practical experience is invaluable and can make you more competitive in the job market. - Entry-Level Positions: Consider starting with entry-level positions such as administrative assistant, patient services coordinator, or office manager. These roles provide a solid foundation and understanding of the daily operations in health care facilities. Network: - Professional Associations: Join professional organizations such as the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) or the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA). These associations offer networking opportunities, resources, and certifications. - Mentorship: Find a mentor who can provide guidance, support, and insights into the industry. This can be someone from your internships, professors, or professionals you meet through networking. - Ask questions! Early in your career, one of the biggest keys is asking for help or seeking clarification. Never be afraid to ask questions! - Professional Development. Take advantage of any and all opportunities to add or enhance skills offered by your employer, but also through opportunities such as volunteer experiences in your community. Shadow opportunities. Ask to shadow your manager, or see if your manager can help you organize a shadow opportunity in a different department that you're interested in.
What soft skills should all Health Technicians possess?
Kurt Houser: Communication and Teamwork. As healthcare administrators, our job is to help the organization's clinical staff be as effective and efficient as they can be. We must support their work by communicating the organization's mission, vision, values, and goals. We then work with the staff to obtain and deploy the resources (people, money, equipment, etc..) that allows the organization and its people to meet the goals of improving patient care, reducing cost, increasing profit, or whatever goals leadership states are important to the organization.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Health Technicians?
Kurt Houser: This depends on your field. If you're a generalist, you need to know a little about every administrative subject, but typically you enter a technical field before you rise to a generalist/operations job, manager, or C-Suite position. Therefore, the technical skills needed depend on your desired field. Certainly, every administrator should understand data, performance improvement, and basic financial data, but if you are, for example, in finance, you should be working for credentials that show you are an expert in finance, budgeting, or accounting.
What skills will help Health 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.
Sepideh Soheilian Ph.D.
Assistant ProfessorUniversity of Baltimore
Division of Applied Behavioral Sciences
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Health 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 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.
What general advice would you give to a Health Technician?
Sepideh Soheilian Ph.D.: General advice I would give to a graduate in the field of counseling psychology beginning their career is to be flexible and open minded, especially during these unprecedented times due to the pandemic. Being open to providing mental health services in a variety of formats such as virtual or hybrid (combining virtual, and in-person services) will allow for greater flexibility in providing services to clients. Career development and career satisfaction is an ongoing process. Therefore, I would also encourage graduates to continually evaluate and assess their careers to determine if their current position is still the best fit for their career values, needs, and goals.
What skills stand out on Health Technician resumes?
Joan Cranford: -Exposure to caring for COVID patients
-Knowledge of appropriate infection control standards i.e. use of personal protective equipment
-Critical care experience
-High level nursing skills
-Initiative
-Ability to deal and work in stressful situations
Traci Sims
Clinical Associate ProfessorGeorgia State University
Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Health Technician job market given the pandemic?
Traci Sims: - Increase in hiring
- More externship programs to prepare new nurses
- More across-state line licensing
- Increased telehealth training to care for non-COVID patients
- Unemployed and retired nurses returning to work
What skills stand out on Health Technician resumes?
Traci Sims: - Exposure to caring for COVID patients
- Knowledge of appropriate infection control standards, i.e., use of personal protective equipment
- Critical care experience
- High-level nursing skills
- Initiative
- Ability to deal with and work in stressful situations
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Health Technician job market given the pandemic?
Abby Murray: In skilled nursing facilities and care settings, we are open for business. Unlike other businesses where remote work is a possibility, we are here 24/7 and committed to providing excellent care.
Janice Nash
Professor, Director of the Undergraduate Nursing ProgramCarlow University
College of Health and Wellness
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Health Technician job market given the pandemic?
Janice Nash: I believe that there will be more opportunities for nurses in many areas of practice. There may be more flexible scheduling options than before the pandemic.
How do you envision technology impacting Health Technicians in the next 5 years?
Peggy McElgunn: There is NO DOUBT technology is moving at a pace unimagined before COVID19. The primary way this will affect cardiovascular technology is, we will be better able to see disease processes and, therefore, more capable of managing them more effectively. Interventional cardiology and cardiac imaging are where the enormous impact will be felt. But unlike radiology, where we see much in the way of AI driving change, people will need to continue to interact with patients in interventional cardiology and cardiac imaging. Therefore, technology will serve to advance practice but not displace a workforce.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Health Technicians to find work opportunities?
Peggy McElgunn: Frankly, cardiovascular care is still the most robust field in healthcare. This is mainly because it remains the number one killer (heart disease), but COVID 19 has impacted this. We know COVID 19 effects the heart, as well. And there are places for qualified graduates EVERYWHERE! Most hospitals offer fantastic onboarding incentives, too. And of course, they all have their protocols and policies - again, speaking the value and importance of flexibility!
Of course, again, membership in the Alliance of Cardiovascular Professionals offers graduates a chance to network and learn directly from those working in the field. They are also the first to hear about opportunities and openings and often drive possibilities through these connections.
How would you rate the starting salaries for Health Technicians, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Jason Mott Ph.D.: Salaries for nurses are outstanding. Also, there are many opportunities to grow and get advanced degrees, increasing the amount of money that nurses can make. There are so many opportunities to move around and advance in the profession to make nursing a perfect career choice.
What general advice would you give to a Health Technician?
Jason Mott Ph.D.: 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.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Health Technicians in the next 3-5 years?
Jason Mott Ph.D.: In terms of technology, I think that telemedicine will continue to grow and be a crucial part of the health care system. Nurses need to be more comfortable with this technology.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Health Technicians in the next 3-5 years?
Amy Bruce: Within the next 3-5 years, Telemedicine will be at its peak. We are already using technology to diagnose and treat patients.
Dr. Pamela Stanley
Interim DeanHoly Names University
School of Nursing
What type of skills will young Health Technicians need?
Dr. Pamela Stanley: The skills that nursing students will need upon graduation in the next few years remains like those of the past. Understanding the role of a nurse and grasping the skills set required to start work as an advanced beginner within the nursing world.
Michael Williams Ph.D.
Director and Associate ProfessorEastern Michigan University
School of Nursing
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Health Technicians in the next 3-5 years?
Michael Williams Ph.D.: Many technologies are growing in importance in healthcare. Healthcare trackers, wearables, and sensors will continue to grow and allow patients to self-monitor and report their health findings to providers in real-time. Wearable diabetes monitors that provide real-time blood sugar reports and control have revolutionized a person's life with diabetes. FitBit and other technologies can monitor heart rate, rhythm, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation will also expand in use.
The electronic health record (EHR) integration continues to build in decision aids and artificial intelligence for making better decisions. The EHR has made accessing patient information more available to other practitioners and patients themselves. Another technology that will continue to expand in use is a point of care testing (POC). POC allows for greater flexibility to meet the patient wherever they are, and will see continued expansion. And perhaps, the technology that has indeed expanded, out of necessity during the pandemic, is telehealth.
While telehealth has been available for many years, particularly in rural areas, it wasn't nearly as common in high population areas--patients were expected to go to the provider. Telehealth can eliminate many unnecessary "non-emergency" visits to emergency rooms and can be available, quite easily, in off-hours.
What type of skills will young Health Technicians need?
Shelly Wells Ph.D.: As they enter the workforce, graduate nurses need a robust set of interpersonal skills, in addition to their general nursing knowledge. New nurses must be good listeners, critical thinkers, effective communicators, and problem-solvers to advocate for their patients, profession, and themselves. They must demonstrate empathy, compassion, dependability, flexibility, and a good sense of humor. The new graduate must be confident in their general nursing knowledge gained while in school and commit to learning something new every day while engaged in their nursing career.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Health Technicians?
Katrina Malkin: There is no question that this pandemic is a game-changer, a sea change, if you will. Nothing will ever be that same, and that very much includes nursing school, both those who choose to enter it and those who make it through and enter the profession of nursing in a COVID and post-COVID world. In terms of psychosocial-emotional impacts, the virus has made clear to our students, in the most real and proximal way, that not everything has an easy order fix. It is not shot or pill or formula to follow-the hubris of our human position, especially we, as North Americans, have been knocked sideways.
Our students see, in stark relief, that there is no higher power, no Wizard of Oz man behind the curtain, who will light the way and hand them the answers. They have risen to the challenge presented here is a way that floods me with hope. We did not lose one single student when COVID came down last spring. I thought that Coronaphobia would have scared some of our students away. But their resolve to join the fight was impressive. Mostly they were frustrated at not getting to go into the hospitals and clinics that normally host student nurses. They want to serve. On a more tangible, technical, and logistics level - boots on the ground - we are all learning how to teach and learn remotely. Everyone is groaning with the effort of enhancing our literacy around the transition to online instruction.
We've figured out how to deliver instruction, and this will surely translate to cohorts of tech-savvy graduates who can work within their institutions and the profession at large to deliver healthcare this way as well. Telehealth is the next frontier. I believe that our graduates will be in the vanguard of what is possible to use the internet to deliver more consistent and accessible healthcare to more people, more often, proactively, and wide ranging. Treating chronic diseases such as our epidemic of Diabetes by going, virtually, into people's homes, kitchens lives, and working with them to build sustainable sea changes of their own gives me hope for what is possible.
How do you envision technology impacting Health Technicians in the next 5 years?
Katrina Malkin: Enhanced A/V technology, both in the delivery of telehealth - allowing RNs to go virtually into people's homes and see how they live, will give us an edge for delivering more sustainable and holistic care - and get buy-in from our clients to make lifestyle changes in the context of their lives, not our sterile clinic settings.
Simulation education - We have ramped up an already burgeoning trend to use simulation to move our nursing students into the "hot seat" to give them opportunities to exercise their clinical reasoning skills in myriad dynamic simulated client case scenarios. Learning how to use their brains and bodies to deliver care in simulation - where they can risk trying what they think is the right move, without risk to a real client. We have sim manikins that speak, have pulses, breathe, have a heartbeat, their pupils dilate, we can make them pee and bleed, start IVs on them, and manipulate the whole client/RN experience from behind a one-way mirror. It's powerful.
During COVID, we are experimenting with live-action avatars. Since students can't come to campus, we, the faculty, are serving as their avatar-they remote in, via Zoom, and direct us. We are also exploring the use of virtual reality to give dynamic, low-risk experiential education to nursing students; how all of this translates to bridging the divide between real human client interactions and the virtual world remains to be seen. Will tech translate? Will we be able to sustain meaningful engagement with real human bodies? Technology has the potential to bring us closer or add layers of distance and divide.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Health Technicians to find work opportunities?
Dr. Linda Roney: There is a significant need for nurses across the country, in most settings.
How do you envision technology impacting Health Technicians in the next 5 years?
Dr. Linda Roney: Technology is a significant part of healthcare. For example, we have seen a significant expansion of telemedicine during the pandemic, and there will be opportunities to expand its use. Innovation is central to advancing health, and while this sometimes involves the use of technology, nurses are experts at remembering what really matters-holistic care of our patients.
What type of skills will young Health Technicians need?
Dr. Linda Roney: New graduates need to have excellent leadership and communication skills, especially during times of uncertainty. For example, many of our 2019 graduates were deployed to float to areas of need throughout the pandemic. Because they had full, personal protective equipment on, their new work area could not read facial expressions or body language to try to guess the nurse's level of comfort with their new setting. They had to quickly learn to speak up about what their learning needs were, and how to best advocate for their patients.