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What is a hospital technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Elyse Zavar PhD

A hospital technician is an individual who provides primary health care to patients. They may also be known as a healthcare technician.

They are responsible for assisting patients during the admissions and discharge process as well as ensuring that they adhere to sanitation, safety, and health regulations. They are also responsible for assisting patients with their daily activities and monitoring the patient's condition, and checking their vital signs on a regular basis.

Hospital technicians primarily cooperate with a patient's medical team to provide excellent medical care. Their duties also include keeping the patient's rooms clean and organized, maintaining accurate patient records, assisting the healthcare team with administering treatments, and collecting liquid samples or specimens for testing.

They also report any changes in their patient's conditions to the appropriate nurse or physician. Hospital technicians must have strong attention to detail as well as excellent communication skills. It is also important that they have soft skills like empathy, compassion, and patience.

To become a hospital technician, you will usually need at least a high school diploma. Some organizations may prefer candidates that have an associate's or bachelor's degree. Most hospital technician roles want candidates that have some type of entry-level training, such as phlebotomy.

What general advice would you give to a hospital technician?

Elyse Zavar PhDElyse Zavar PhD LinkedIn profile

Associate Professor, University of North Texas

Prior to entering the field, gaining hands-on experience through internships and volunteer opportunities can help new professionals not only stand out in the job market, but many employers will recognize and count these as years of experience thus increasing salaries. When offered a position, research comparable salaries and do not be afraid to negotiate salary, among other benefits, when discussing a job offer.
ScoreHospital TechnicianUS Average
Salary
2.7

Avg. Salary $34,666

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
4.8

Growth rate 11%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
7.2
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.25%

Asian 7.97%

Black or African American 12.71%

Hispanic or Latino 16.95%

Unknown 4.19%

White 56.93%

Gender

female 67.93%

male 32.07%

Age - 46
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 - 46
Stress level
4.8

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
6.0

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance
8.6

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Hospital technician career paths

Key steps to become a hospital technician

  1. Explore hospital technician education requirements

    Most common hospital technician degrees

    Bachelor's

    34.9 %

    Associate

    32.7 %

    High School Diploma

    15.4 %
  2. Start to develop specific hospital technician skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Patients41.57%
    Customer Service9.15%
    Hospital Policies5.34%
    CPR5.19%
    Direct Patient Care4.91%
  3. Complete relevant hospital technician training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New hospital 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 hospital technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real hospital technician resumes.
  4. Research hospital technician duties and responsibilities

    • Ensure proper transfer and disposition of medical record to the VA in CHCS are accomplished according to establish policies and procedures.
    • Verify patient demographics are correct in CHCS.
    • Book all medical appointments within HIPPA guidelines.
    • Communicate hospital rules and regulations to patients, relate availability of benefits provide to patients by various social service programs.
  5. Prepare your hospital technician resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your hospital 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 hospital 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 hospital technician resume templates

    Build a professional hospital 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 hospital technician resume.
    Hospital Technician Resume
    Hospital Technician Resume
    Hospital Technician Resume
    Hospital Technician Resume
    Hospital Technician Resume
    Hospital Technician Resume
    Hospital Technician Resume
    Hospital Technician Resume
    Hospital Technician Resume
  6. Apply for hospital technician jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a hospital 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 hospital technician job

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Average hospital technician salary

The average hospital technician salary in the United States is $34,666 per year or $17 per hour. Hospital technician salaries range between $26,000 and $45,000 per year.

Average hospital technician salary
$34,666 Yearly
$16.67 hourly

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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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