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The differences between nurse technicians and ekg technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-3 months to become a nurse technician, becoming an ekg technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an ekg technician has an average salary of $35,160, which is higher than the $33,005 average annual salary of a nurse technician.
The top three skills for a nurse technician include patients, CPR and vital signs. The most important skills for an ekg technician are patients, BLS, and patient care.
| Nurse Technician | EKG Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $33,005 | $35,160 |
| Hourly rate | $15.87 | $16.90 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 195,553 | 52,679 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 27% |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 3 | 2 |
Nurse technicians, also known as nursing aides, assistants, or attendants, usually work in clinics, hospitals, and nursing homes. Primarily, they help a registered nurse by providing essential mobility, care, and support to patients. Everyday routine duties include maintaining patients' hygiene and moving them using wheelchairs or stretchers around the facility for their meals, treatment, events, and other activities. They do tasks that help improve a patient's comfort level and become their caregivers in the long run. This job requires a high school diploma along with the completed certified nursing assistant (CNA) program.
An EKG technician is responsible for conducting laboratory tests using advanced equipment and machines to diagnose and identify patients' conditions with cardiovascular problems. EKG technicians must have excellent knowledge of the process to discuss the procedures and respond to the patients' inquiries and concerns accurately. They help the doctors in diagnosing patients and developing treatment plans upon the interpretation of the results. An EKG technician inspects the stability and efficiency of the equipment regularly to prevent delays and inconsistencies with the results.
Nurse technicians and ekg technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Nurse Technician | EKG Technician | |
| Average salary | $33,005 | $35,160 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $40,000 | Between $28,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Springfield, OR |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | North Dakota |
| Best paying company | Carondelet High School | UC Merced |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a nurse technician and an ekg technician in terms of educational background:
| Nurse Technician | EKG Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 27% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | - | Emory University |
Here are the differences between nurse technicians' and ekg technicians' demographics:
| Nurse Technician | EKG Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 16.9% Female, 83.1% | Male, 23.5% Female, 76.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.6% Asian, 8.0% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 3.3% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 13.9% White, 58.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 8% |