What does a pacs administrator do?
In the healthcare industry, a PACS administrator is in charge of handling and maintaining picture archiving and communications systems (PACS), ensuring efficiency in all operations. Among their responsibilities include gathering and analyzing data, storing images and information, preparing and processing reports, performing installations and upgrades, troubleshooting errors, liaising and building positive relationships with external parties, addressing issues and concerns, and performing repairs as needed. Moreover, they must also provide technical support in various areas, training new and current staff members in operating PACS.
Pacs administrator responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real pacs administrator resumes:
- Manage monitor QC for diagnostic stations.
- Lead digital voice dictation research, procurement and installation.
- Manage data from Powershell, PowerGUI & SCCM2012 for upgrade & migration projects.
- Project manage, troubleshoot, modify system settings, notify and initiate repair, install peripherals and test system.
- Install, configure, brand storefront 2.1 in server 2012 R2 and manage stores for external and internal users.
- Establish operating policies and procedures and attain SNF Medicare certification.
- Oversee the administration, troubleshooting, and support of the PACS applications, HL7 interface, DICOM, and diagnostic workstations.
- Upgrade PACS, switch to EMR base RIS.
- Implement XenServer and ESXi virtualization technologies for server provisioning.
- Expand imaging enterprise to cardiology PACS and ECG management system.
- Create training documentation and conduct hands-on training; maintain HIPAA compliance of PACS system.
- Work with department directors/managers to ensure timely and complete capture of DICOM digital image data into the PACS and network transmission.
- Develop configuration and implementation criteria for ADT/Order/Results interface from RIS to PACS.
- Merge MRN's in RIS if need for duplicate MRN's.
- Image review, analysis and QA.
Pacs administrator skills and personality traits
We calculated that 7% of Pacs Administrators are proficient in DICOM, Patients, and HL7. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Multitasking skills.
We break down the percentage of Pacs Administrators that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- DICOM, 7%
Perform PACS Quality Control such as confirmation of accuracy of DICOM data on images and archive maintenance26.
- Patients, 7%
Prepare patients and explain procedures specific to Mammography and Ultrasound examinations, and Special Procedures.
- HL7, 6%
Developed, implemented and maintain the PRA (Pediatric Radiology Assoc) interface and PRA - HL7 interface.
- Troubleshoot, 6%
Coordinate with all radiologists and perform troubleshoot on systems and administer everyday activities of PACS system.
- Voice Recognition, 5%
Convert radiology department from digital dictation to a Voice recognition dictation system.
- Cardiology, 4%
Monitored and provided support for the Radiology and Cardiology Department daily operation at the hospitals.
"dicom," "patients," and "hl7" are among the most common skills that pacs administrators use at work. You can find even more pacs administrator responsibilities below, including:
Analytical skills. One of the key soft skills for a pacs administrator to have is analytical skills. You can see how this relates to what pacs administrators do because "administrators need to evaluate networks and systems to make sure that they perform reliably and to anticipate new requirements as customers’ needs change." Additionally, a pacs administrator resume shows how pacs administrators use analytical skills: "extended end-user training and aid with statistical data. "
Communication skills. Another essential skill to perform pacs administrator duties is communication skills. Pacs administrators responsibilities require that "administrators must describe problems and their solutions to non-it workers." Pacs administrators also use communication skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "provided facility support of the cardiology picturing archiving and communication system (mckesson horizon cpacs). "
Multitasking skills. This is an important skill for pacs administrators to perform their duties. For an example of how pacs administrator responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "administrators may have to work on many problems and tasks at the same time." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a pacs administrator: "leverage strong multitasking skills to manage customer service, data entry, invoicing, inventory control, and purchasing. ".
Problem-solving skills. pacs administrator responsibilities often require "problem-solving skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "administrators must quickly resolve problems that arise with computer networks." This resume example shows what pacs administrators do with problem-solving skills on a typical day: "develop strong knowledge of hl7 and the managed care industry (tricare) to create data and report solutions. "
The three companies that hire the most pacs administrators are:
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center4 pacs administrators jobs
- Community Health Systems2 pacs administrators jobs
- Roper St. Francis Healthcare2 pacs administrators jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable pacs administrator resume templates
Build a professional pacs administrator resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your pacs administrator resume.
Compare different pacs administrators
Pacs administrator vs. Information technology administrator
An Information Technology (IT) administrator is an individual responsible for managing the day-to-day operation of an organization's IT systems and ensuring that the systems are running effectively. IT administrators must conduct consistent analyses of the computer system and install updates when needed. They are required to assess the organization's security programs and run the system for viruses and spyware. IT administrators also extend support to the organization's end-users and train them on desktop applications.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between pacs administrators and information technology administrator. For instance, pacs administrator responsibilities require skills such as "dicom," "patients," "hl7," and "voice recognition." Whereas a information technology administrator is skilled in "customer service," "database," "vmware," and "switches." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Information technology administrators tend to make the most money working in the finance industry, where they earn an average salary of $93,678. In contrast, pacs administrators make the biggest average salary, $99,205, in the non profits industry.The education levels that information technology administrators earn slightly differ from pacs administrators. In particular, information technology administrators are 2.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a pacs administrator. Additionally, they're 0.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Pacs administrator vs. Network/server administrator
A Network Administrator ensures an organizations' network is operational and up to date. They solve problems that arise within computer networks, maintaining computer networks, interacting with clients, and consulting with them to determine their system requirements.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, pacs administrator responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "dicom," "patients," "hl7," and "voice recognition." Meanwhile, a network/server administrator has duties that require skills in areas such as "customer service," "powershell," "server administration," and "microsoft windows." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
On average, network/server administrators earn a lower salary than pacs administrators. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, network/server administrators earn the most pay in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $84,609. Whereas pacs administrators have higher pay in the non profits industry, with an average salary of $99,205.network/server administrators earn similar levels of education than pacs administrators in general. They're 4.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Pacs administrator vs. Windows system administrator
A Windows System Administrator maintains the systems and servers of a Windows operating system. They evaluate and modify the system's performance.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, pacs administrators are more likely to have skills like "dicom," "patients," "hl7," and "voice recognition." But a windows system administrator is more likely to have skills like "infrastructure," "powershell," "sccm," and "san."
Windows system administrators earn the best pay in the finance industry, where they command an average salary of $93,089. Pacs administrators earn the highest pay from the non profits industry, with an average salary of $99,205.windows system administrators typically earn similar educational levels compared to pacs administrators. Specifically, they're 0.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Pacs administrator vs. Web sphere administrator
A WebSphere administrator is someone who works in the information technology field. WebSphere administrators specialize in the WebSphere technology of IBM, used in business websites. They handle the server and support business enterprises with this program. They supervise the operational and deployment tasks, update technical documentation, and determine project requirements. It is their job to monitor the performance of the application server and create reports. Also, they may offer assistance through chat, phone calls, and email.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between pacs administrators and web sphere administrators, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a pacs administrator might have more use for skills like "dicom," "patients," "hl7," and "troubleshoot." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of web sphere administrators require skills like "web application," "windows," "ibm websphere," and "application server. "
Web sphere administrators enjoy the best pay in the retail industry, with an average salary of $99,710. For comparison, pacs administrators earn the highest salary in the non profits industry.web sphere administrators reach higher levels of education compared to pacs administrators, in general. The difference is that they're 13.8% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of pacs administrator
Updated January 8, 2025
