Patient care technician vs dialysis technician

The differences between patient care technicians and dialysis technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a dialysis technician has an average salary of $40,195, which is higher than the $32,806 average annual salary of a patient care technician.

The top three skills for a patient care technician include patients, vital signs and phlebotomy. The most important skills for a dialysis technician are patients, vital signs, and direct patient care.

Patient care technician vs dialysis technician overview

	Patient Care Technician	Dialysis Technician
Yearly salary	$32,806	$40,195
Hourly rate	$15.77	$19.32
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	167,520	100,653
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 27%	Associate Degree, 25%
Average age	34	44
Years of experience	-	12

What does a patient care technician do?

Patient care technicians are medical workers who work in clinics, hospitals, or other medical facilities under the supervision of doctors or other health professionals. They provide assistance to health professionals and patients. They help patients with mobility concerns get into hospital beds, bathrooms, wheelchairs, and more. They also help patients with their physical therapy sessions and other physical needs. They handle patient concerns and communicate these to attending physicians. They may be assigned to administer basic medical procedures such as checking vital signs and collecting samples from patients, among others.

What does a dialysis technician do?

A dialysis technician is responsible for the control and maintenance of a dialysis machine. Dialysis technicians' duties include monitoring the stable performance of the equipment, assisting patients on the dialysis process, and adhering to the safety standards and protocols on the dialysis operation all the time. A dialysis technician also reports to the respective doctors and nurses for any concerns and possible emergency scenarios. Dialysis technicians must also sterilize all equipment before usage to ensure its cleanliness, avoiding possible infection for patients.

Patient care technician vs dialysis technician salary

Patient care technicians and dialysis technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Patient Care Technician	Dialysis Technician
Average salary	$32,806	$40,195
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $43,000	Between $29,000 And $54,000
Highest paying City	Rochester, NH	Fresno, CA
Highest paying state	Vermont	California
Best paying company	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center	American Mobile Healthcare
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between patient care technician and dialysis technician education

There are a few differences between a patient care technician and a dialysis technician in terms of educational background:

	Patient Care Technician	Dialysis Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 27%	Associate Degree, 25%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	Emory University	University of Connecticut

Patient care technician vs dialysis technician demographics

Here are the differences between patient care technicians' and dialysis technicians' demographics:

	Patient Care Technician	Dialysis Technician
Average age	34	44
Gender ratio	Male, 19.0% Female, 81.0%	Male, 25.1% Female, 74.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 14.3% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 6.4% White, 51.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 8.9% White, 56.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	15%	8%

Differences between patient care technician and dialysis technician duties and responsibilities

Patient care technician example responsibilities.

Manage care and prepare medical records, transcription and supply orders.
Manage daily care of high acuity patients with neurological trauma/disorders and post-surgery.
Qualify to perform patient care responsibilities on catheter patients.
Transport patients using wheelchairs and stretchers and assist patients to ambulate safely.
Assist with transferring patients in and out of wheelchairs, recliners, and stretchers.
Apply protective restraints safely and appropriately, assist in the admission, discharge and transfer of patients as needed.

Dialysis technician example responsibilities.

Maintain national certification as CCHT and attain CE's as required.
Practice guidelines require by national standard and regulatory agencies and infection control when sterilizing equipment, catheter sites, puncture sites.
Initiate, monitor, and terminate dialysis treatments for individual patients through intravenous and/or catheter ports.
Observe patients during hemodialysis treatments and identify patient problems and/or complications and report any unusual findings to the nurse supervisor.
Operate hemodialysis machines, calculate fluid removal/replacement, monitor venous and arterial pressures, and check patients for adverse reactions.
Demonstrate proficiency in laboratory procedures and equipment functions to perform duties accurately; comply with standard procedures and cleanliness guidelines.

Patient care technician vs dialysis technician skills

Common patient care technician skills

Patients, 24%
Vital Signs, 9%
Phlebotomy, 7%
CPR, 6%
Direct Patient Care, 5%
Customer Service, 5%

Common dialysis technician skills

Patients, 31%
Vital Signs, 13%
Direct Patient Care, 7%
CPR, 5%
Phlebotomy, 4%
Catheter, 3%

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Patient Care Technician
Patient Care Technician vs Dialysis Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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