The starting salary for a patient care technician is $30,000 to $45,000 a year. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this job category has contracted since 2010 due to budget cuts and changes in healthcare delivery policies.
The starting salary for a patient care technician is $18,500. This is the base salary and does not include any additional incentives or bonuses. The average salary of a patient care technician is $26,000 annually, but there is a high range of pay options available to the individual.
Starting Salary For Patient Care Technician Overview
The average patient care technician salary is $25,000 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, this figure can vary depending on where you live and your specific experience level.
If you’re looking for a job as a patient care technician in Florida, the state’s Department of Health pays a starting salary of $26,000 for those who have less than one year of experience. For those with one to three years of experience, that number jumps up to $27,000 per year. If you have more than three years’ experience but less than five, the state will pay you $28,000 per year; if you have five or more years’ experience under your belt, they’ll pay you $29,000 annually.
The State of Illinois offers similar compensation for its own patient care technicians: $25,000 for those with less than one year’s experience; $26,000 for those with one to three years’ experience; $27,000 per year for those with four to six years’ experience; and finally $28,000 per year for those who’ve been working as a patient care technician in the state for seven or more years.
What is a Patient Care Technician?
Having a connection with patients is the number one goal of a Patient Care Technician.
This field requires that you have empathy and a desire to help others.
In the role of Patient Care Technician, it is your responsibility to ensure that patients are comfortable, and also provide guidance in some cases.
There are many facilities where you will find Patient Care Technicians.
Some of the most popular places to gain employment in this field are:
- Hospitals
- Clinics
- Emergency Rooms
- Outpatient Facilities
Duties
In this career, it is likely that you will be very busy working closely with doctors and patients.
Some of the daily tasks that a Patient Care Technician will be responsible for include:
- Bathing and feeding patients
- Monitoring food and medication intake
- Checking blood pressure
- Taking the patient to and from various tests
- Meeting with families
Salary
The average salary for a Patient Care Technician in the United States rounds out to about $30,000 a year.
Having a relevant degree, certifications, and experience in this career can lead to a higher salary, closer to $40,000 a year in some areas.
Just beginning in this career, many Patient Care Technicians will see a salary near $24,000 a year.
Working as a Patient Care Technician is considered an entry-level career in the medical field, which means that most people who want to make more money enter into different specialties or other areas of the medical field.
Average Annual Salary by State
| State | Avg. Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $26,590 |
| Alaska | $43,080 |
| Arizona | $34,610 |
| Arkansas | $27,840 |
| California | $39,760 |
| Colorado | $35,210 |
| Connecticut | $36,110 |
| Delaware | $34,240 |
| District of Columbia | $39,390 |
| Florida | $29,840 |
| Georgia | $30,600 |
| Hawaii | $36,680 |
| Idaho | $30,380 |
| Illinois | $33,230 |
| Indiana | $31,110 |
| Iowa | $32,440 |
| Kansas | $29,730 |
| Kentucky | $29,290 |
| Louisiana | $25,840 |
| Maine | $34,360 |
| Maryland | $34,040 |
| Massachusetts | $37,680 |
| Michigan | $33,790 |
| Minnesota | $36,730 |
| Mississippi | $25,690 |
| Missouri | $29,520 |
| Montana | $32,050 |
| Nebraska | $32,380 |
| Nevada | $35,820 |
| New Hampshire | $36,070 |
| New Jersey | $35,830 |
| New Mexico | $31,620 |
| New York | $40,680 |
| North Carolina | $29,410 |
| North Dakota | $36,070 |
| Ohio | $31,330 |
| Oklahoma | $27,850 |
| Oregon | $38,830 |
| Pennsylvania | $34,190 |
| Rhode Island | $35,610 |
| South Carolina | $29,260 |
| South Dakota | $29,660 |
| Tennessee | $28,900 |
| Texas | $30,620 |
| Utah | $30,630 |
| Vermont | $34,600 |
| Virginia | $30,890 |
| Washington | $38,270 |
| West Virginia | $29,560 |
| Wisconsin | $33,870 |
| Wyoming | $33,430 |
| Guam | $27,830 |
| Puerto Rico | $19,070 |
| Virgin Islands | $35,270 |
Annual Average Salary: Top 5 States
The top earning state in the field is Alaska, where the average salary is $43,080.
These are the top 5 earning states in the field:
Alaska – $43,080
New York – $40,680
California – $39,760
District of Columbia – $39,390
Oregon – $38,830
How to Become a Patient Care Technician
Step 1. Earn a Degree
In order to work as a Patient Care Technician, it’s important to know the basics of medical care and terminology.
That’s why it’s advised that someone pursuing a career as a Patient Care Technician should earn a degree.
There are many types of programs offered for the medical field, both online and in person.
Patient Care Technicians can find one-year programs that offer entry-level education.
For those expecting to make a long-lasting career out of their occupation, an Associate’s degree may be more appropriate.
An Associate’s degree can take about two years to complete.
Some of the types of classes that are offered in a typical Patient Care Technician program include:
- Biology
- English
- Psychology
- Medical Terminology
- Behavioral Health
- Phlebotomy
Often, both a one-year program and an Associate’s degree require an internship of some sort.
So, whether you complete your classroom time online or on campus, getting hands-on experience should be done in person.
Step 2. Get Some Experience
Now that you have book smarts under control, it’s time to gain some hands-on knowledge of the career.
A Patient Care Technician must have patient care experience in order to be a success in this career.
There are programs that provide an internship or shadow work to gain hands-on education, but there are times when you may have to take your knowledge into your own hands.
For example, you can always volunteer at blood drives in order to gain experience working with people and taking blood.
You can also gain experience volunteering at clinics and other non-profit organizations.
Most Patient Care Technicians need a bit of experience before they can become certified.
A certification shows patients and employers that you are competent in the field.
It also provides you more education and can even lead you down a new path to a great career.
Step 3. Become Certified
Depending on where you live, a certification may be required to maintain a career as a Patient Care Technician.
Some states legally require certification, and in some states, the employer has the choice.
Either way, it’s often a good idea to gain certification.
This shows future employers, patients, and yourself that you know how to do the job, and you will do it as best as you can.
There are a variety of certifications available to Patient Care Technicians.
Through the National Healthcareer Association, Patient Care Technicians can obtain the Certified Patient Care Technician credential.
In order to be eligible for this certification, you must:
- Have a degree from an accredited program
- Have at least 2 years of experience in the field
You will also need to pay a fee, which varies by state but is typically anywhere from $150 to $200.
The exam is computer-based and can be taken online or in testing facilities across the country.
Some of the topics that you can expect on this exam are:
- Patient Care
- Compliance and Safety
- Infection Control
- Phlebotomy
- EKG
It requires a score of at least 70 to pass this exam, and you must recertify every 3 years.
Step 4.Further Your Career
You’ve put your time in the field and have a great career as a Patient Care Technician.
However, now you want to move on and see what else is out there.
There are a couple of options to further your career once you have some experience.
The first thing that you can do is earn a Bachelor’s degree.
This takes about another two years to finish, and can lead to careers that include:
- Nursing
- Radiology
- Sonography
- Orthopedics and prosthetics
- Dental hygiene
If you don’t want to earn a Bachelor’s degree, you can go through training programs to learn a specialty that can increase your chances of raises and promotions.
You can learn to become a Medical Assistant or a variety of different occupations in the medical field.
