52 Medical Technician Jobs (With Salary and Duties)

Medical technicians work in the field of medical technology, the application of devices, treatments, tests and systems to treat health issues. Medical technicians of all kinds are in demand in a range of healthcare industries, including pharmaceuticals, medical supply and veterinary care. If you're interested in helping patients and supporting medical professionals, you can consider a career as a medical technician or in a related professional. In this article, we introduce 52 jobs for or related to medical technicians, with the national average salary and primary duties noted for each.

Related: Learn About Being a Medical Technician

Categories of medical technicians

Medical technicians can fall under several categories depending on where they work, the functions they serve or the tools they use. The categories include:

• Patient-facing technicians: Patient-facing technicians work directly with patients to treat medical problems or provide diagnostic results for care teams.

• Laboratory technicians: Lab technicians receive samples or specimens such as urine, stool or cultures and analyze them with tools. They may also interpret the results for doctors.

• Medical IT and administration: Those who work in medical IT and administration manage the information systems that healthcare providers use to store and access medical data such as patient information and medical histories.

31 medical technician jobs

If you're interested in pursuing a career in medical technology, consider the following 31 medical technician positions:

1. EEG technician

National average salary: $21,517 per year

Primary duties: EEG technicians administer exams using electroencephalographic machinery, which measures electrical activity in the brain and can be useful for diagnosing neurologic disorders. Other duties include maintaining the machinery, communicating with patients, interpreting results and assisting during surgeries that involve electroencephalographic machinery.

2. Veterinary technician

National average salary: $29,653 per year

Primary duties: Veterinary technicians assist veterinarians by performing several tasks. These include collecting samples, preparing animals for operations and providing support during operations. They may also record patient histories and administer injections under guidance.

Read more: Learn About Being a Veterinary Technician

3. Pharmacy technician

National average salary: $30,044 per year

Primary duties: Pharmacy technicians assist pharmacists by performing tasks such as answering the phone and securing payments from insurance companies. They also manage inventory and transact with customers to fill prescription medications.

Read more: Learn About Being a Pharmacy Technician

4. Ultrasound technician

National average salary: $33,220 per year

Primary duties: Ultrasound technicians, also known as sonographers, use ultrasound equipment to capture digital images of the internal organs. Their duties include interpreting ultrasound images, communicating with doctors and assisting in any operations that involve ultrasound, such as ultrasound-guided biopsies.

Read more: Learn About Being an Ultrasound Technician

5. Phlebotomist

National average salary: $34,047 per year

Primary duties: Phlebotomists are medical professionals trained in drawing blood used for diagnostic testing, research, donation or transfusions. Other duties may include educating and assuring patients before drawing blood, sterilizing equipment and tools, labeling and storing blood samples and assessing for adverse reactions in patients.

Read more: Learn About Being a Phlebotomist

6. Medical equipment technician

National average salary: $35,319 per year

Primary duties: Medical equipment technicians are nonmedical professionals who facilitate hospital processes by repairing and maintaining medical equipment. Technicians of this type also maintain service records and install medical equipment and software.

7. Medical records coordinator

National average salary: $37,537 per year

Primary duties: Medical records coordinators perform duties related to medical files. Their responsibilities include locating and retrieving patient files, evaluating them for accuracy and completeness and organizing them according to their organization's system.

8. Flight paramedic

National average salary: $41,517 per year

Primary duties: Flight paramedics provide medical care to patients during helicopter transport to hospitals. Responsibilities of the job include sustaining a patient's life, performing CPR and first aid, administering injections and operating medical equipment.

9. Dialysis technician

National average salary: $41,092 per year

Primary duties: Dialysis technicians help patients with kidney problems who need to be on dialysis, the mechanical filtration of waste products from the body. Their duties include assembly and testing of the dialysis machine for proper functioning, monitoring patients during treatment and providing education about dialysis treatment.

Read more: Learn About Being a Dialysis Technician

10. EKG technician

National average salary: $41,474 per year

Primary duties: EKG technicians, also known as electrocardiogram technicians and ECG technicians, administer cardiovascular tests such as the echocardiogram, which gauges electrical activity in the heart. They also interpret the results of such tests, communicate with doctors and maintain their equipment.

Read more: Learn About Being an EKG Technician

11. Cancer registrar

National average salary: $42,836 per year

Primary duties: Cancer registrars gather, organize and maintain data on cancer cases and treatments. Medical professionals such as doctors, as well as professionals in other industries, can access and study this data. Cancer registrars cultivate which cases to add to a database and update the information regularly.

12. Behavioral technician

National average salary: $43,276 per year

Primary duties: Behavioral technicians, also known as behavioral health technicians, work with psychiatric patients to help them with activities such as eating and dressing. Other duties include ensuring they take any medications and monitoring their condition. Behavioral technicians report to senior members of the care team such as a doctor and nurses.

13. Emergency medical technician

National average salary: $43,449 per year

Primary duties: Emergency medical technicians, or EMTs, are medical first responders who provide emergency care to sick or injured people on the scene or in an ambulance en route to a medical facility. Their duties include providing first aid, stopping bleeding, dressing wounds and performing CPR.

14. Patient care technician

National average salary: $44,207 per year

Primary duties: Patient care technicians assist medical personnel such as nurses and doctors by caring for patients during hospital stays. Their duties include monitoring patients, recording data and conveying information about patient status to the care team. They also interact with patients to provide emotional support and education as needed.

Read more: Learn About Being a Patient Care Technician

15. Health information technician

National average salary: $45,308 per year

Primary duties: Health information technicians manage and protect confidential patient records, including data relating to insurance, billing, symptoms, diagnoses and prescriptions. They also catalog and update these records as needed and ensure the accuracy of records.

16. Medical coder

National average salary: $47,481 per year

Primary duties: Medical coders, also known as medical coding specialists, review medical claims, ensure accuracy of the information and convert relevant information to medical codes for insurance billing purposes. Their work allows medical providers to receive reimbursement from insurance.

Read more: Learn About Being a Medical Coder

17. Laboratory technician

National average salary: $49,819 per year

Primary duties: Laboratory technicians, under the supervision of a laboratory technologist or manager, analyze patient samples, such as blood, urine and stool. They also record data, maintain records and equipment and communicate findings with doctors, scientists and other medical professionals.

Read more: Learn About Being a Lab Technician

18. Emergency room technician

National average salary: $50,195 per year

Primary duties: Emergency room technicians assist emergency room medical teams. Their duties include monitoring vitals, collecting samples, dressing wounds, providing support during procedures, fitting patients for durable medical equipment or casts and assisting in discharge from the hospital.

19. Biomedical technician

National average salary: $50,880 per year

Primary duties: Biomedical technicians support medical and biological scientists by inspecting, testing, optimizing and repairing medical equipment with the use of specialized tools and software. They often work in hospitals or for medical suppliers.

20. Mammography technologist

National average salary: $50,894 per year

Primary duties: Mammography technologists specialize in taking X-rays of breasts to look for tumors. Additional duties include interpreting images to identify tumors, communicating with and reassuring patients and communicating the results with doctors and other members of the care team.

21. Radiology technician

National average salary: $56,636 per year

Primary duties: Radiology technicians, also known as X-ray technicians and radiographers, work with radiologists to perform diagnostic imaging exams such as X-rays, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging to capture images of patients' bones, tissues or organs. These images help doctors make accurate diagnoses and treatment plans.

Read more: Learn About Being a Radiology Technician

22. Histology technician

National average salary: $59,240 per year

Primary duties: Histology technicians, also known as histologic technicians and histotechnicians, are medical lab professionals who specialize in histology, the study of the microscopic structures of tissues. Their duties include preparing slides specimens of human, animal or plant tissue for examination and analysis, as well as testing tissues according to the needs of pathologists.

23. Anesthesia technician

National average salary: $65,532 per year

Primary duties: Anesthesia technicians support anesthetists. Their duties include testing anesthesia equipment for proper functioning, ensuring proper dosing of medications for patients and interacting with patients to explain procedures.

24. Dental technician

National average salary: $67,762 per year

Primary duties: Dental technicians construct and fit patients with dental devices such as braces, crowns, bridges, dentures and implants. Rarely having direct interaction with patients, they construct these devices based on instructions given and impressions taken by dentists or dental hygienists.

25. Cytotechnologist

National average salary: $69,379 per year

Primary duties: Cytotechnologists study cells under microscopy to identify any abnormalities such as signs of cancer or infectious disease. Their duties include assisting sample collection, preparing and examining slides and writing reports of their findings.

26. Surgical technician

National average salary: $69,650 per year

Primary duties: Surgical technicians support surgeons and surgical teams during operations. Preoperatively, they may prepare the operating room, sterilize the surgical instruments and test any equipment for proper functioning. During surgery, they may hand tools to the surgeon as needed and monitor the patient's condition.

Read more: Learn About Being a Surgical Technician

27. Clinical informaticist

National average salary: $71,273 per year

Primary duties: Clinical Informaticists are IT professionals who work for medical institutions or insurance companies. They enter and manage medical data such as patient names and medical histories, as well as broader topics such as disease spread. They may also write programs that help users find and access such data.

28. Psychiatric technician

National average salary: $74,519 per year

Primary duties: Psychiatric technicians work with patients who have mental health issues, developmental disorders or substance abuse problems Their duties may include monitoring and document patient behavior and condition, administering medications, helping with activities of daily living and interacting with patients.

29. MRI technologist

National average salary: $80,362 per year

Primary duties: MRI technologists operate magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, scanners at medical facilities such as hospitals and imaging centers. They educate patients on the MRI procedure and positioning to capture usable images. They may also inject contrast dye to visualize soft-tissue conditions more clearly.

30. Nuclear medicine technologist

National average salary: $89,828 per year

Primary duties: Nuclear medicine technologists perform imaging exams using small amounts of radioactive substances to locate abnormalities within the body. Other duties include patient interactions to explain procedures, administering radioactive substances and maintaining imaging equipment.

31. Perfusionist

National average salary: $113,075 per year

Primary duties: Perfusionists provide support during heart surgeries by operating circulation equipment called the heart-lung machine, which works in place of the patient's circulatory or respiratory systems during the length of the operation. It is the perfusionist's job to keep the patient alive.

21 other medical technician positions

Here are 21 other positions in or related to medical technology that you can pursue or transition into:

• Immunohematology technologist

• Immunology technologist

• Clinical chemistry technologist

• Sleep technician

• Microbiology technologist

• Molecular biology technologist

• Wildlife rehabilitator

• Respiratory therapist

• Veterinary nurse

• Athletic trainer

• Medical assistant

• Licensed practical nurse

• Health information manager

• Pathology assistant

• Dental hygienist

• Dental assistant

• Radiation therapist

• Clinical research associate

• Biotechnologist

• Medical laboratory scientist

• Medical equipment repairer