For a dialysis patient care technician, salary is inclusive of several bonuses and incentives, depending upon the services they offer, and the patients they take care of. In this write-up, let us acquaint ourselves with the average annual salary of dialysis patient care technicians.
It ain’t easy to carry out a dialysis treatment. You need to monitor the patient every half an hour, check the vital signs, monitor the dialysis equipment, and check the weight of the patient on and off the machine. Call him a dialysis patient care technician or a hemodialysis technician or just a dialysis technician. He works in dialysis centers or hospitals, and deals with chronically ill patients, particularly with the ones that are receiving treatment for dysfunction in kidneys. He carries out the process of dialysis by assisting the kidney to remove waste materials, salts and toxins which degrade the chemical balance within the body.
The dialysis machine that the technician brings into use is required to restore that balance of chemicals, so that the patient can stay healthy. Well, a dialysis patient care technician needs to be highly trained in order to operate the dialysis machine, for a single process gone wrong may cost a patient his life. Considering the job of a dialysis patient care technician to be extremely critical in hospitals, and the duties assigned to him, pay scale is definitely high; bonus and perks included. The following section unleashes their average salary with respect to the years of experience he has, and the city he chooses to serve in.
Pay Scale
Given that a dialysis patient care tech need not have a bachelor’s degree to shape a career in this field, one could just get started with a course of one year that provides them with a certification or diploma in carrying out processes associated with the dialysis machine. As per the salary experts, the pay scale of a dialysis patient care technician in the United States of America lies well between $29,000 – $49,000, with Miami (FL) paying lowest to the technicians, and New York paying the highest.
Salary figures for medical jobs highly vary with geographical locations, and hence, are different for different cities. A tabular representation of eight major cities in the US along with the salary figures they have set for dialysis patient care technicians is given below. Studying it will help you choose your area of serving wisely.
| Region | |
| City | Average Salary (in USD) |
| New York | $40,000 |
| Chicago | $39,000 |
| Phoenix | $38,000 |
| Boston | $37,000 |
| Orlando | $36,000 |
| Dallas | $34,000 |
| Houston | $32,000 |
| Miami | $29,000 |
Note that, technicians in the field of dialysis patient care working in hospitals earn comparatively lesser than the ones working on a private contractual basis. Following table represents their salary figures with respect to the experience he gains throughout his career. Have a look.
| Experience | |
| Years | Average Salary (in USD) |
| Less than a Year | $24,000 – $30,000 |
| 1 – 4 Years | $30,000 – $34,000 |
| 5 – 9 Years | $34,000 – $41,000 |
| 10 – 19 Years | $41,000 – $49,000 |
How to Become a Dialysis Patient Care Technician
The first step is to get a high school diploma. Secondly, you need to choose the state you’re ready to work in, and check for the state’s certification requirements. Many states allow applicants to train on the job, where experienced technicians teach how to operate dialysis machines, patient care, and other basics of dialysis. Once you’re through with the training, you receive your certification, and can apply at any workplace of your liking for the job. It is better to apply in a hospital in the first place, for working on private contracts may take you a while.
A dialysis patient care technician knows the importance of developing a friendly relationship with his patients. Vast knowledge, great satisfaction, and best of care… this is all what is expected. Well, a hefty salary is just a bonus, isn’t it?