The complex-sounding electrocardiogram is actually a device that is conceptually not so difficult to understand. It is simply a tool used by hospitals, clinics, and emergency response teams to measure electrical signals sent by the heart. This provides health care professionals with all kinds of vital information that would be difficult or impossible to precisely collect through any other means. This life-saving career is much in demand by our modern medical institutions and has a bright future.

Since their initial use in the early 20th century, electrocardiograms have steadily found their way into more places and practices. They are abbreviated EKG based on the German spelling. Occasionally they may be referred to as ECGs in accordance with the English spelling, but the acronym EKG serves as an homage to the device's German origins. While they were, like many medical devices, often used by generalists or workers who just picked up their EKG skills on the job, recently the advantages of specialized EKG technicians have been brought to light.

Some excellent research has backed this change. One example is a Pubmed study published in 1997 which shows that EKG technicians commit vastly fewer serious errors in obtaining and reading important information as opposed to unspecialized but still highly respected doctors. As two and four year school trained EKG technicians have become more prevalent, the complexity of tasks for EKG operators has increased as well. Now technicians often monitor vitals, conduct stress tests in which the subject is asked to run or otherwise raise heart rate, and perform other expanded duties while monitoring EKG readings.

Career Specializations

A number of specializations currently exist for EKG technicians. They most common are as follows:

• Invasive Cardiology - In some difficult cases health care teams need to insert catheters or tubes into someone's arteries to either prevent a blockage or collect information. Invasive cardiologists specialize in preparing patients for such treatments and monitoring them while they take place.
• Noninvasive Cardiology - These cardiologists, as opposed to their invasive brethren, do not physically enter the human body as they treat patients. They use techniques like external electrodes and carefully applied sound waves to read heart activity.
• Echocardiographers - These technicians specifically use ultrasound to collect their readings of the heart. Sometimes their efforts are assisted by medicine that makes the sound-based collecting of data easier. This technique has the advantage of being a type of noninvasive cardiology.
• Vascular Technologists - These EKG workers specialize in finding and diagnosing problems with blood flow in the human body. The implement EKG readings, but also collect blood samples, gather medical history, and read a variety of tests to rule out or discover common circulatory maladies.
• Cardiographic Technicians - These technicians have studied the science high stress EKG testing. The will wire up a patient under conditions such as running and view the outcome. They sometimes also conduct Holter testing, which has a patient wired up with electrodes reading their heart's function for as many as 24 hours. (BLS)

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Degree levels available for EKG Technician

• Associate Degree - Two years to complete
• Bachelor's Degree - Four years to complete

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Education and certification levels available

For most professionals working with cardiology and EKGs, education will be a two year process. This education is constituted of one year learning generalized medicinal practice in a set of core courses, and one year learning the complexities of work with EKGs and cardiology. Four year program students will have the opportunity to become highly specialized in one area of cardiological practice, learning not only excellent skills as an EKG technician, but the practices necessary to supplement EKG readings into one specific form of care or another.

It is a common practice to teach untrained individuals the use of one specific type of EKG reading on the job. This training can range from 4-6 weeks for simple readings, and 18-24 months for more complicated processes like Holter reading (which is an extended reading over about a full day). The major advantage that school educated EKG technicians will have is a sole focus on learning their practice. They will study for the entirety of their time commitment, where as on-the-job training is generally sporadic and constituted of occasionally training seminars and chances to practice.

Additionally, EKG technicians will learn a broad set of techniques, and thus have an easier time qualifying for more different jobs and higher wages. Credentialing in most EKG related work is not mandated, but generally hospitals and other firms will require credentialing as a professional standard. One of the major credentialing companies, CCI, is worth looking into. The other common credentialing organization is the ARDMS. Both agencies will issue certification based on knowledge and practicing ability. (BLS)

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Salary Information

On paper EKG technicians, as a major part of the cardiologist profession, made median annual wages of just over $47,000 as of May 2008. (BLS) The lowest 10 percent of earners in the profession made less than $26,000 annually, while those working in the most lucrative 10 percent of cardio-technology made over $74,000 annually.

EKG technician salaries can be tricky to tease out as a specific number though. This is because the best publicly available data, compiled by the US Government, refers to cardiology technicians as a whole, some of whom are trained to use EKGs, but not all of whom are EKG technicians.

Some of these professionals have had much more training than two or four years of school, which their salaries likely reflect. That said, there are also some cardiologists not as highly trained as EKG technicians, and so the numbers provided by the federal government can be taken as a ballpark estimate. (BLS)

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Job Outlook

The BLS predicts alongside these salary projections that between 2008 and 2018, the number of employed cardiological technicians will grow by 24 percent. The driving force behind growth in this industry is the growing demand for cardiology services as the population ages and heart problems continue to be a major health concern.

With the Baby Boomer generation approaching retirement and a major shortage in the supply of technicians as many leave the labor force, demographic shifts bode quite excellently for prospective EKG technicians. (BLS)

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Related Careers

Cardio Tech

This profession involves the diagnosing and treatment of heart diseases via sophisticated machinery. There is even substantial overlap between cardio technicians and EKG technicians, with many individuals working in both groups. Students comparing the career of EKG technician and cardio technician should consider the benefits of higher employability and wages provided by EKG specialization against the flexibility of paths provided by a more general career such as cardio tech.

Medical Assistant

The number of tasks necessary to run a healthcare office is staggering. Important things like administrative functions and clinical work cannot all be completed by a doctor. This is where medical assistants step in, performing the duties that allow our modern health institutions to save and brighten countless lives.

Phlebotomy

For every one of the millions of blood samples drawn each day, there must be someone to draw them. In modern times it has become clear that specialization is the route for smart businesses to go, so many hospitals, clinics, and blood drives are turning to highly trained professionals for their blood drawing needs. A phlebotomist is familiar with all of the practices and nuances of efficiently and (relatively) painlessly drawing blood.

Surgical Technician

Surgical technicians aid surgeons and prepare patients for the surgery process. They must be calm, collected people with strong vision and manual dexterity. Surgery is too important to occur in any way but an efficient one, and surgical technicians help to insure that the miracles of medicine are not lost on their patients.

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