by 
\Are you already in a health career and need a chance, or are you entering the medical field for the first time?
Learn how to become an EKG Technician if you care about the condition of people’s hearts.
Article Table of Contents
Licensing Requirements to Become an EKG Technician in Pennsylvania
The state of Pennsylvania does not require you to acquire a license to become an EKG Technician.
However, most medical institutions prefer that you have at least one certificate before working with them.
If you do not have a certificate yet, you will need to seek hands-on experience from another healthcare professional who already has the required certification.
Recommended Certifications
Most healthcare employers prefer that you earn a recognizable credential, such as the Certified Electrocardiogram Technician (CET) one offered by the National Healthcareer Association.
Medical institutions also accept the Certified EKG Technician Specialist (CETS) credential hosted by the American Education Certification Association (AECA).
Additional Certification Options
You could earn the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) provided by the American Education Certification Association (AECA).
Alternatively, you could train for the Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) certification offered by the American Medical Technologies association.
You have at least two more options: The National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA) hosted by the National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT) or the Certified Cardiographic Technician (CCT) offered by the Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI).
5 EKG Technician Schools in Pennsylvania
Choose a school that offers the chance to earn credentials that you feel meet your career goals.
It should have coursework that matches the certifications you want to achieve.
1. Monitor Tech
Students can enroll in the arrhythmia Interpretation and 12-Lead ECG courses.
If they do, it will prepare them to differentiate between normal and abnormal heartbeat patterns.
Use it as training for a standalone career or one more step toward becoming a nurse.
2. Pennsylvania Academy of Audiology
Completing the clinical training included with this certificate program within six months will set you on the path to becoming a fully certified ECG Technician.
After graduation, you can look for entry-level paramedic and hospital or private practice EKG Tech positions.
This training will also prepare you for the CETS exam hosted by the AECA and the CET offered by the National Healthcareer Association.
After program completion, you will receive a prepaid voucher for the exam of your choice.
3. Brookline College
You can complete the Brookline College Medical Assistant program in about nine months.
Afterward, you could work as an EKG Tech in a healthcare facility such as a clinic, doctor’s office, or emergency room.
It also provides you with several other healthcare career options, such as becoming a Medical Assistant or a Medical Administrative Assistant.
4. ECG Academy (Continuing Education)
The ECG Academy has a first- and second-level ECG program made for physician’s assistants.
This might interest you if you want to add to your cardiology skill set.
This training also will prepare you for work on a trauma rescue team in a hospital’s intensive care unit or emergency room.
Furthermore, the ECG Academy can prepare you for performing cardiac catheterization lab testing and evaluations.
5. Luzerne County Community College
You will be able to complete the Luzerne EKG Technician Training Program within six months.
Your coursework will teach you how to interpret EKG heart readings.
The instruction you receive will also increase your understanding of healthy cardiovascular functioning.
This comes with learning the anatomy and physiology of the heart.
However, you need to know how to report and document your test findings too.
During enrollment, you will gain hands-on experience that will help you apply what you learned in class.
Your training will also emphasize the importance of patient privacy laws and introduce you to the world of ethical medical care.
EKG Technician Schools in Pennsylvania – Summary Table
| School Name | Address |
|---|---|
| Monitor Techhttps://monitortech.org/ | 3103 Philmont Ave, Suite 308 Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006 |
| Pennsylvania Academy of Audiology | 908 North Second Street, Harrisburg, PA 17102 |
| Brookline College | 2445 W Dunlap Ave Suite 100 Phoenix, AZ 85021 |
| ECG Academy (Continuing Education) | |
| Luzerne County Community College | 521 Trailblazer Drive, Nanticoke, PA 18634 |
Salary
Annual Salary Range:| Location | Avg. Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Philadelphia | $43,300 |
| Pittsburgh | $39,800 |
| Allentown | $40,800 |
| Erie | $37,400 |
| Upper Darby | $43,300 |
| Reading | $40,200 |
| Scranton | $37,300 |
| Bethlehem | $40,800 |
| Lower Merion | $43,300 |
| Bensalem | $43,700 |
Regional Salary in Pennsylvania
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erie, PA | 90 | $51,340 | $24.68 | $80,280 | $32,820 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | 240 | $60,010 | $28.85 | $87,420 | $38,560 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 1,360 | $69,420 | $33.38 | $101,600 | $42,920 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 650 | $68,770 | $33.06 | $139,690 | $38,540 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA | 80 | $67,690 | $32.54 | $85,880 | $38,340 |
| York-Hanover, PA | 120 | $58,040 | $27.91 | $85,150 | $37,990 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Frequently Asked Questions
What certification option should I choose?
Having too many choices of high-quality certifications might overwhelm you when doing your research.
You may want to read job postings published by potential employers to see what their expectations are.
Then, you will want to seek training from a school that partners with an employer’s preferred credentialing association.
Who does an EKG Technician work with?
EKG Technicians work with physicians, nurses, CNAs, and other healthcare staff.
In addition, they interact with patients throughout the day.
What tasks does an EKG technician perform?
EKG technician tasks include performing diagnostic tests on multiple patients and monitoring blood pressures.
If employed in this position, you would communicate results with patients.
You also must make reports to a doctor or nurse on duty.
Sometimes, you will need to retrieve patient charts in future visits.
Where do EKG technicians usually work?
ECG specialists typically work in hospitals, but outpatient clinics, diagnostic testing centers, and laboratories also need them.
When looking for a job, you might also want to contact nursing homes and physicians who have a private practice.
How much does EKG certification cost?
It depends on your chosen credentialing body.
Most of the exam costs range from about $200-$700 each, which may include study materials and a practice test.
This does not include tuition, but some schools offer vouchers toward the cost of your certification exam when you enroll.
Read the full guide: How to Become an EKG Technician
EKG Technician Schools by City
EKG Technician Schools by State