What is a Patient Care Technician & What Do They Do?
If your goal is to help people, becoming a patient care technician (PCT) is a great way to get your foot in the door and start making a difference in patients’ lives. PCTs assist nurses and gain hands-on experience that many use as a stepping stone to careers as nurses, physician assistants, or doctors.
Here’s everything you need to know about this rewarding career and the skills you’ll need to succeed.
What Is a Patient Care Technician?
A patient care technician is a trained healthcare professional who provides direct, hands-on support to patients and the clinical team. While they typically work under the supervision of a registered nurse, PCTs assist multiple healthcare providers by helping with important tasks such as taking vital signs, assisting with daily activities, monitoring patient conditions, performing EKGs, collecting lab samples, and offering emotional support to patients and their families.
With the right training, becoming a patient care technician can also be a first step toward advancing into roles like a licensed practical nurse (LPN), registered nurse (RN), or other healthcare careers.
What Does a Patient Care Technician Do?
Patient care technicians are responsible for a wide range of duties that help keep patients safe, comfortable, and supported. Common responsibilities include:
- Reporting changes in a patient’s condition
- Assisting with exercises and mobility, such as getting out of bed or using the bathroom
- Collecting blood, urine, or stool samples
- Conducting certain medical tests
- Recording test results and documenting patient information
- Escorting patients to X-rays, procedures, or when they’re being discharged
- Serving meals to patients in their rooms
- Checking and monitoring vital signs
- Providing emotional support to patients
- Supporting patients’ families and answering basic questions
Additional clinical skills you’ll learn include:
- Understanding and interpreting EKG readings
- Monitoring vital signs accurately
- Assisting with medication administration and minor procedures (where permitted)
- Communicating with patients professionally and compassionately
- Performing phlebotomy, blood glucose tests, and other point-of-care procedures
Fortunately, these skills don’t take long to learn. Many patient care technician programs can be completed in just a few months, allowing you to start working with patients, and making a meaningful impact, relatively quickly.
Types of Patient Care Technicians
Patient care technicians have the opportunity to build on their core skills and move into more focused roles depending on their interests, working environment, and additional training. Common specializations include:
- Dialysis technician: Works with patients who have kidney disease, operating dialysis machines, monitoring vitals, and supporting patients during treatments.
- EKG/ECG technician: Specializes in heart monitoring by performing electrocardiograms, preparing patients for testing, and assisting providers in identifying cardiac issues.
- Phlebotomy technician: Focuses on drawing blood for tests, transfusions, or donations, ensuring proper sample handling and patient comfort.
- Clinical lab support technician: Assists in specimen collection, labeling, and basic lab processing.
- Emergency department technician: Supports nurses and physicians in acute settings, helping with wound care, splints, vital signs, EKGs, and rapid patient turnover.
- Rehabilitation/physical therapy technician: Works alongside PTs or OTs to support mobility exercises, set up equipment, and help patients progress through therapy programs.
- Home health patient care technician: Provides in-home support for people who need assistance with daily activities, basic medical monitoring, and mobility.
How to Become a Patient Care Technician
Education & Training
Becoming a patient care technician typically involves completing a formal training program and earning a nationally recognized certification. You don’t need a bachelor’s degree — most people qualify with just a high school diploma or GED and completion of a certified PCT training program.
Once you finish your training, you’ll be eligible to sit for a nationally recognized certification, such as the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) Certified Patient Care Technician/Assistant (CPCT/A) exam or the American Medical Certification Association (AMCA) PCT exam. Passing one of these exams allows you to work as a certified patient care technician in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, outpatient clinics, emergency departments, and long-term care settings.
This role is also a common first step for people considering future careers in nursing, physician assistant studies, or other medical professions, since it provides hands-on experience with direct patient care and the clinical team.
Key Skills Needed
Patient care technicians need a combination of hands-on clinical expertise and strong interpersonal skills. You’ll be doing a lot of physical work, such as taking vitals, performing basic tests like EKGs, assisting patients with daily activities, and collecting lab samples. But equally important are observation and communication skills since you’ll be monitoring patients, reporting changes to the care team, and offering emotional support to patients and their families.
Being organized, detail-oriented, and able to effectively manage your time is important, especially during busy shifts. Physical stamina helps, too, since the role often involves standing, moving patients, and performing hands-on care.
Career Outlook & Salary
Employment for nursing assistants and orderlies, which includes many patient care technician roles, is projected to grow about 2% from 2024 to 2034, which is slightly slower than the average for all occupations.
Even with modest growth, there are still roughly 211,800 openings each year, mostly due to the need to replace workers who retire or leave the occupation.
As the population ages, demand for PCTs, nursing assistants, and orderlies will remain strong, particularly in caring for older adults with chronic or progressive conditions like heart disease and diabetes.
Salary will vary depending on your employer, the level of experience required, and where you live or work. But here are some general ranges and trends to keep in mind:
- Average annual salary: Many patient care technicians earn somewhere between $32,000 and $42,000.
- Top earners: Experienced PCTs or those working in specialized roles can earn more, often landing between $50,000 and $58,000.
- Hourly rate: Hourly pay often ranges between $15 and $20, depending on the region and clinical environment.
PCT vs. CNA vs. Certified Medical Assistant
Patient care technicians, certified nursing assistants (CNAs), and certified medical assistants (CMAs) are all essential members of the healthcare team, but they focus on slightly different aspects of patient care.
CNAs provide basic, hands-on support to patients, such as helping with bathing, feeding, mobility, and taking vital signs. They often work in nursing homes, long-term care facilities, and some hospitals, ensuring that patients’ everyday needs are met.
PCTs build on the skills of CNAs and often take on additional clinical responsibilities, such as performing EKGs, drawing lab samples, and assisting in specialized hospital units, such as intensive care or emergency departments.
Medical assistants, on the other hand, split their time between administrative and clinical duties, typically in outpatient clinics or doctor’s offices. They might handle scheduling, billing, and charting, as well as taking vitals, drawing blood, or giving injections.
| Feature | Patient Care Technician | Certified Nursing Assistant | Medical Assistant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brief Overview | Provides hands-on patient care, often in hospitals, with some advanced clinical skills | Provides basic patient care, often in hospitals, long-term care, or nursing homes | Performs both administrative and clinical tasks, mostly in outpatient clinics |
| Education / Training | High school diploma/GED plus a formal PCT training program | High school diploma/GED plus a state-approved CNA program | High school diploma or GED plus an accredited post-secondary program |
| Certification | NHA CPCT/A, AMCA PCT | State CNA certification | Certification is strongly recommended (CCMA, CMA, RMA) |
| Typical Duties | Take vitals, perform EKGs, collect lab samples, provide emotional support, assist with daily living activities | Help patients with bathing, feeding, mobility, toileting; take vitals, assist nursing staff | Administrative tasks (scheduling, billing, charting) and clinical tasks (taking vitals, drawing blood) |
| Work Settings | Hospitals, ICUs, rehab centers, clinics, long-term care facilities, assisted living centers, surgery centers | Hospitals, nursing homes, long-term care facilities, assisted living centers, home healthcare services | Doctor offices, outpatient clinics, private practices, hospitals, urgent care facilities, long-term care facilities |
Next Steps After Becoming a Patient Care Technician
Becoming a patient care technician can be a strong first step in a healthcare career. Many PCTs gain hands-on experience working directly with patients while deciding whether to advance into roles like licensed practical nurse, registered nurse, or even physician assistant. Some also choose to specialize in areas such as cardiology, dialysis, or intensive care.
With experience, PCTs may also take on supervisory or training roles, helping guide new staff with patient care practices and support.
Is a Patient Care Technician a Good Career?
A career as a PCT offers a unique combination of hands-on patient care, stable demand, and opportunities for growth. It’s ideal if you enjoy working closely with patients, want to gain real-world healthcare experience, and are considering advancing into higher-level healthcare roles. The work can be physically and emotionally demanding, but it’s also a highly rewarding job, giving you the chance to make a difference in the lives of patients and their families. Plus, with nationally recognized certification and experience, a PCT role can open doors to many other healthcare career paths.
Start Your Journey as a Patient Care Technician Today
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FAQs
Is a PCT the same as a CNA?
Not exactly. A PCT builds on CNA skills by performing additional clinical tasks like EKGs, drawing lab samples, and assisting in specialized hospital units. CNAs typically focus on basic patient care, often in long-term care facilities or nursing homes.
What does a patient care technician do?
PCTs provide hands-on care, including taking vital signs, performing basic clinical procedures and tasks, and offering emotional support. They work closely with nurses and other healthcare professionals in hospitals, rehab centers, and clinics.
Do you need a degree to become a PCT?
No. In most cases you need a high school diploma or GED plus the completion of a certificate training program.
How long does PCT training take?
Many programs can be completed in as few as 8–12 weeks, depending on the format and pacing.
Can being a PCT lead to other healthcare careers?
Absolutely. Many PCTs use their experience as a stepping stone to roles like LPN, RN, or even physician assistant, while gaining valuable hands-on patient care experience.
Do I need any healthcare experience to become a PCT?
No prior healthcare experience is required to enroll in a patient care technician program. Training programs are designed to teach you the essential skills from the ground up, including hands-on patient care, clinical procedures, and working effectively with healthcare teams. That said, any previous experience in healthcare or volunteering can give you a head start and make the transition to the role even smoother.
