Technician Salary Information

Technician careers have always been in high demand but today with so many things becoming automated, need has increased dramatically. As far as a technician salary, it depends on the type of position held but also the geographic location being worked, the company working for, years of experience, level of education, specialized training, and more. We wanted to take this opportunity to provide information about different technician jobs but also potential salary for each.

Pharmacy Technician

We will start with a pharmacy technician. The person in this role typically works in a hospital or drug store setting although there are some work in nursing homes and assistant living facilities while others handle internet orders. The main functions include receiving and verifying a patient’s prescription, preparing the appropriate medication, filling the prescription and pricing it, getting final approval from the licensed pharmacist, completing any necessary patient paperwork, handling insurance claims, and taking inventory of medication on hand to keep it stocked.

The person who works as a pharmacy technician must be detailed oriented, be accurate, and possess excellent communication skills. Career opportunities as a pharmacy technician are excellent, providing room to become a pharmacist with proper education and training. The technician salary for this position is $42,000 a year on average.

X-Ray Technician

Another popular type of technician works in the radiologic field. The x-ray technician is also referred to as a radiographer or radiologic technologist. This professional works directly with patients, explaining procedures to be performed. Additionally, this technician gets the patient prepared accordingly, secures the right position, and then follows through with testing whether as a standard x-ray, CT scan, or MRI. The x-ray technician also develops films, completes certain repair jobs for diagnostic equipment, and maintains patients’ records.

Because the x-ray technician is working with radioactive materials and procedures, special care must be taken at all times to protect the technician but also the patient. To work as an x-ray technician, a person would need to hold an associate’s or bachelor’s degree specific to this career. Then for technician salary for this particular job, the current median income is $48,000 a year.

Veterinarian Technician

For people who love working with animals, a career as a veterinarian technician is exciting and rewarding. In this role, the technician would care for animals by performing lab tests and procedures, drawing blood, administering medication, and more while being under direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian. As a part of the job, the veterinarian technician would also maintain the health history of animal patients, assist with medical diagnosis, and help develop an appropriate treatment plan. Of course, excellent communication is a must in that the veterinarian technician works with pet owners, many who are frantic and worried.

To become a veterinarian technician, a person would need to complete an associate’s degree at minimum but preferably a bachelor’s degree in animal science or veterinarian medicine. In addition, most veterinarians prefer to have a technician on staff that has education or experience in laboratory and clinical services. A qualified individual could expect to make a veterinarian technician salary between $32,000 and $36,000 annually.

Automotive Technician

Another type of technician that is in high demand is the automotive technician, someone who works on keeping cars running safely. The responsibilities of this blue collar job have evolved over the years where today, this professional not only provides ongoing vehicle maintenance but also repairs worn out or broken mechanical components, installs various types of systems and equipment, maintains service records, repairs circuits, automotive fixtures, and electrical wiring, performs pre and post repair testing, and much more.

Education and training to become an automotive technician varies somewhat depending on the exact work being done since some positions are more advanced than others. However, the person in this role today must learn about all sorts of vehicles and repair but also computer systems, advanced components, and programs used for diagnostic purposes. As far as technician salary for this job, it typically ranges from $32,000 to $37,000 a year.

Miscellaneous Technician Jobs

In addition to the jobs listed, there are many others. Below are additional positions, along with average annual technician salary for each.

o Lab Technician – $25,000
o Surgical Technician – $44,000
o Ultrasound Technician – $60,000
o Engineering Technician – $48,000
o Dialysis Technician – $24,000
o Computer Technician – $39,000
o Nuclear Technician – $75,000
o Forensic Science Technician – $50,000