How To Become Certified As A Medican Equipment Repairer

Guide to Medical Equipment Repair Careers

Not anybody who works in healthcare is a doc or a nurse, and one of the near vital roles in inpatient intendance a medical equipment repairer. Whether it's fixing X-ray machines or making repairs to wheelchairs, medical equipment repairers maintain and take care of the computer-based machinery that saves lives. A facility with a broken ten-ray machine or not-functioning robotic surgical equipment costs patients, hospitals, and insurance providers time and money. Fixing healthcare machines quickly and efficiently can relieve lives.

Medical equipment repairer careers are expected to abound in the coming years to meet the needs of the apace expanding healthcare sector. Reasons for this job growth include increased demand for healthcare services and advancing technologies and tools that require more complex skills to gear up. This includes technologies such equally MRI, ultrasound and X-ray machines, likewise every bit older, simpler items, such as electric beds or wheelchairs.

Co-ordinate to O*Internet Online, medical equipment repairer jobs require skills ranging from calibrating components to soldering connections. Troubleshooting micro-processing and microcomputer skills may also be necessary in some cases.

Technical skills are a must for the occupation, but those interested in the career should too be good at communicating and fourth dimension management. A wide range of patient-facing facilities such every bit hospitals and clinics demand to have equipment working efficiently to intendance for patients.

Individuals can choose to earn an acquaintance degree in biomedical equipment technology or applied science to larn entry-level positions. A bachelor'south degree may exist necessary for employees who want to work on more than circuitous applied science, such as defibrillators.

Read on to learn more about what it takes to set up for a career in medical equipment repair, including chore responsibilities, career outlook, education, bacon, and certifications.

Medical Equipment Repairer Job Responsibilities

The BLS reports that the principal duties of a medical equipment repairer are to "install, maintain, and repair patient care equipment." Medical equipment repairers, too known equally biomedical equipment technicians (BMETs), use microcomputer equipment and handheld tools to install and maintain equipment and diagnose and troubleshoot problems.

BMETs may work with mechanical, hydraulic, or electric components, and sometimes all three. For complex figurer-based machines, medical equipment repairers must be skilled at using multimeters or electrical devices that measure and troubleshoot electrical equipment such every bit CAT scanners and x-ray machines. Less complicated medical equipment repairs include hospital beds and wheelchairs.

Reading blueprints, schematic drawings, and technical manuals is a part of a medical equipment technician'south chore. A medical equipment repairer must know how to read and understand these types of manuals and exist able to disassemble cleaved equipment, identify root causes for the issues, troubleshoot them, and then locate the parts needed for repair and install them.

Lastly, medical equipment repairers demand to be sensitive to the needs of patients while they do their repairs in a hospital or a clinical setting. For obvious reasons, the piece of work of medical equipment repairers must be precise and timely and then that medical teams tin can adequately care for and care for their patients.

Medical Equipment Repairer Career Outlook

The BLS shows that 53,900 individuals are currently employed as medical equipment repairers in the U.S. Between 2022 and 2029, job opportunities in this field are expected to grow at a rate of 5 percent, a charge per unit which is faster than the national average at 4 percent (BLS May 2022).

Those with an associate'southward or bachelor'southward degree in biomedical equipment technology qualify for positions that require more technical skills and, as a result, command higher salaries for increased skill levels.

Usa with the highest employment of medical equipment repairers were equally follows (BLS May 2022):

California: five,350 employed
Texas: 4,390
Florida: 3,870
Ohio: two,230
New York: ii,130

Elevation-Employing Industries for Medical Equipment Repairers

Unsurprisingly, the top employers of medical equipment repairers are the companies that manufacture and support medical equipment. Here is a list of the industries with the highest levels of employment for medical equipment repairers (BLS May 2022):

Professional and commercial equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers: 15,820 employed
General medical and surgical hospitals: seven,100
Rental and leasing services: iii,950
Outpatient intendance centers: ii,980
Health and personal care stores: 2,620

Some medical equipment repairers are also employed as contractors, meaning that they may have to travel, sometimes significant distances, to brand repairs. Others are likewise cocky-employed. Information technology's worth noting that the figures above practice non include self-employed medical equipment repairers.

Medical Equipment Repairer Salary

As of May 2022, the median salary for medical equipment repairers was $51,610, which breaks down to $24.81 per 60 minutes, according to the BLS. Depending on education or years of experience, these salaries spread across a range of percentiles.

Hither are the salary percentiles for medical equipment repairers:

10th percentile: $31,180
25th percentile: $38,700
50th percentile: $51,610 (median)
75th percentile: $67,930
90th percentile: $84,720

PayScale.com is a site that provides cocky-reported information on bacon, bonus, and hourly rate, likewise every bit can intermission down bacon information past years of feel and job location. PayScale's information comprises 194 individuals reporting their salaries, and as of June 2022, their figures were more than closely aligned with the BLS'southward median annual salary of $58,958 per year.

According to SimplyHired.com (2021), the average medical bacon for medical equipment repairers is $34,515 — somewhat lower than what the BLS reports — but, equally with any other chore, the pay can vary based upon experience, credentials, and location of employment.

Elevation-Paying Locations for Medical Equipment Repairers

The BLS reports that the states paying the highest wages for medical equipment repairers are every bit follows (BLS May 2022):

Oregon: $74,350 per twelvemonth
Washington: $68,180
Alaska: $66,930
New Jersey: $65,090
California: $64,450

It's worth noting that the cost of living in these v of these states is college than the nationwide average, a factor that could offset any higher pay. The Missouri Economical Enquiry and Information Eye (MERIC) offers a price of living information series to aid individuals compare the cost of living in each state. Using this tool, people can better compare salary data against the average toll of housing, utilities, and groceries for a particular state.

Another valuable resource for comparing salary data at the state level is O*NET. Find details on pay by state by choosing the wages and employment trends selection and then selecting "state wages." The site shows that in Alabama, the median yearly income is $41,300, 22 percent lower than the national average. In Nebraska, information technology is much higher, at $55,710, which is more than vii percent higher than the national average.

How to Become a Medical Equipment Repairer or Biomedical Technician

Educational requirements for medical equipment repairers vary based on the type of equipment beingness repaired and range from on-the-task experience to a bachelor's caste. For example, to work on electric wheelchairs or hospital beds, an on-the-chore program of up to ane year may exist enough, according to the BLS.

Here is a footstep-by-step guide to becoming a medical equipment repairer.

Footstep 1: Graduate from high schoolhouse or earn a GED (iv years). Aspiring high school students are encouraged to go on their grades loftier in math, scientific discipline, and informatics classes if offered. If offered, pursue elective courses in drafting, soldering, calculator programming, or technical skills.
Step two: Earn an acquaintance's degree (2 years). Community colleges offer ii-yr degrees in biomedical equipment technology. An instance plan is the acquaintance's degree program in biomedical equipment technology at Texas Land Technical College. This program is offered on-campus or in hybrid or online formats and offers ii specialization tracks: biomedical equipment technology or medical imaging systems. Some programs include internships and four-year degree tracks for those who desire to earn a iv-year degree.
Step 3: Earn a bachelor's degree (iv years). With a more than specialized focus on applied electric engineering, bachelor's degree programs position students to earn higher-level jobs working on more specialized equipment. An instance program is the available of scientific discipline in technology technology with an electronics concentration from East Tennessee State University. This program features extensive lab work to master the skills necessary to repair equipment in industrial and manufacturing settings.
Step iv: Gain work feel (timeline varies). BMETs can proceeds piece of work experience during or later on completing a degree program or on-the-job training. Some certifications crave a minimum number of years of professional experience.
Stride v: Get certified (timeline varies). While most states do not require certification to work legally, about employers await for medical equipment repairers who hold a certification. Likewise, some healthcare facilities may require certification. The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) offers the certified associate in biomedical applied science (CABT) entry-level certification. To be eligible for this test, applicants must meet i of 4 criteria: an associate's degree and two years of total-time BMET experience; completion of a U.S. military BMET program and two years of total-time experience; an associate'due south degree or higher in electronics engineering and three years' full-fourth dimension BMET experience; or four years of full-time BMET experience.

Depending on the technicality of the equipment, it can take anywhere from one to four years afterward graduating from high schoolhouse to become a medical equipment repairer. Every bit is the case with any career, and considering technologies are constantly improving and advancing, standing education is vital for this occupation, enabling individuals to stay up-to-date on changes in tools and technologies.

Certification for Medical Equipment Repairs

Every bit previously mentioned, certification may not be required only tin can be helpful to obtaining employment as a medical equipment repairer. Some employers prefer to rent certified people, and some fifty-fifty pay for them to undergo the certification process.

The Association for the Advocacy of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) offers three types of certification, including the Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician (CBET), as well as the Certified Radiology Equipment Specialist (CRES), and Certified Laboratory Equipment Specialist (CLEB). Eligibility requirements vary based on pedagogy and background. Still, an associate degree in a biomedical plan with at least two years of total-time work feel in the field is one alternative for CBET certification.

Career Resources for Medical Equipment Repairers

Whether looking for piece of work every bit a contractor or an arrangement, various job boards are available to aid in a job search. Here are some career resources that may exist helpful to those interested in the medical equipment repairer occupation.

Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI): The AAMI offers credentialing for professionals to go certified as biomedical equipment technicians (BET). Individuals practise not need to be a fellow member of the association to work on certification, only if they are, they can access dissimilar benefits including discounts on AAMI products. More detailed information nigh medical equipment repair certification is included above.
Equipment Management Service And Repair: EMSAR, a franchise arrangement offering installation, maintenance, and repair services, has a job board listing the states where full-time technicians are in demand. Pay is based upon task location and an individual'south feel.
META: This organization provides a list of hundreds of job opportunities available beyond the U.S. on its website. Each position is listed by location and by date posted. Individuals can also post their resumes and sign upwards for job alerts.
MERA Medical and Scientific Equipment Maintenance and Repair Services: This organization is an alliance of companies providing medical repair services and solutions to companies for more than xxx years. The organization besides offers its MERAcademy that trains MERA technicians on specific topics, types of equipment, or particular subjects every year.

Rachel Drummond

Rachel Drummond Author

Rachel Drummond is a freelance author, educator, and yogini from Oregon. She'due south taught English to international university students in the Us and Japan for more than a decade and has a master's degree in education from the University of Oregon. A dedicated Ashtanga yoga practitioner, Rachel is interested in exploring the nuanced philosophical aspects of contemplative physical practices and how they apply in daily life. She writes almost this topic among others on her weblog (Instagram: @racheldrummondyoga).