EKG Technician Education Requirements

The demand for EKG tech is rapidly growing, and according to BLS, the market is set to rise by 10% every year. And that makes sense.

With an aging population and a significant uptick in cardiovascular problems, doctors advise patients to check their heart’s health regularly.

One of the ways to do that is by an EKG (or an ECG) Test, and as an EKG tech, you’re like a superhero who can identify early signs of cardiovascular problems in a patient.

So, you’ve decided to be that superhero and want to start your career as an EKG Tech. In today’s article, we cover the education requirements that you need to meet before you start your career.

What is an EKG Technician?

An EKG Tech is a trained healthcare professional that is primarily responsible perform electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) tests on patients. An EKG test is conducted to measure the electrical activity of the heart, and it is used to get accurate information about heart rate and detect any abnormalities in the functioning of the heart.

An EKG technician, after conducting the test, takes note of the reading and reports it to the doctor. To know more about EKG Techs, read: What is an EKG Technician?

Job Duties of an EKG Technician

Here are some of the common job duties of an EKG Technician:-

• Performing and conducting electrocardiogram tests.
• Maintaining EKG equipment.
• Performing essential administrative tasks such as filing, data entry, and recording results as per the health care system.
• Scheduling EKG tests.

To know more about the day-to-day responsibilities of an EKG tech, you can read – What does an EKG Technician do?

EKG Technician Educational Requirements

Here are the education requirements that you need to meet before starting your career as an EKG Technician.

High School Diploma or GED

This is a pre-requisite to be an EKG Technician. As an EKG Technician, you must have a high school diploma or GED.

Formal EKG Technician Training

The second requirement is getting post-secondary education as an EKG Technician. For that, you can enroll in a full-time program with a university or a college or go for an Online Certification Program.

For your EKG Technician Training, we recommend enrolling in an online program.

Here’s why –

• You can complete your training program in as little as 6 months
• Lower price tag.
• Gives you the liberty to learn literally from anywhere and anytime
• Self-paced education

Looking for a program? Here’s our updated guide on the top EKG Technician Schools for 2023.

CET Certification

Certification is not a mandatory ‘education requirement, but employers prefer certified EKG technicians. An EKG certification is not to be confused with a certification program. To be a Certified EKG Tech, you need to pass an exam.

CET certification, issued by the NHA, is the most recommended option for EKG Techs. Here’s more about the top EKG Technician Certifications.

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