BioMedical Equipment Technician
A BioMedical Equipment Technician maintains, installs, repairs, tests and calibrate the different types of equipment used in the medical field.
The equipment may range from x-ray, ultrasound to electrocardiograph (EKG) machines to life support equipment such as ventilators and dialysis machines.
How to become a BioMedical Equipment Technician
Here's what you need to know:
1) What is a BioMedical Equipment Technician?
2) Requirements
3) Certifications
4) Salary Potential
5) BioMedical Equipment Programs and Schools
1) What is a BioMedical Equipment Technician?
In a medical facility, there are many types of equipment used to diagnose and treat patients.
X-ray, ultrasound, cat scan, EKG machines and the list goes on and on.
Well, someone needs to be able to install, repair, maintain, test and calibrate these machines!
That's what a BioMedical Equipment Technician does. They make sure that those machines are working properly, install them and repair them when they are broken.
They may also train health care personnel to use those machines.
2) Requirements
Here are some basic requirements:
- Complete a 2 year degree in BioMedical Equipment Technology
- Obtain some experience through internships
- Some employers require certification through the Association of the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation
- Some employers require fingerprint clearance
3) Certification
The International Certification Commission for Clinical Engineering and Biomedical Technology (ICC) offers certification for Biomedical Equipment Technicians (BMETs) to formally recognize that individuals have demonstrated excellence in theoretical as well as practical knowledge of the principles of biomedical equipment technology.
Certification demonstrates that successful applicants have the knowledge to ensure a safe, reliable health care environment. It also demonstrates to employers a significant commitment to career and competence.
There are 3 certifications offered by The Board of Examiners for Biomedical Equipment Technicians, operating under the direction of the United States Certification Commission (USCC) and the ICC :
- Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician (CBET)
- Certified Radiology Equipment Specialist (CRES)
- Certified Laboratory Equipment Specialist (CLES)
Applicants must meet ONE of the following minimum eligibility requirements:
Associate?s degree in biomedical equipment technology and 2 years full-time BMET work experience;
OR
Associate?s degree in electronics technology and 3 years full-time BMET work experience:
OR
Four years full-time BMET work experience.
Additional eligibility routes for CLES Applicants only:
Associate's degree in medical laboratory technology and 3 years full-time BMET work experience;
OR
Bachelor's degree in medical technology and 2 years full-time BMET work experience.
4) Salary Potential
Salaries vary depending on location and size of the business and the experience level of the individual.
The median hourly salary for a BioMedical Technician is about $24/hour.
The average annual salary was reported to be approximately $51,000/year.
5) BioMedical Equipment Technician Programs and Schools
You can start out by completing a 2 year program offered at some schools. If you desire to be a Supervisor, you will most likely need a 4 year degree, generally offered in BioMedical Engineering.
Schools that offer 2 year programs in BioMedical Equipment Technology
ALABAMA
Community College of the Air Force
Maxwell Air Force Base
Montgomery, AL 36112-6613
Jefferson State Community College
Manufacturing Technology Center
2601 Carson Rd.
Birmingham, AL 36235
205-856-8517
Northwest-Shoals Community College
P.O. Box 2545
800 George Wallace Blvd
Muscle Shoals, AL 35662
256-331-5200
ARKANSAS
North Arkansas College
1515 Pioneer Drive
Harrison, AR 72601
(870) 743-3000
CALIFORNIA
Glendale Community College
1500 N. Verdugo Rd.
Glendale, CA 91208,
818-240-1000
Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA 91401
818-947-2600
COLORADO
Aims Community College
Greeley Campus
5401 W. 20th Street
P.O Box 69
Greeley, CO 80632
970-330-8008
Arapahoe Community College
5900 S. Santa Fe Drive,
Littleton, CO 80120,
303-797-4ACC (4222)
CONNECTICUT
Gateway Community College
North Haven Campus
88 Bassett Road
North Haven, CT 06473
203-285-2000
DELAWARE
Delaware Tech - Terry Campus
1832 N. Dupont Parkway
Dover, DE 19901
302-741-2700
FLORIDA
Broward Community College
North Campus
1000 Coconut Creek Blvd
Coconut Creek, FL 33066
(954) 973-2292/2324
Florida Community College
Downtown Campus
101 W. State St.
Jacksonville, FL 32202
904-633-8100
Santa Fe Community College
W-002
3000 NW 83rd St.
Gainesville, FL 32606
352.395.5650
GEORGIA
Central Georgia Technical College
3300 Macon Tech Drive
Macon, GA 31206
478-757-3400
Chattahoochee Technical College
980 South Cobb Drive
Marietta, Georgia 30060
770-528-4545
ILLINOIS
Parkland College
2400 West Bradley
Champaign, Illinois 61821-1899
Richland Community College
One College Park
Decatur IL, 62521
217-875-7200
South Suburban College
15800 South State Street
South Holland, IL 60473
708-596-2000
INDIANA
Indiana State University
Department of Electronics and Computer Technology
School of Technology
Indiana State University
Terre Haute, IN 47809
812-237-3452
IUPUI
425 University Blvd.,
Indianapolis, IN 46202-5143,
317-274-4591
IOWA
Des Moines Area Community College
2006 South Ankeny Blvd.
Ankeny, IA 50021-3993
515-964-6200 or 1-800-362-2127
Western Iowa Tech Community College
4647 Stone Avenue
Sioux City, IA 51106
712.274.6400
800.352.4649
KENTUCKY
Madisonville Community College
2000 College Drive
Madisonville, KY 42431-9241
270-821-2250
LOUISIANA
Delgado Community College
615 City Park Avenue
New Orleans, LA
Louisiana Technical College
Sullivan Campus
1710 Sullivan Drive
Bogalusa, LA 70427
Phone: (985) 732-6640
MAINE
Southern Maine Technical College
Fort Road
South Portland, ME 04106
207-767-9500
MARYLAND
Anne Arundel Community College
101 College Parkway
Arenold, MD 21012-1895
410-647-7100
Howard Community College
10901 Little Patuxent Parkway
Columbia, MD 21044
410-772-4800
MICHIGAN
Lansing Community College
Lansing Community College
P.O. BOX 40010 Lansing, MI 48901-7210
517-483-1957
Schoolcraft College
18600 Haggerty Road
Livonia, MI 48152
734.462.4400
MINNESOTA
Anoka-Ramsey Community College
Coon Rapids Campus
11200 Mississippi Boulevard
Coon Rapids, MN 55433
(763) 422-3333
Dakota County Technical College
1300 145th Street East (County Road 42)
Rosemount, MN 55068-2999
(651) 423-8301
MISSOURI
St. Louis Community College
Florissant Valley
Engineering and Technology
3400 Pershall Road
St. Louis, MO 63135
314-595-4308
MONTANA
Montana State University - Great Falls
College of Technology
2100 16th Ave S.
PO Box 6010
Great Falls, MT 59406-6010
406-771-4300 or 1- 800-446-2698
NEW HAMPSHIRE
New Hampshire Community Technical College
NH Biotechnology Center
c/o NHCTC
320 Corporate Ave
Portsmouth, NH 03801
Phone Number: 603-334-6306
NEW JERSEY
County College of Morris
214 Center Grove Road
Randolph NJ 07869
Toll Free : 1.888.226.8001
973.328.5000
Thomas Edison State College
101 W. State Street
Trenton, NJ 08608-1176
NEW MEXICO
Dona Ana Branch Community College of
New Mexico State University
3400 South Espina
Las Cruces, NM 88003
NEW YORK
Farmingdale State University of New York
Route 110
Farmingdale, NY 11735-1021
631-420-2000
NORTH CAROLINA
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute
2855 Hickory Boulevard
Hudson, NC 28638
828-726-2200
Stanly Community College
141 College Drive
Albemarle, NC 28001
704-982-0121
OHIO
Diagnostic Imaging Technical Education Center, Inc. (DITEC)
6864 Cochran Road
Solon, Ohio 44139
440 519-1555
OKLAHOMA
Tulsa Community College
909 S. Boston Ave.
Tulsa, OK 74119
PENNSYLVANIA
Community College of Philadelphia
1700 Spring Garden Street
Philadelphia, PA 19130
215-751-8010
Johnson College
3427 North Main Avenue
Scranton, PA 18508-1495
570 342-6404
Penn State - New Kensington
3550 Seventh Street Road - Rt. 780
Upper Burrell, PA 15068-1798
724-334-6712
RHODE ISLAND
Community College of Rhode Island
400 East Avenue,
Warwick, Rhode Island 02886-1807 - Telep
Phone: (401) 825-1000
SOUTH CAROLINA
Florence- Darlington Technical College
2715 West Lucas Street
Florence, SC 29501- 0548
800-228-5745
SOUTH DAKOTA
Southeast Technical Institute
2320 N Career Ave
Sioux Falls, SD 57107
Local: 605-367-7624
Toll-Free: 1-800-247-0789
TEXAS
St. Philip's College
1801 Martin Luther King Drive
San Antonio Texas, 78203
210-531-3200
Texas State Technical College - Harlingen
1902 North Loop 499
Harlingen, TX 78550-3697
Ph: 956/364-4111
Texas State Technical College - Waco
3801 Campus Drive
Waco, TX 76705
VIRGINIA
ECPI College of Technology
Main Campus
5555 Greenwich Road
Virginia Beach, VA 23462
757-671-7171
Northern Virginia Community College
Annandale Campus
8333 Little River Turnpike
Annandale, VA 22003-3796
Telephone: (703) 323-3000
WASHINGTON
Bellingham Technical College
3028 Lindbergh Avenue
Bellingham, WA 98225
North Seattle Community College
9600 College Way North
Seattle, WA 98103
206-527-3639
Spokane Community College
1810 N. Greene Street
Spokane, WA 99217-5399
WISCONSIN
Milwaukee Area Technical College
700 West State St.
Milwaukee, WI 53233 (USA)
(414) 297-6600
Western Wisconsin Technical College
304 6th Street North
La Crosse, WI 54601
608-785-9200
WYOMING
Western Wyoming Community College
2500 College Drive
Rock Springs, WY 82901
Phone: 307-382-1600