Online Medical Technology Degree Programs

Technology and medicine come together in a number of cutting-edge fields that help save lives while offering compelling career opportunities. Some examples:

• Radiologic technicians: These are specialists who take x-rays to help identify internal ailments of patients. Being a radiologic technician means being able to deal with patients and with technology, as well as understanding how to safely administer the substances patients have to ingest to make the images more effective.
• Ultrasound technicians/sonographers: Ultrasound is an alternative to x-rays and magnetic resonance imaging. With an ultrasound machine, sound waves are used to examine a patient's internal conditions.
• Clinical laboratory technologists: Lab testing of various samples is an important part of medical diagnostic work. Clinical laboratory technologists need to perform tests accurately and safely, and also be able to carefully record and store the results.

With the aging of the U.S. population, demand for health care is rising rapidly. Because of this demand, health care jobs are expected to enjoy faster-than-average growth in the years ahead. Another attractive aspect of health care jobs is that they are not very vulnerable to outsourcing. By its nature, health care is a hands-on occupation, which means there should be job opportunities in just about every area of the country.

Given these factors, the right career training in one of the above medical technology fields could point you toward a career with rising employment demand. That means attractive compensation levels and decent job security--rewards well worth the investment in career training.

Career Training in Medical Technology

Each of the specialties described above requires different training, and the level of degrees necessary can vary as well. On-the-job training is often part of the mix, but a formal degree is common and helps make a candidate more competitive in the job market. Some of the career training in these fields can be pursued online, though hands-on training is an essential part of the mix in all three fields.

Radiologic technicians and sonographers most commonly have associate's degrees, while clinical laboratory technicians are more likely to have bachelor's degrees. There are also licensing requirements in some states.

More about Medical Technology Careers

As you might expect from a field which is experiencing rising employment demand, these medical technology careers offer above-average compensation opportunities. Radiologic technicians and clinical laboratory technologists have similar pay levels, with median annual salaries just under $50,000 per year. Sonographers do even better, with a median annual salary of $57,160.

The above is by no means an exclusive list of careers that involve medical technology. Indeed, as technology has become a dominant part of health care, pretty much all careers in the field--including nurses, medical assistants, and physical therapists--have some contact with medical technology. However, the more you want working with medical technology to be a central part of your job, the more you will benefit from seeking career training which focuses on one of these technology-driven occupations.

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