Medical Equipment Repairer
Medical equipment repairers adjust and repair medical equipment.
Maybe you like the hospital setting, but you don’t see yourself “fixing people”. You want to help, but you’d rather work with machinery than biology. If this sounds like you, you may want to work as a medical equipment repairer. This specialized job is vital to maintaining a fully functional hospital.
Fast Facts
Minimum Degree Required: Associate’s
Top 3 Skills: Mechanics, Computer Skills, Patience
Average Starting Salary: $27,000/year
Job Description
Repairers working in medical settings specialize in testing, calibrating, fixing, and maintaining medical equipment. They must be very diligent, as every machine comes with its own manual for care and upkeep, which needs to be read, learned, and followed.
A repairer will have daily tasks, like taking inventories and running maintenance tests, as well as as-needed calls. They are the go-to people when a physician, nurse, technologist, or other staff member finds a malfunctioning machine.
This is a very hands on position, with long hours standing and potentially lifting heavy equipment. It may include night and weekend hours.
Education
If your local community college offers an associates degree in repairing medical equipment or biomedical equipment technology, that is the fastest route to becoming a medical repairer. If not, hospitals will often provide training for employees with associates degrees in engineering (mechanical and/or electrical).
The more complicated the machinery, the more education and experience is required.
If your high school offers technical courses in engineering, take advantage of them. Many community colleges offer similar courses for high schoolers hoping to get ahead for college.
Certification/Licensing
Optional, typically covered by employer, if they wish you to obtain it.
Job Outlook: Excellent
From 2010 to 2020 the BLS predicts a 31% increase in Medical Equipment Repairer jobs. The median yearly salary in 2020 was over $44,490, with the top 10% earning more than $70,000.
- Summary
- Career:
- Medical Equipment Repairer
- Ave Starting Salary:
- approx. $27,000yr
- Ave Median Salary:
- approx. $44,490yr
- Job Outlook:
- Excellent
- Education Required:
- Associates Degree (2 Yr Associate)
