Sleep technicians or polysomnographic technicians, perform sleep testing on patients under the direction of a physician or sleep technologist. The technician prepares and calibrates polysomnographic equipment, takes the patient medical history and explains the procedures to the patient. A position as a sleep technician can be physically demanding, requiring the worker to stand for long periods and bend. Sleep technicians may work night hours as well. The salary for a sleep technician is between $27,928 and $39,205 as of November 2010, according to Payscale.com.
Employer Type
Sleep technicians can work for hospitals, a private practice or a company that performs sleep analysis. The sleep technician working for a hospital earns the highest average hourly rate at between $13.31 and $20.16, according to Payscale.com. Those working for a private practice can earn an hourly rate up to $18.73, and those working in a private company may earn up to $18.29 per hour.
Experience
Sleep technicians with five to nine years of experience can earn the highest salaries of between $17.00 and $20.58 per hour on average, while those with less than a year of experience earn lower rates between $10.28 and $15.25, according to Payscale.com. Sleep technicians can advance to a position of a sleep technologist with additional training and experience. The average salary for a sleep technician is $53,000 per year as of November 2010, according to Indeed.com.
Location
Location is a factor in the average salary a sleep technician may earn. The cost of living in the state as well as demand for sleep technicians can cause wages to vary among areas of the country. For example, sleep technicians working in Arizona earn average wages between $16.20 and $21.75 per hour, while those in Texas earn wages between $10.21 and $16.48 per hour as of 2010, according to Payscale.com.
Benefits
Sleep clinics, hospitals and companies offer technicians benefits in addition to hourly wages. The additional benefits add to the value of the position. Benefits for sleep technicians can include 401k plans, paid vacation, paid sick time, insurance and tuition reimbursement.
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