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If you do not want to attend school for four or more years, you can train to become an EKG Technician in Texas.
You can start working in about six to 12 months while becoming certified.
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Licensing Requirements to Become an EKG Technician in Texas
Texas neither issues licenses nor does it require licensing to work as an EKG Technician.
If you want to use electrocardiogram machines to test and interpret patient cardiovascular activity, however, you must abide by healthcare center standards.
For instance, you could start out as a Certified Electrocardiograph Technician (CET) after taking the CET National Performance Specialists (NPS) exam.
Otherwise, you could work toward a National Healthcareer Association (NHA) Certified EKG Technician (CET) or a Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI) Certified Cardiographic Technician (CCT) certificate.
Your training should match the content found on at least one of the certification exams you plan to take.
If you do not find a school that offers you the training you want near you, try to find a school that prepares you for the Certified EKG Technician Specialist (CETS) exam hosted by American Education Certification Association (AECA).
5 EKG Technician Schools in Texas
1. Northeast Texas Community College
The EKG Technician certificate program at Northern Texas prepares you for preparing patients before testing and checking their vital signs.
In addition, it offers CPR training, and you will know how to place 3-, 5- and 10-lead electrodes on a patient in the correct places.
After an EKG tracing is complete, you’ll know how to read and understand its results.
You can enroll in the Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians online.
Program lengths may vary, but a certificate learning track usually takes less than a year.
2. Houston Community College
The Houston Community College EKG Technician training includes 120 clinical lab hours and 64 class hours.
A priority is making sure you know what it is like performing multiple cardiovascular readings every day as a full-time EKG Technician.
Your time spent practicing your EKG reading and machine operating skills will prepare you for the national certification exam of your choice.
Coursework duration depends on how many classes you complete at once.
You might be able to complete the minimum requirements in a few months, or at least you would start working full time while still in school.
3. Tyler Junior College (TJC)
The EKG Technician program offered by TJC covers both the foundations of the cardiovascular system and how to place the 12-lead electrodes onto a patient before you perform EKG readings.
In addition, you will become familiar with a variety of normal and abnormal heart rhythms as they appear on the electrical tracings that the machine records.
Your practice time will also ensure that you know how to guide patients from start to finish, keeping them at ease while preparing for and being tested.
It is a self-paced program, so you have some control over how long the coursework will take you.
4. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
This school offers EKG Technician continuing education courses, which would help you earn a new certificate or update an existing one.
Program durations vary, but a typical schedule includes two evening classes during the week and lab time on Saturday mornings.
Training includes both in-person and virtual sessions.
It will prepare you for the CET exam hosted by NHA.
5. Texas State Office of Distance and Extended Learning
You can participate in the Continuing Education EKG Technician course that this training center provides.
It may suit you if you plan to renew a current certificate, but you also can use it to prepare for a beginner’s course.
It will enable you to take the National Healthcareer Association’s (NHA) Certified EKG Technician (CET) exam or the AECA CETS exam.
EKG Technician Schools in Texas – Summary Table
| School Name | Address |
|---|---|
| Northeast Texas Community College | 2886 FM1735, Mt Pleasant, TX 75455 |
| Houston Community College | 1300 Holman St, Houston, TX 77004 |
| Tyler Junior College | 1400 E 5th St, Tyler, TX 75701 |
| The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 1201 W University Dr, Edinburg, TX 78539 |
| Texas State Office of Distance and Extended Learning | 302 Academic Services Building-North 601 University Drive San Marcos, TX 78666-4616 |
Salary
An EKG Technician in Texas as reported in May 2022 makes an average yearly income of $39,771.
The salary for this position ranges from about $35,270 and $46,012.
If you keep updating your skills and gaining new experience, you could increase your yearly earnings to $51,695 or more.
Cities in Texas where you can find jobs include Cibolo, Dallas, Laredo, and San Antonio.
Annual Salary Range:| Location | Avg. Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Houston | $41,600 |
| Dallas | $40,300 |
| San Antonio | $39,400 |
| Austin | $39,900 |
| El Paso | $35,500 |
| Fort Worth | $39,500 |
| Arlington | $39,400 |
| Corpus Christi | $38,100 |
| Plano | $40,100 |
| Garland | $40,200 |
Regional Salary in Texas
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amarillo, TX | 60 | $55,240 | $26.56 | $81,900 | $31,000 |
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | 250 | $56,320 | $27.08 | $96,800 | $36,100 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | 40 | $50,650 | $24.35 | $77,750 | $30,660 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 100 | $50,300 | $24.19 | $79,570 | $30,470 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 1,110 | $55,310 | $26.59 | $93,480 | $36,040 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 980 | $54,240 | $26.08 | $92,910 | $35,220 |
| Killeen-Temple, TX | 90 | $46,630 | $22.42 | $79,000 | $30,290 |
| Lubbock, TX | 100 | $47,690 | $22.93 | $91,680 | $29,690 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | 90 | $38,780 | $18.64 | $76,530 | $25,320 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 350 | $52,310 | $25.15 | $86,510 | $31,220 |
| Victoria, TX | 30 | $48,770 | $23.45 | $79,360 | $29,090 |
| Waco, TX | 50 | $53,460 | $25.7 | $85,290 | $34,250 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does an EKG Technician do?
EKG Technicians make sure patients are at ease and prepare them for cardiovascular readings.
Then, they attach the electrode wires to the person requiring testing.
Afterward, they read and interpret the results later shared with a nurse or doctor on duty.
What is the job outlook for EKG Technicians in Texas?
The national job outlook may increase by about 14% from 2020 to 2030.
You can find jobs in hospitals, clinics, urgent care centers, and private medical facilities.
What education is required to become an EKG Technician in Texas?
The state of Texas does not require education to become an EKG Tech.
However, potential employers will want to see a national certification, which you can prepare to earn from several Texas community colleges and technical schools.
Online workforce-based centers also provide the training approved by credential bodies, such as the NHA, AECA, or NPS.
What should you have to become an EKG Technician in Texas?
If you are just starting out, you may want to try the CET offered by either NPS or NHA or the CETS offered by the AECA.
Read the full guide: How to Become an EKG Technician
EKG Technician Schools by City
EKG Technician Schools by State