What Biomedical Equipment Technicians Do
A biomedical equipment technician (BMET) maintains, services, and repairs medical equipment. This could take the form of preventative measures, cleaning, or adjusting pieces of equipment. BMETs are also familiar enough with hospital machinery to disassemble, repair, and reassemble various pieces of technology, although they might specialize in a specific kind of machinery. BMETs are always up to date on the most recent technologies emerging in the medical field and help ensure that other hospital staff members use the machinery safely. However, although they can generally perform routine maintenance, they also occasionally work odd hours and in stressful circumstances, so a cool head in the face of conflict is necessary.
Types of Work Environments
- Hospitals, including odd hours and some on-call work for emergency repairs.
Education and Training Requirements
Generally, an associate degree in biomedical technology or engineering is sufficient, but a bachelor's degree is sometimes required to work with more specialized equipment. A bachelor's degree can also provide a BMET with opportunities for advancement. There are certification exams for BMET with two or three years of experience, but the law does not require technicians to be certified at this time.
Salary
According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the median salary for a biomedical equipment technician is approximately $60,670 per year.
Professional Organizations
The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentations
