Polysomnography Tech Salary
Polysomnography is the analysis of respiratory and other problems that occur while a patient is asleep. Polysomnography techs are respiratory therapy technicians who assist with the analysis and diagnosis of sleep complaints. Working under the supervision of polysomnography therapists and physicians, technicians operate equipment monitoring variables such as heart rate, breathing rate and brain wave activity. They also make observations of the patient's body language and movement during sleep. Salary levels for the role are comparable with those for other respiratory therapy techs working in other specialized areas.
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Average Salary
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For the purposes of its national employment survey conducted in May 2010, the Bureau of Labor Statistics categorized Polysomnography technicians alongside other respiratory therapy technicians specializing in other areas, such as emergency resuscitation or chronic conditions such as asthma. It reported that the mean annual salary across the profession was $46,340, which is equivalent to an hourly rate of $22.28. Those in the top 10 percent of earners received salaries of over $65,930, while their colleagues in the corresponding bottom bracket earned less than $29,630.
Salary by Industry
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The vast majority of respiratory therapy technicians work within general medical and surgical hospital. The bureau gave the mean annual salary within this sector of the health-0care industry as $46,660. Those working in specialty hospitals received a mean wage of $51,380, while individuals employed within the offices of physicians earned $45,080. Positions within the offices of other health practitioners -- such as respiratory therapists -- paid a mean of $47,240, while those within other ambulatory health care services were listed at $36,970.
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Salary by Location
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The bureau listed Nevada as the state in which, across all sectors of the industry, a respiratory therapy technician, including polysomnography techs, were likely to earn the highest wages, with a mean of $70,340 per year. Maryland and New Jersey completed the top three states with means of $68,860 and $59,480, respectively. New Hampshire and Connecticut were listed with almost identical pay rates -- $58,880 and $58,800 -- while Mississippi was amongst the lowest-paying locations, with an annual mean of just $35,810.
Prospects
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The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not expect the employment market for respiratory therapy technicians to grow significantly over the decade from 2008 to 2018; in fact, it suggests that there may even be a 1 percent decline in demand. This compares with a growth rate of between 7 and 13 percent projected for the country as a whole across all occupations. Technicians' duties are increasingly being performed by respiratory therapists, hence the decline. Combined with keen competition for vacancies, salary levels for the role are unlikely to rise in the immediate future.
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References
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