Salary of an Electroneurodiagnostic Technician in Iowa

An electroneurodiagnostic technician is a health care professional who “records electrical activity arising from the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves using a variety of techniques and instruments,” according to the Neurodiagnostic Society. This includes taking a patient’s medical history, administering diagnostic testing and preparing the results for evaluation by a physician or surgeon. In May 2010, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated the wages this occupation in Iowa under the broad occupational title of "health technologists and technicians."

Average Salary

Approximately 790 health technologists and technicians were employed in Iowa in a variety of specialty areas such as neurodiagnositcs, electroencephalography, encephalography and polysomnography. The average salary was $37,730 per year in Iowa, according to the BLS. Those who earned hourly wages earned an average of $18.14 per hour.

Percentiles

The salary varies for this occupation according to the employer’s requirements for the job and the technician’s professional experience. Most employers require formal training or college coursework in subjects such as biology, math and anatomy. Some employers provide on-the-job training, requiring the applicant to complete the Registered Nerve Conduction Study Technologist (R.NCS.T.) credentialing exams within a required time frame. Salaries ranged from $23,000 to $57,790 per year in Iowa, respective of the BLS’s listed 10th through 90th salary percentiles. Hourly wages ranged from $11.06 to $27.78 per hour.

Location

Seven metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas reported wages for these professionals in Iowa. The highest wages were in the Iowa City area, where the average salary was $52,470 per year. In the Cedar Rapids area, the average salary was $34,990 per year and in the Des Moines area, the average salary was $37,150 per year. In the northwest Iowa non-metropolitan area the average salary was $30,290 per year, and in the southeast Iowa non-metropolitan area the average salary $32,070 per year.

National Comparison

The BLS expects 22 percent growth for all jobs in the health care industry between 2008 and 2018, which includes health technicians and technologists. Growth in this industry is 11 percent higher than all other industries combined. Nationally, the average salary was $42,240 per year, or $20.31 per hour. Although the salary for this occupation was less in Iowa national estimates, the cost of living in Iowa ranked among 20 states with the lowest cost of living in the United States, according to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center in 2011.

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Direct Title Match, February 2011
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other OES, May 2010
• Group Health Cooperative: Electroneurodiagnostic Tech Job Description
• Neurodiagnostic Society: Careers in Neurodiagnostics
• Neurodiagnostic Society: Eligibility Requiments
• Missouri Economic Research and Information Center: Cost of Living Data Series, 2nd Quarter 2011
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Healthcare