The Average Salary of a Sleep Tech
More than 40 million patients suffer from chronic sleep disorders every year, according to the National Institutes of Health. Sleep technicians, also known as polysomnographic technicians or polysomnographers, are essential to helping these patients receive treatment. Trained to use equipment needed to measure heart rate, breathing patterns and brain activity while a patient sleeps, sleep technicians monitor the equipment to help doctors treat disorders such as apnea and restless leg syndrome.
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Average Salary
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The average sleep technician earns an annual salary of $47,160 as of December 2010, according to Salary.com. Fifty percent of all sleep technicians earn between $41,776 and $52,994, although the most well compensated 10 percent can earn more than $58,305 annually. Polysomnographers earning salaries in this range must earn certification as a registered polysomnographic technologist.
Position
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Sleep technicians are usually employed by facilities that specialize in the diagnosis of sleep disorders. Entry-level positions require the technician to administer polysomnographs to patients during their overnight stays. These entry-level technicians can expect to earn salaries between $40,984 and $52,925 annually as of December 2010, according to PayScale. Technicians with enough experience to become managers of a sleep testing center earn more, with sleep lab directors and sleep lab managers earning annual salaries between $63,673 and $68,727.
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Region
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Sleep technicians' earnings differ between cities depending upon the local cost of living, number of technicians in a region and the demand for sleep testing. Sleep technicians in Chicago report the highest earnings around the country, averaging $41,550 annually as of December 2010, according to Salary Expert. Technicians in Phoenix and Indianapolis also reported higher than typical earnings in the company's survey.
Certifications
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The board of registered polysomnographic technicians offers two levels of accreditation. The Certified Polysomnograpic Technician certification is an entry-level accreditation new technicians receive. The board awards its Registered Polysomnographic Technician credentials to experienced technicians with CPSGT credentials with adequate levels of experience and test results.
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