Career Spotlight: Patient Care Technician
If you want a health care career where you get to work with patients, but you’re not interested in nursing or becoming a physician, consider a career as a patient care technician (PCT). It’s one of the easiest ways to gain hands-on experience while working alongside other medical staff, and it allows you to make a difference in patient care.
What Is a Patient Care Technician
A patient care technician’s main job is to provide basic care to patients; however, the term “basic” can be ambiguous. In fact, a patient care technician is responsible for ensuring the comfort, support, and nurturing of patients in a health care setting. These professionals monitor a patient’s health, assist with feeding and grooming, sanitize and clean rooms, and carry out more duties that are critical to positively impacting the lives of patients and their families.
What Does a PCT Do?
While patient care technicians don’t diagnose conditions or create care plans, they work to ensure that patients are comfortable and safe. PCTs usually work under the supervision of a registered nurse and support other staff. Daily PCT job duties include:
- Collecting blood, urine, and stool samples for laboratory testing
- Measuring and recording vital signs
- Helping patients move between a bed, chair, wheelchair, and bathroom
- Performing medical tests and documenting the results
- Acquiring, distributing, and administering patient care supplies
- Listening to and noting patient concerns
- Assisting with meal service and monitoring patients’ food and fluid intake
- Performing safety checks and ensuring rooms are clean
- Escorting patients around the hospital
- Tracking patient progress during care, including physical therapy
- Offering emotional support to patients and their families
In addition, PCTs may carry out other tasks, depending on their specialty. For example, dialysis patient care technicians help patients who receive dialysis treatment by preparing treatment and monitoring patients during their sessions. Emergency department technicians support care teams by assisting with patient intake and rapid response tasks. And EKG or phlebotomy technicians assist with performing electrocardiograms or blood draws.
Perspectivas de carrera
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, patient care technicians fall within the “nursing assistant and orderlies” category, and the 2025 median annual pay for these professionals was $41,870. The average salary for PCTs in julio 2026 was $39,971, according to Payscale. The BLS projects that about 203,300 jobs are projected to open each year for nursing assistants and orderlies over the next decade, with 1.9 million openings per year, on average, projected for all health care occupations.
Start Your PCT Career with Excelsior
To become a PCT, you need the right balance of education and certification. Excelsior University’s Associate in Science in Health Sciences program can prepare you for entry-level roles in health care, including as a patient care technician.
Excelsior’s program is specifically designed for busy professionals who want to advance their education while balancing other responsibilities, especially allied health professionals, people working in medical billing and coding, and veterans and active-duty service members with military medical training. And with Excelsior’s student support and Career Readiness resources, students can expect a helping hand every step of the way.
However, you may not want to stop at your degree. According to the National Healthcareer Association’s 2025 Industry Outlook, 91% of employers require or encourage certification for PCTs. You can earn professional certification through a wide variety of online programs.
If you’re ready to get started on your patient care technician career, consider speaking with an Excelsior admissions advisor today.
