Patient Care Technician (PCT)

You help patients with basic needs such as bathing and feeding, check vital signs, and keep rooms safe and clean. Depending on your training, you may also take EKG readings and draw blood. You spend much of your time with patients and their families, offering comfort and support.

Where you could work

Hospitals, Nursing care facilities, Home health care

Schedule

Nursing assistants, the closest group in government data, mostly work full time, and because care runs around the clock they may work nights, weekends and holidays.

Physical demands

Physical work on your feet most of the shift, including lifting, turning and moving patients.

Patient contact

High

Typical training

Certificate

Training time

3–12 months

1. 1.Finish high school or an equivalent

   NHA's PCT credential requires a high school diploma or GED (or one scheduled within 18 months).

2. 2.Complete a patient care technician training program

   PCT training covers basic patient care plus skills NHA lists for the role, such as taking EKG readings and drawing blood.

3. 3.Earn the CPCT/A credential (optional, often preferred)

   NHA's Certified Patient Care Technician/Assistant exam accepts either a PCT training program completed within the last 5 years or one year of supervised PCT work experience within the last 3 years (or two years within the last 5).

4. 4.Check nursing assistant requirements in your state

   Many PCT jobs build on nursing-assistant skills, so check whether employers in your area also want state nursing assistant certification and registry listing.

For reference only (not this page's pay figure): BLS median, May 2025, national: $42,260 a year (source, opens in a new tab). Patient care technicians have no SOC code of their own. This page uses the closest match, Nursing Assistants (31-1131); O*NET's reported job titles for that code include "Patient Care Assistant (PCA)". Wage and outlook figures shown here are for nursing assistants.