Activities	Test, adjust, or repair biomedical or electromedical equipment.
Outlook	Average job growth
Median Income	$41, 500 per year in 2008
Work Context & Conditions	Normally work daytime hours. But, like other hospital and factory employees, some repairers work irregular hours. Supervision is fairly minimal.
Minimum Education Requirements	Vocational High School Program General High School Program
Skills	Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Installation, Equipment Selection, Troubleshooting, Equipment Maintenance, Active Learning, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Coordination, Reading Comprehension, Repairing
Abilities	Oral Expression, Deductive Reasoning, Problem Sensitivity, Written Comprehension, Near Vision, Information Ordering, Oral Comprehension

Job Category		Installation, Maintenance, & Repair
Job Description		Medical equipment repairers use various tools, including ammeters, voltmeters, and other measuring devices to diagnose problems. They use handtools and machining equipment, such as small lathes and other metalworking equipment, to make repairs. Although medical equipment repairers work on fine mechanical systems, the larger scale of their tasks requires less precision than other precision instrument workers. The machines that they repair include laboratory equipment, electric wheelchairs, mechanical lifts, hospital beds, and customized vehicles.
Working Conditions		Medical equipment and precision instrument and equipment repairers normally work daytime hours. But, like other hospital and factory employees, some repairers work irregular hours. Precision instrument repairers work under a wide array of conditions, from hot, dirty, noisy factories to air-conditioned workshops to outdoor fieldwork. Attention to safety is essential, as the work sometimes involves dangerous machinery or toxic chemicals. Due to the individual nature of the work, supervision is fairly minimal.
Salary Range		Median annual earnings for medical equipment repairers was $41,500 in 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $31,600 and $53,700. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $25,900 and the highest 10 percent earned about $65,900.

Education Required		Most employers require at least a high school diploma for beginning precision instrument and equipment repairers. Many employers prefer applicants with some postsecondary education. Much training takes place on the job. The ability to read and understand technical manuals is important. Necessary physical qualities include good fine motor skills and vision. Also, precision equipment repairers must be able to pay close attention to details, enjoy problem solving, and have the desire to disassemble machines to see how they work. Most precision equipment repairers must be able to work alone with minimal supervision. Medical equipment repairers’ training includes on-the-job training, manufacturer training classes, and associate degree programs. While an associate degree in electronics or medical technology is normally required, training varies by specialty. For those with a background in electronics, on-the-job training is more common for workers repairing less critical equipment, such as hospital beds or electric wheelchairs. An associate or even a bachelor’s degree, often in medical technology or engineering, and a passing grade on a certification exam is likely to be required of persons repairing more critical equipment, such as CAT scanners and defibrillators. Some repairers are trained in the military. New repairers begin by observing and assisting an experienced worker over a period of 3 to 6 months, learning a single piece of equipment at a time. Gradually, they begin working independently, while still under close supervision. Biomedical equipment repairers are constantly learning new technologies and equipment through seminars, self-study, and certification exams.
Recommended High School Courses		Computers and Electronics, English
Postsecondary Instructional Programs		Communications and Media, Engineering and Technology, Mechanical
Certification and Licensing		The International Society of Certified Electronics Technicians (ISCET) and the Electronics Technicians Association (ETA) administer certification programs for electronics technicians.; Repairers may specialize -- in industrial electronics, for example.; To receive certification, repairers must pass qualifying exams corresponding to their level of training and experience.; Both programs offer associate certifications to entry-level repairers.

Interest Area		Realistic Involves working on practical, hands-on problems and solutions, often with real-world materials, tools, and machinery.
Work Values		Moral Values Never pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong. Security Have steady employment. Activity Busy all the time.
Skills		Critical Thinking Use logic and analysis to identify the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches. Active Listening Listen to what other people are saying and ask questions as appropriate. Installation Install equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications. Equipment Selection Determine the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job. Troubleshooting Determine what is causing an operating error and deciding what to do about it. Equipment Maintenance Perform routine maintenance and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed. Active Learning Work with new material or information to grasp its implications. Complex Problem Solving Solving novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings. Judgment and Decision Making Be able to weigh the relative costs and benefits of a potential action. Coordination Adjust actions in relation to others' actions. Reading Comprehension Understand written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents. Repairing Repair machines or systems using the needed tools.
Abilities		Oral Expression Able to convey information and ideas through speech in ways that others will understand. Deductive Reasoning Able to apply general rules to specific problems to come up with logical answers, including deciding whether an answer makes sense. Problem Sensitivity Able to tell when something is wrong or likely to go wrong. This doesn't involve solving the problem, just recognizing that there is a problem. Written Comprehension Able to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing. Near Vision Able to see details of objects at a close range (within a few feet of the observer). Information Ordering Able to correctly follow rules for arranging things or actions in a certain order, including numbers, words, pictures, procedures, and logical operations. Oral Comprehension Able to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Related Jobs		Technician, Dental Laboratory
Job Outlook		Medical equipment repairers held 41,400 jobs in 2008. Good opportunities are expected for most types of precision instrument and equipment repairer jobs. Job growth among medical equipment repairers should grow about as fast as the average for all occupations over the projected period. The expanding elderly population should spark strong demand for medical equipment and, in turn, create good employment opportunities in this occupation.
More Information		Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society
References		Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, Precision Instrument and Equipment Repairers, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos355.htm O*NET OnLine, on the Internet at http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/49-9062.00