Also called: Hemodialysis Technician, Patient Care Technician (Dialysis), CCHT
Sets up and runs the machines that clean blood for people whose kidneys have failed.
Arrives before sunrise to prep machines, inserts needles into patients' access sites, and watches vital signs through a 4-hour treatment while chatting with regulars.
Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 1 year after high school. High school diploma plus employer training (a few months) and CCHT/CHT certification.
Ways in: Certification, On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Dialysis Technology (certificate).
Growing faster than average. Steady growth with kidney disease.
Low risk for 10 years. Machines handle more alarms and records automatically; inserting needles and watching patients through treatment stay hands-on.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply for patient care technician trainee jobs at DaVita or Fresenius; they pay you while training
Classes: Biology, Health science CTE, Chemistry, Medical terminology.
Official data: O*NET occupation 29-2099.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.