California·Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations·SOC 29-2099

Best Health Technologist programs in California, ranked by enrollment

All health technologists and technicians not listed.

43 schools in California run programs that feed this job, graduating 1,635 people a year. The job pays a median of $60,390 in California across about 26,540 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledCase ManagerPatient AdvocateSurgical CoordinatorPatient Service RepresentativeMedicaid Service Coordinator (MSC)Certified Neurodiagnostic TechnologistOphthalmic Technologist (Ophthalmic Tech)Certified Ophthalmic Medical Technologist (COMT)
Graduates / yr
1,635
in California
Median pay · California
$60,390
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
26,540
people employed
Schools
43
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
55%
across those schools
Median net price
$28,453
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in California that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.

8 programs in California that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in California (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own California page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
11,336
81.7%
35$53,520$20,250
2124
7.6%
5$53,520$20,250
362
3.8%
3$53,520$20,250
439
2.4%
2$53,520$20,250
531
1.9%
1$29,507$11,000
622
1.3%
1$53,520$20,250
715
0.9%
1$49,401$19,848
86
0.4%
1$29,507$11,000

Top 25 schools in California

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 30 of the 43 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1Concorde Career College - San Bernardino
San Bernardino, CA Private for-profit · 3 feeder programs
124Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist$60,02876%$24,16098%
2Concorde Career College - Garden Grove
Garden Grove, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
90Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist$69,18884%$23,57097%
3San Joaquin Valley College - Rancho Cordova
Rancho Cordova, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
87Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist$69,39176%$27,678
4San Joaquin Valley College - Visalia
Visalia, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
86Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist$93,23936%$30,518
5American Career College - Anaheim
Anaheim, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
82Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist$55,37970%$28,590
6American Career College - Ontario
Ontario, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
77Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist$54,41066%$31,076
7Loma Linda University
Loma Linda, CA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs
65Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapist$92,363
8San Joaquin Valley College - Ontario
Ontario, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
64Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist$69,39164%$26,900
9Concorde Career College - North Hollywood
North Hollywood, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
61Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist$55,06778%$25,019100%
10San Joaquin Valley College - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
57Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist$69,39158%$24,205
11Pima Medical Institute - San Marcos
San Marcos, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
56Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist$62,42071%$31,880
12Orange Coast College
Costa Mesa, CA Public · 2 feeder programs
49Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist$68,48448%
13Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts
San Jose, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
41Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapist$77,61764%$31,949
14Point Loma Nazarene University
San Diego, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
41Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions, Other$29,52377%$48,79584%
15Skyline College
San Bruno, CA Public · 1 feeder programs
40Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist44%
16Platt College - Los Angeles
Alhambra, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
38Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist$25,71363%$29,163
17Los Angeles Valley College
Valley Glen, CA Public · 1 feeder programs
36Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist$80,60232%
18San Joaquin Valley College - Temecula
Temecula, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
35Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist$69,39182%$27,730
19Grossmont College
El Cajon, CA Public · 1 feeder programs
34Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist37%
20Modesto Junior College
Modesto, CA Public · 1 feeder programs
33Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist$45,86530%
21Central California School of Continuing Education
San Luis Obispo, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
32Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapist$32,06986%$13,722
22Carrington College - Pleasant Hill Campus
Pleasant Hill, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
31Respiratory Therapy Technician/Assistant$61,88159%$32,161
23Platt College - Ontario
Ontario, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
29Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist$25,71358%$28,453
24American Career College - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
26Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist$55,37975%$28,906
25El Camino Community College District
Torrance, CA Public · 1 feeder programs
25Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist42%

All 43 schools in California

Every school in California with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.

All schools in California that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
Concorde Career College - San BernardinoSan BernardinoPrivate for-profit1243
Concorde Career College - Garden GroveGarden GrovePrivate for-profit901
San Joaquin Valley College - Rancho CordovaRancho CordovaPrivate for-profit871
San Joaquin Valley College - VisaliaVisaliaPrivate for-profit861
American Career College - AnaheimAnaheimPrivate for-profit821
American Career College - OntarioOntarioPrivate for-profit771
Loma Linda UniversityLoma LindaPrivate not-for-profit654
San Joaquin Valley College - OntarioOntarioPrivate for-profit641
Concorde Career College - North HollywoodNorth HollywoodPrivate for-profit611
San Joaquin Valley College - BakersfieldBakersfieldPrivate for-profit571
Pima Medical Institute - San MarcosSan MarcosPrivate for-profit561
Orange Coast CollegeCosta MesaPublic492
Gurnick Academy of Medical ArtsSan JosePrivate for-profit411
Point Loma Nazarene UniversitySan DiegoPrivate not-for-profit411
Skyline CollegeSan BrunoPublic401

What health technologists and technicians, all other earn in California

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual in California
$60,390
Mean annual
$70,680
Jobs in state
26,540
What the range looks like
10th pct$47,470Median$60,39090th pct$119,990
Versus the national median
+20.1%

U.S. median $50,290. California pays above the national figure.

Job concentration
1.24×

Concentrated here: California employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.

Metro areas in California

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
$81,170median
1,330 jobs
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$71,360median
3,070 jobs
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
$59,560median
260 jobs
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
$62,570median
1,660 jobs
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
$64,970median
200 jobs
Vallejo, CA
$68,960median
310 jobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$59,210median
9,940 jobs
Bakersfield-Delano, CA
$58,350median
530 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
+5.2%
Faster than average
Openings per year
13,600
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
9,300
178,800 → 188,100
Typical entry education
Postsecondary nondegree award

Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.

How to get in

The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other page.

How to become a Health Technologist

Job zone 3 of 5 · SVP 6.0 to < 7.0
Typical entry education
Postsecondary nondegree award

Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Top skills

Active ListeningSpeakingReading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingWritingMonitoring

The same job in other states

Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.

Related careers in California

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 14 majors mapped to Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other12 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
  • 51.0812Respiratory Therapy Technician/Assistant
  • 51.0814Radiologist Assistant
  • 51.0903Electroneurodiagnostic/Electroencephalographic Technology/Technologist
  • 51.0907Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapist
  • 51.0908Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist
  • 51.0914Gene/Genetic Therapy
  • 51.0915Cardiopulmonary Technology/Technologist
  • 51.0916Radiation Protection/Health Physics Technician
  • 51.0917Polysomnography
  • 51.0921Hyperbaric Medicine Technology/Technician(no graduates reported)
  • 51.0922Intraoperative Neuromonitoring Technology/Technician(no graduates reported)
  • 51.0923Orthopedic Technology/Technician
  • 51.0999Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions, Other
  • 51.1011Renal/Dialysis Technologist/Technician

Common questions

Answers for people weighing health technologists and technicians, all other programs in California.

What degree do you need to become a Health Technologist?+

Postsecondary nondegree award is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist, which awarded 1,336 degrees in California in 2024-25, 81.7% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming a Health Technologist?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 8 programs to this occupation. The largest are Allied Health Diagnostic, Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services, Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions. Together they graduate about 1,635 people a year in California.

How much do health technologists and technicians, all other earn in California?+

The median is $60,390 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 20.1% above the U.S. median of $50,290. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.

Is demand for health technologists and technicians, all other growing?+

BLS projects a +5.2% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, faster than average, with roughly 13,600 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

How many schools offer programs for this career in California?+

43 institutions in California reported graduates from at least one of the 8 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.

What other job titles do health technologists and technicians, all other work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Case Manager, Patient Advocate, Surgical Coordinator, Patient Service Representative, Medicaid Service Coordinator (MSC), Certified Neurodiagnostic Technologist among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 29-2099.

Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other in other statesFloridaVirginiaTexasNew YorkOhioPennsylvaniaNorth CarolinaMichigan

About the data on this page

Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).

  • BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics

    May 2025

    Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.

  • BLS Employment Projections

    2024–34

    Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.

  • IPEDS Completions

    2024-25 (provisional)

    Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.

  • College Scorecard, Field of Study

    2020-21 cohorts

    Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.

  • Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

    latest available

    Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.

  • NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

    CIP 2020 / SOC 2018

    Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.

  • O*NET Database 30.3

    30.3

    Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.

    Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA

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