How Much Do PACS Professionals Earn?

What is a PACS Professional and How Much Do they Make?

If you’re wondering how to put your technologically savvy brain to use, and earn a decent income while supporting patient care, we might just have the answer. 

The medical world is undergoing a Digital Transformation. The field of medical imaging is quickly evolving. Medical Imaging and PACS professionals ensure a smooth transition of workflows into Healthcare Information Systems.  These roles are critical in this age.

We’ll first define the field, break down the job titles involved, then discover how much each of these imaging professionals make. It would be helpful to understand the pay range for each of these roles as you begin interviewing. That way you can negotiate a salary that best fits your skills and experience.

To begin with, what is PACS, you ask? 

PACS – is an abbreviation for picture archiving and communication system. It is a medical imaging technology that is largely utilized in healthcare organizations to safely store and digitally transfer electronic images and reports. Crucial to clinical care. By using PACS, confidential documents, films, and reports can be stored, sent, and retrieved automatically. 

Since radiology has historically produced the most X-ray images, radiologists have usually used PACS; nevertheless, PACS and vendor neutral archive technologies have been introduced into other disciplines, including nuclear medicine imaging, cardiology, pathology, oncology, and dermatology.  Medical imaging software has become an enterprise-wide solution.

As part of a patient’s care plan, medical images are captured and examined for clinical analysis, diagnosis, and therapy. The data gathered can be utilized to spot any physiological and anatomical problems, track the course of treatment, and give doctors access to a database of typical patient scans for future use.

A patient’s medical imaging, clinical reports, and history can all be accessed digitally to speed up treatment, enhance outcomes, reduce medication and treatment errors, and avoid unnecessary testing. Digital access can also increase patient safety while saving the hospital and the patient both money and time.

PACS Roles and Potential Income

PACS Analyst 

The Qualifications: As there are a lot of technicalities you need to understand, you’ll definitely need a Bachelor’s Degree in either computer science, information systems, business, or healthcare. Or have clinical experience in the allied health profession. Some with no experience but a strong desire to learn. 

The preference is relevant experience in healthcare and in a related analysis capability. PACS analysts must cooperate well with other analysts and function well on their own with little guidance. They must be able to multitask on a number of concurrent technology tasks, have high attention to detail and superior analytical skills.

General knowledge of DICOM  is key for the position of PACS Systems Analyst. Understanding the clinical and workflow facets of the system is crucial to complete daily tasks. It’s helpful if you are a Certified Imaging Informatics Professional (CIIP) or a Certified PACS Systems Analyst (CPSA) to rise in the ranks. 

The PACS Administrator

The Qualifications: Understandably, a bachelor’s degree in a medical or technological subject, such as computer engineering, electronics engineering, or radiology, is preferred by many institutions or organizations looking for PACS administrators. It would  also help to be certified by either the American Board of Imaging Informatics or PACS Administrators Registry and Certification Association.

An ambitious PACS administrator may receive training at one of the medical technology-focused institutions or programs to prepare for a variety of PACS administrator positions.

Finding a technical resource who is perfectly matched to the needs of the company is challenging for the majority of medical institutions due to the significant variation in requirements for PACS administrator roles. The position calls for in-depth radiological expertise, clinical knowledge, understanding of medical terminology as well as strong IT abilities.

Technically speaking, it’s a big plus to have experience with Windows Server 2008 and 2012 servers, Oracle database administration, and the HL7 and DICOM protocol domains. Also to be knowledgeable in security and quality control.

A PACS administrator must also be proficient in communication and it helps to have at least a year of experience in the field of medical informatics.

So, if you’re this experienced, the reward has to be nice. 

Radiology Information Systems Analyst

If you’ve got an eye for making sense of the black, white and grey in Radiology, then this one’s for you. 

The Qualifications: At its core essentials, you’d definitely need a high school diploma or equivalency. Though a Bachelors is preferred. Strong HL7 and DICOM knowledge with some experience is crucial.

Bonus if you have completed an authorized X-Ray Technology course, or its equivalent, and two years of experience performing all types of diagnostic work in a hospital radiology department or a private radiology service, at least one of which must have involved systems analysis and development.  These extra skills can help you negotiate a higher salary.

It goes without saying, that a thorough knowledge of techniques, practices and procedures of radiological operations; good knowledge of all aspects of computers and information systems including equipment, programs, systems and functional capabilities; is key to success in this role.

Cardiology PACS Analysts

Now, we’re dealing with matters and imaging of the heart; the qualifications naturally intensify. 

The Qualifications: A Bachelor’s degree is necessary, although it may be replaced by at least five years of relevant work experience. But specific certifications are essential: Certified Application-specific qualifications are preferred; imaging informatics professional certification is the standard. Syngo Dynamics Cardiology PACS experience would make you stand out from the cohort of candidates. 

You’ll be expected to be skilled in day to day management. Of course, you must be proficient in uploading pictures to the Cardiology PACS system. Maintain effective IT workflow in the clinic by collaborating with the manager of the Echo Lab and Ambulatory Clinic.

That’s a wrap folks. Subscribe to our email mailing list to know what better opportunities await you.

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