Electroencephalography is one specialization within the wider field of Electroneurodiagnostics, or END. END programs must be accredited through the Commission on Accredidation of Allied Health Education Programs. The program consists of science- and neurology-oriented courses, combined with clinical experience. According to CAAHEP, most programs are one or two years in length, and require only a high school diploma as a prerequisite. Since 2007, the American Society of Electroneurodiagnostic Technicians has been studying proposals to create a four-year bachelor's degree program in END technology.
After graduating from an accredited educational program, each potential technologist must still pass registration examinations administered by the American Board of Registration of Electroencephalographic and Evoked Potential Technologists (ABRET). Those who succeed will be credentialed as Registered EEG Technologists. Applicants are required to show proof of current hands-on CPR training. To advance their careers, many technologists will go on to take bachelor's or graduate degrees or pursue additional specializations within the diagnostic field.
EEG Technologists, like other diagnostic technicians and technologists, work primarily in clinical and research settings. These may include universities, hospitals, community clinics or private research laboratories. There is considerable overlap between EEG work and other fields like long-term monitoring, polysomnograms and evoked potential testing. Technologists who are qualified in more than one area may be more employable and command a higher income than those who are only qualified to perform one kind of testing. Technologists who pursue higher degrees also have greater potential for advancement.
As with any profession, there is a wide income range for EEG technologists. Typically, income increases with more education or longer experience, but salaries are higher in some states and regions than others. According to ASET, the national average for neurodiagnostic technologists was $48,173 in 2006. The high end of the scale, for lab managers and independent contractors was over $70,000, while entry level salaries for recent graduates were as low as $31,100.