How to Become a PCT in Florida

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Being a patient care technician, what  PCT stands for, is not one of the easiest medical jobs out there.

This guide will present the path you must follow if you want to enter this career field in Florida, so read on!

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Get information on Patient Care Technician programs by entering your zip code and request enrollment information.

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Patient Care Technician Job Description and Duties in Florida

Not everyone knows that PCTs and nurse assistants or home health nurses have similar jobs.

Patient care techs have more freedom when performing their tasks, as they don’t need supervision.

Among the most common tasks, you can have:

  • Bathing and feeding the patients
  • Catheter care
  • Maintaining patient rooms clean
  • Vital sign monitoring
  • Performing phlebotomy procedures
  • Talking to the patients’ families
  • Escorting patients to various places for further investigations

Of course, you could be assigned other duties.

This usually depends on where you work, the patients you must care for, and more.

Patient Care Technician Job Requirements in Florida

You probably wonder what kind of person is fit for such a job.

If you meet these requirements, you could be the ideal candidate:

  • Having a high school diploma or GED
  • Having good communication skills
  • Being detail-oriented
  • Being reliable
  • Being compassionate
  • Having a clean criminal background
  • Being certified
  • Having physical stamina
  • Being listed in the Florida Nurse Aide Registry

Various employers may ask for additional things during the hiring process, such as having some related experience.

Patient Care Technician Education in Florida

One should know they can’t register with the Nurse Aide Registry in this state without receiving proper education and passing an exam.

As far as education goes, Florida has close to 80 schools that offer a variety f training programs for future PCTs.

These institutions are listed next.

Top 137 Schools in Florida

School NameAddress
Academy for Nursing and Health Occupations5154 Okeechobee Blvd Ste 201, West Palm Beach, Florida 33417
Active Health Review Training, Inc.6520 West Flagler Street Miami, FL 33144
ADULT AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION SCHOOL1426 19TH ST VERO BEACH, FL 32960
Affordable Training23 Jackson Avenue, North Jacksonville, FL 32220
American Health Institute10138 US Hwy 19 Port Richey, FL 34668
Angley College1700 S. Woodland Boulevard Deland, FL 32720
ATA Career Education7351 Spring Hill Drive, Suite 11, Spring Hill, Florida 34606
Atlantic Technical College4700 Coconut Creek Parkway, Coconut Creek, Florida 33063-3902
Big Bend Technical College3233 South Byron Butler Parkway, Perry, Florida 32348
Bradford-Union Area Career Technical Center609 N Orange St Starke, Fl 32091
BRANDON ADULT/COMMUNITY CENTER1101 VICTORIA ST BRANDON, FL 33510
BREVARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE1519 Clearlake Road Cocoa, FL 32922
Brewster Technical Center2222 North Tampa Street Tampa, FL 33602
Cambridge Institute of Allied Health and Technology460 E. Altamonte Drive, 3rd Floor, Altamonte Springs, Florida 32701
Cambridge Medical Institute8160 Baymeadows Way West, Suite 300 Jacksonville, FL 32256
Cape Coral Technical College360 Santa Barbara Blvd North, Cape Coral, Florida 33993-2479
Capscare Academy for Health Care Education1776 Lake Worth Road Suite 101 Lake Worth, FL 33460
Center For Career Training3286 North State Road 7 Fort Lauderdale FL 33319
Charlotte Technical College18150 Murdock Circle, Port Charlotte, Florida 33948-3399
Chipola College3094 Indian Circle, Marianna, Florida 32446-2053
COLLEGE OF CENTRAL FLORIDA3001 S. W. College Road Ocala, FL 34474
COMMUNITY TECHNICAL and ADULT EDUCATION CENTER1014 SW 7TH RD OCALA, FL 34471
Compu-Med Vocational Careers Corp2900 W 12th Ave 3rd Fl #28, Hialeah, Florida 33012-4861
Compu-Med Vocational Careers Corp9738 SW 24th St Miami, Fl 33165
CTACE600 Southeast 3rd Avenue Fort Lauderdale Florida
D A Dorsey Technical College7100 N. W. 17th Avenue, Miami, Florida 33147-6304
Daytona State College1200 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach, Florida 32114
Eastern Florida State College1519 Clearlake Rd, Cocoa, Florida 32922
Emerald Coast Technical College761 N 20th St, DeFuniak Springs, Florida 32433
Experion Medical Academy2911 Commercial Way Spring Hill, FL 34606
Faith Medical Institute2040 NE 163 Street, 1st Floor North Miami Beach, FL 33162
FastTrain College2156 University Square Mall Tampa, FL 33612
FIRST COAST TECHNICAL INSTITUTE2980 COLLINS AVE ST AUGUSTINE, FL 32084
FLAGLER COUNTY ADULT SCHOOL1 CORPORATE DR STE 2J PALM COAST, FL 32137
Flagler Technical Institute5400 E. Highway 100, Palm Coast, Florida 32164
Flordia Atlantic Technical Center4700 Coconut Creek Parkway Coconut Creek, Fl 33063
Florida Career College7891 Pines Boulevard, Pembroke Pines, Florida 33024-6916
Florida Career College1743 North Congress Avenue, Boynton Beach, Florida 33426-8205
Florida Career College3750 West 18 Avenue, Hialeah, Florida 33012-7028
Florida Career College6600 Youngerman Circle, Jacksonville, Florida 32244-6663
Florida Career College3383 North State Road 7, Lauderdale Lakes, Florida 33319-5617
Florida Career College3271 N. State Road 7, Margate, Florida 33063-7011
Florida Career College2662 South Falkenburg Road Riverview, FL 33569
Florida Career College1321 SW 107 Avenue, Suite 201B, Miami, Florida 33174
Florida Career College989 North Semoran Boulevard, Orlando, Florida 32807-3528
Florida Career College9950 Princess Palm Avenue Suite 100, Tampa, Florida 33619-8347
Florida Career College6058 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach, Florida 33417-4326
Florida Gateway CollegeHighway 90 East, Lake City, Florida 32025-2007
Florida International Training Institute7265 Northwest 25th Street, Miami, Florida 33122-1707
Florida Medical Training Institute7451 Wiles Road, Suite 105 Coral Springs, FL 33067
Florida National College, Inc.4206 W. 12 Ave. Hialeah, FL 33012
Florida National University4425 West. Jose Regueiro (20th) Avenue, Hialeah, Florida 33012
Florida Panhandle Technical College757 Hoyt Street, Chipley, Florida 32428-1618
Florida State College501 W State St, Jacksonville, Florida 32202
Florida Technical College4715 S. Florida Avenue Suite 4 Lakeland, Florida 33813
Florida Technical College1199 South Woodland Boulevard Deland, Florida 32720
Florida Technical College12689 Challenger Parkway Orlando, Florida 32826
Florida Technical College12900 Challenger Parkway, Orlando, Florida 32826
Florida Vocational Institute7757 West Flagler Suite 220, Miami, Florida 33144
Fort Myers Technical College3800 Michigan Ave, Fort Myers, Florida 33916-2204
Fortis College3910 US Hwy 301 N Suite 200 Tampa, FL 33619
Fred K Marchman Technical College7825 Campus Dr., New Port Richey, Florida 34653
Future-Tech Institute3452 SW 8th St, Miami, Florida 33135-4142
Gadsden Technical Institute201 Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard, Quincy, Florida 32351-4415
Global Medical and Technical Training Institute1830 NW 7th Street, Suite 200, Miami, Florida 33125-3562
Gulf Coast State College5230 West U.S. Highway 98, Panama City, Florida 32401
High Tech North360 Santa Barbara Blvd. North Cape Coral, FL 33993
Immokalee Technical College508 N 9th St, Immokalee, Florida 34142
Indian River State College3209 Virginia Ave, Fort Pierce, Florida 34981-5596
Institute of Technology, Inc.4311 W. Waters Ave, Suite 600 Tampa, FL 33614
InterAmerican Technical Institute9600 Southwest 8th Street, Suite 42, Miami, Florida 33174-2950
International Institute for Health Care Professionals, Inc.600 South Dixie Highway - Suite 211 Boca Raton, Florida 33432
International Training Careers7360 SW 24th Street Suite 31, Miami, Florida 33155
Lake City Community College149 SE College Place Lake City, FL 32025
Lake Technical College2001 Kurt Street, Eustis, Florida 32726
LEARY TECHNICAL CENTER5410 N 20TH ST TAMPA, FL 33610
LEE COUNTY HIGH TECH CENTER NORTH360 SANTA BARBARA BLVD N CAPE CORAL, FL 33993
Life-Line Med Training11200 West Flagler Second Floor, Miami, FL 33174
Lindsey Hopkins Technical College750 NW 20 Street, Miami, Florida 33127
Lively Technical College500 N Appleyard Dr, Tallahassee, Florida 32304-2895
Lorenzo Walker Technical College3702 Estey Avenue, Naples, Florida 34104-4405
Manatee Technical Institute5603 34th Street West Bradenton, FL 34210
Manatee Technical College6305 State Rd 70 East, Bradenton, Florida 34203
Marion Technical College1014 SW 7th Rd, Ocala, Florida 34471-3172
McFatter Technical College6500 Nova Drive Davie, Florida 33317
Med-Life Institute4103 E. Tamiami Trail Naples, FL 34112
Medical Career Institute4645 Gun Club Rd West Palm Beach FL 33415
Medical Prep Institute of Tampa Bay2304 E. Busch Blvd. Tampa, FL 33612
More Tech Institute5352 W 16 Ave, Hialeah, Florida 33012
Naples Campus4103 E. Tamiami Trail Naples, FL 34112
North Florida College325 NW Turner Davis Dr, Madison, Florida 32340
North Florida Technical College609 N Orange St, Starke, Florida 32091
Okaloosa Technical College1976 Lewis Turner Blvd, Fort Walton Beach, Florida 32547
Orange Technical College2900 West Oak Ridge Road, Orlando, Florida 32809
Orange Technical College301 W Amelia Street, Orlando, Florida 32801-1197
Orange Technical College955 E Story Rd, Winter Garden, Florida 34787-3733
Orange Technical College901 W. Webster Ave, Winter Park, Florida 32789-3049
Orlando Academy1650 Sand Lake Road Suite 115 Orlando, FL 32809
Osceola Technical College501 Simpson Rd, Kissimmee, Florida 34744
Palm Beach Academy of Health and Beauty1220-A 10th St, Lake Park, Florida 33403
Palm Beach State College4200 Congress Ave, Lake Worth, Florida 33461-4796
Paramount Training Services2300 W. Oakland Park Blvd., Suite 650 Oakland Park, Florida 33311
Paramount Training Services2721 S. Federal Hwy., Suite 11 Fort Pierce, Florida 34982
Paramount Training Services4152 West Blue Heron Blvd., Suite 108 West Palm Beach, Florida 33404
Pasco Medical Training5609 US Hwy. 19 Suite A New Port Richey, FL 34652
Pasco-Hernando State College10230 Ridge Road, New Port Richey, Florida 34654-5199
Pensacola State College1000 College Blvd, Pensacola, Florida 32504-8998
Pinellas Technical College901 34th St S, Saint Petersburg, Florida 33711-2209
Pinellas Technical Education Centers6100 154th Avenue N Clearwater, FL 33760
PLANT CITY ADULT/COMMUNITY CENTER1 RAIDER PL PLANT CITY, FL 33563
POLY HEALTHCARE TRAINING CENTER333 Falkenburg Rd Suite A-123 Tampa FL 33619
Pompano Beach Campus3501 NE 3rd Ave. Pompano Beach, FL 33064
Ptec901 34th Street S St. Petersburg, FL 33711-2298
Radford M Locklin Technical College5330 Berryhill Rd, Milton, Florida 32570-8188
Ridge Technical College7700 State Rd 544, Winter Haven, Florida 33881-9518
Riveroak Technical College415 SW Pinewood Dr, Live Oak, Florida 32064
Robert Morgan Educational Center and Technical College18180 SW 122nd Ave, Miami, Florida 33177-2407
Rose Training Institute, Inc.101 Century 21 Drive, Suite 208 Jacksonville, FL 32216
Safety Keeper Career Training Institute4121 NW 5 Street, #216 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33317
Saint Johns River State College5001 Saint Johns Ave, Palatka, Florida 32177
Santa Fe College3000 Northwest 83rd Street, Gainesville, Florida 32606-6210
Sheridan Technical College5400 Sheridan St, Hollywood, Florida 33021
South Florida Institute of Technology720 NW 27th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Miami, Florida 33125
South Florida State College600 W College Dr, Avon Park, Florida 33825-9356
Southern Technical College1485 Florida Mall Avenue, Orlando, Florida 32809
STEP Medical / Teaching Center, Inc.1550 West King Street Cocoa, FL 32926
Suncoast Technical College4748 Beneva Rd, Sarasota, Florida 34233-1798
Tallahassee Community College444 Appleyard Dr, Tallahassee, Florida 32304-2895
Tampa Bay CNA3418 South Dale Mabry HWY 92 Tampa FL 33620
The College of the Florida Keys5901 College Rd, Key West, Florida 33040
Treasure Coast Technical College4680 28th Court, Vero Beach, Florida 32967-3527
Universal Career School10720 W Flagler School Ste 21, Sweetwater, Florida 33174
Washinton Holmes Technical Center757 Hoyt Street Chipley, Florida 32428
West Palm Beach Campus3951 N. Haverhill Rd. West Palm Beach, FL 33417
William T McFatter Technical College6500 Nova Drive, Davie, Florida 33317
Winter Park Tech901 Webster Avenue Winter Park FL 32789
Withlacoochee Technical College1201 W Main St, Inverness, Florida 34450-4696

The duration of many of the offered courses is under 2 years.

These will award a certification upon graduation.

If you want to obtain a degree, for more career options, look for the schools that offer programs with a duration of at least 2 and 4 years.

You could obtain an Associates’ or a Bachelor’s degree, respectively, through those classes.

No matter your choice, you must attend all the hours assigned for clinical practice.

Most schools have a limited number of spots available per program.

The students that will be accepted will usually meet at least these criteria:

  • A clean criminal record
  • A passed drug screening test
  • A passed TB skin test
  • Had vaccinations done for:
    • MMR
    • Varicella
    • Hepatitis B
    • Flu
    • Tetanus

The name of the actual classes you’ll attend may vary, but will cover at minimum these topics:

  • Providing patient safety
  • Providing basic care
  • Medical terminology and abbreviations
  • Basic infection control procedures and techniques
  • The structure and function of body systems
  • Identifying and reporting changes in the patient’s condition
  • Monitoring and recording bodily functions
  • CPR
  • First aide techniques
  • Drawing blood
  • Inserting catheters

Patient Care Technician Certification in Florida

The National Healthcare Association (NHA) issues the best certification for patient care technicians.

The exam you’re expected to pass for this credential is for a nursing assistant.

These are the minimum documents you’ll have to submit when signing up for the test:

  • Are at least 18 years old
  • Have a high school diploma or GED
  • Graduated from a specialized training program
  • Paid the exam fee – $149
  • Show proof of citizenship or nationality
  • Submit a set of fingerprints

You could substitute the nursing assistant training program with 1 year of experience in the field.

Make sure not to pay twice for the exam, if you choose the formal education route.

Many schools include this fee in the tuition they charge, making this path more attractive.

Patient Care Technician Employment and Salary in Florida

But, where will you work as a PCT?

Luckily, you can pick any of these establishments to work for:

  • Hospitals,
  • Clinics,
  • Rehabilitation centers,
  • Long term care and assisted living facilities,
  • Hospices
  • Home care

One disadvantage of choosing the training program over the 1 year of experience for the certification test, is the experience aspect.

With more experience under your belt, you can earn more compared to someone who is a rookie in the field.

Here are the average salaries for PCTs across Florida.

Annual Salary Range:
$26K
$32K
$41K

Average Salary of Patient Care Technicians in Florida

City NameSalary
Jacksonville$32,318
Miami$33,195
Tampa$32,455
Orlando$32,438
St. Petersburg$32,461
Hialeah$32,939
Tallahassee$30,927
Port St. Lucie$32,183
Fort Lauderdale$33,113
Cape Coral$31,707
* Salary information last updated 2024

Regional Salary in Florida

RegionEmployedAvg. Annual SalaryAvg. Hourly PayTop 10% Annual SalaryBottom 10% Annual Salary
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL2,600$37,490$18.02$40,140$31,090
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL750$35,730$17.18$44,620$29,670
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL2,880$34,870$16.77$38,580$29,270
Gainesville, FL2,680$37,660$18.11$41,590$32,850
Homosassa Springs, FL660$32,970$15.85$36,160$29,300
Jacksonville, FL7,030$37,150$17.86$43,790$30,840
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL2,460$34,730$16.7$37,240$30,010
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL22,940$37,300$17.93$43,770$30,570
Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL1,380$38,160$18.35$44,590$33,670
North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL4,430$38,700$18.61$45,770$31,380
Ocala, FL1,480$33,980$16.34$37,180$29,230
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL11,030$37,270$17.92$45,730$30,400
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL2,380$34,960$16.81$40,500$29,900
Panama City, FL660$35,980$17.3$43,250$30,160
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL2,230$33,950$16.32$39,680$29,280
Port St. Lucie, FL1,890$34,860$16.76$39,290$29,920
Punta Gorda, FL820$35,110$16.88$38,380$29,800
Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL800$36,430$17.51$42,110$30,210
Sebring, FL440$33,980$16.34$37,810$27,130
Tallahassee, FL1,340$31,440$15.12$37,490$24,720
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL14,780$37,300$17.93$45,220$30,850
The Villages, FL510$34,570$16.62$39,270$29,930
* Salary information based on the May 2023 Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) Survey for Nursing Assistants, OCC Code 31-1131, BLS.
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.

Additional Information for Patient Care Technician in Florida

When you find yourself a bit stuck, these resources could help out:

  • Florida Nurse Aide Registry
  • National Health Association
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