Demand for allied professionals is surging, making this the perfect time to focus on career growth — and earning new certifications is a great way to do just that. Here's what you need to know about allied health certifications, which ones to get, and how they can help take your career to new places.
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How to Advance Your Career with Allied Health Certifications
From therapists and technologists to aides and assistants, allied health includes a huge range of careers that support clinical teams in diagnosing patient conditions, providing treatment and prevention programs, and much more.
This is important work, proven by the increasing demand (and salaries) for allied professionals. And the smart way to make sure you're getting the most from these opportunities is by earning allied health certifications that show off your skills and experience.
Do you need to get allied health certifications?
Some allied health jobs (like therapists) require a state-issued licenses, while others (mostly techs) only require getting a degree or passing an exam.
So, for many of these jobs, going through an allied certificate program isn’t required. Instead, it’s voluntary — something you can do to improve your chances of landing a job, advancing into a higher position, or earning more.
How does allied health certification work?
Most allied health certificate programs require you to pass a training course, usually for a fee of a few hundred dollars. (This is usually tax deductible, and, in some cases, your employer may pay for it on your behalf.) You may also need some work experience or a license to qualify.
Every allied profession also has a different set of certifications. Check with your state board (or your local job listings) to see what's required where you live — and then browse our list of allied health certificates below for more info on each.
Allied Health Certifications: The Basics
Even allied health jobs that don't require professional certification may still require basic life-saving certificates (especially therapy jobs). So, for almost every allied career on this list, it's a good idea to have:
- Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) from the American Heart Association (AHA)
Allied Health Certifications for Technicians and Technologists
Certifications aren't usually required for tech jobs. But passing the certificate programs listed below can help you specialize in certain fields, improve your job prospects, and help you stand out among other applicants for competitive jobs.
Behavioral health technicians
- Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) and Board Certified Behavioral Analyst (BCBA) from the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB)
- National Certified Counselor (NCC), National Certified School Counselor (NCSC), Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC), and Master Addictions Counselor (MAC) from the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)
Cath lab technologists
- Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS) and Registered Cardiac Electrophysiology Specialist (RCES) from Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI)
- Cardiac Interventional Radiography and Vascular Interventional Radiography from the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT)
Dialysis techs
- Certified Clinical Hemodialysis Technician (CCHT) and Certified Clinical Hemodialysis Technician – Advanced (CCHT-A) from the Nephrology Nursing Certification Commission (NNCC)
- Certified Hemodialysis Technologist/Technician (CHT) from the Board of Nephrology Examiners Nursing and Technology (BONENT)
PRO TIP: Dialysis is one of our most in-demand specialties! Learn more here.
Electrophysiology / EKG / telemetry monitor technicians
- Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS), Certified Cardiographic Technician (CCT), Certified Rhythm Analysis Technician (CRAT), Registered Cardiac Electrophysiology Specialist (RCES), Registered Vascular Specialist (RVS), and Registered Cardiac Sonographer (RCS) from the CCI
- Cardiac Device Remote Monitoring Specialist (CDRNS), Certified Electrophysiology Specialist (CEPS), and Certified Cardiac Device Specialist (CCDS) from the International Board of Heart Rhythm Examiners (IBHRE)
- Certified EKG Technician (CET) from the National Healthcareer Association (NHA)
Emergency medical technicians
- Advanced Emergency Medical Technicians (AEMT) from the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT)
Medical and clinical lab technicians
- Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) from American Medical Technologists (AMT)
- Specialist in Blood Banking Certificate Program (ASCP SBB) and Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) certification from the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP)
Nuclear medicine technologists
- Nuclear Medicine Technology (NRT) certification from the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT)
- Certified Nuclear Medicine Technologist from the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board (NMTCB)
Patient care technicians
- Patient Care Technician (PCT) from American Medical Technologists (AMT)
Pharmacy technicians
- Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) from the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB)
- Pediatric Pharmacy Specialist Certification (BCPPS) from the Board of Pharmacy Specialties
Radiology technologists
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Breast Sonography, Cardiac-Interventional Radiography, Mammography, and Computed Tomography credentialing from the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT)
Sterile processing and endoscopy technicians
- Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST), Certified Endoscope Reprocessor (CER), and Certified Instrument Specialist (CIS) from the Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA)
- SPD Technician Certification and Flexible Endoscope Reprocessor (GI Scope) Certification from the Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution (CBSPD)
- Certified Industrial Sterilization Specialist (CISS) from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI)
Surgical technologists
- Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) from the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NPSTSA)
Allied Health Certifications for Therapists
Almost all types of therapists must be licensed to work in every state. (As noted above, BLS or ACLS certification are usually required, too.) And getting the certifications listed here will help you specialize and advance your career.
Physical therapy
- Cardiovascular and Pulmonary, Clinical Electrophysiology, Geriatrics, Neurology, Oncology, Orthopaedics, Pediatrics, Sports, Women's Health, and Wound Management certifications from the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)
Occupational therapy
- Gerontology, Pediatrics, and Physical Rehabilitation certifications from the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)
Speech therapy
- Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology (CCC-A) or Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
Respiratory therapy
- Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT), Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT), Certified Pulmonary Function Technologist (CPFT), and Registered Pulmonary Function Technologist (RPFT) from the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC)
Allied Health Certifications for Medical Assistants
- Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) from the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA)
- National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA) from the National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT)
- Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) from the National Healthcareer Association (NHA)
Allied Health Certifications for Education, Coding, and Management Positions
Earning certain allied health certifications can also let you move into other fields on the same career path, like education, administration, or medical coding.
- Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC)
- Certified Medical Audit Specialist (CMAS) from the Council for Certification of Medical Auditors (CCMA)
- Certified Healthcare Technology Manager (CHTM) from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI)
- Allied Health Instructor (AHI) from American Medical Technologists (AMT)
- Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) from the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)
- Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist (CEHRS) from the National Healthcareer Association (NHA)
Put Your Allied Health Certifications to Work with HealthTrust Workforce Solutions
Once you've earned your allied health certifications, we're here to help you get the most from them! At HealthTrust, we specialize in placing allied professionals like you with the jobs that best match your skills, experience, and personal preferences. See what's available — browse hundreds of allied health jobs now.