EMR Support Specialist vs Desktop support

So currently, I'm working on my Associates degree in IT(14 year route). I do only have my A+ cert but am working on net+ and 70-680 atm, I'm also self studing python. (with many years experience in enterprise roll in IT)

I'm currently in Healthcare IT at a local hospital but am consitered an IT Clerk. My dillema is, I've applied for an EMR support specialist at a competing clinic and am interested in EMR(I guess). My boss's know that I have the knowledge for desktop support roll and I'm basically waiting for a spot to open so they can move me out there. The problem is I have an interview at the clinic for the EMR roll and I'm not real sure what to do. I know the people at the clinic and im fairly certain that I'll land the job. I know our hospital pays $18/h starting out for desktop support. DOes anyone know what EMR Specialists pay?? Ultimately I'll find out in the interview more about the position I'm just curious what everone else thinks hehe.

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Comments

cyberguypr

14 year route?

apexgtp

Enrolled in college right out of high school in 2001. I've been taking classes on and off since

earweed

Do you see yourself doing EMR support in 5 years? Think in the long term. It may or may not be a good move. Find out how your career can advance doing EMR and if the same opportunities for advancement will be available.

citinerd

I also work in healthcare IT in desktop support. To me EMR specialist would be more on software side of things. Now to me I would not be interested in that however the people that work with the EMR at my facility get between $22-$26 an hour

jmasterj206

I do Healthcare support as well. Our EMR person is somewhere in the 20's per hour. Our EMR person is more of a clinical person than a technical person and works more as a liason for us between the clinical side and the IT side. Personally I would not enjoy it since you have to have a lot of clinical background and at least in our facilty you would get away from MS, Cisco, etc. and only deal with a small area.

xenodamus

I work in a large hospital, and I think you're describing our "Application Analysts".

We have 2 floors in IT:

1) Helpdesk, desktop support, system/network/san admins

2) Application analysts, DB admins, other software people

Our application folks make decent money (probably 50-60k) but they are pretty removed from the infrastructure side of things. Being an application person around here is not the way to advance into any type of system/network admin position.

Just depends on what you want to do down the road.

kenmero

Yikes this sounds scary...i wanted to tackle all this scary math and be a super IT guy. But as a plumber we get $51/hr, and thats not a boast trust me, it feels just above poverty. But all that training MIGHT get me a mid twenties salary, IF I'm lucky? Kinda depressing. I was hoping it would rescue me. Maybe I should just learn CAD

N2IT

kenmero wrote: »

Yikes this sounds scary...i wanted to tackle all this scary math and be a super IT guy. But as a plumber we get $51/hr, and thats not a boast trust me, it feels just above poverty. But all that training MIGHT get me a mid twenties salary, IF I'm lucky? Kinda depressing. I was hoping it would rescue me. Maybe I should just learn CAD

Welcome to the world of IT

jtoast

IT depends on what you mean by "EMR support."

If you are talking about walking into an existing setup and just keeping things running, mid $20's/hour sounds about right.

On the other hand, if you know the EMR stuff from the ground up, you can make significantly more. My wife is currently going through the interveiw process for a position as an EMR setup and training consultant (Allscripts). Her starting salary will be in the $140K/year range.

kenmero

jtoast wrote: »

IT depends on what you mean by "EMR support."

If you are talking about walking into an existing setup and just keeping things running, mid $20's/hour sounds about right.

On the other hand, if you know the EMR stuff from the ground up, you can make significantly more. My wife is currently going through the interveiw process for a position as an EMR setup and training consultant (Allscripts). Her starting salary will be in the $140K/year range.

Cool, congratulations. I know absolutely zero about IT stuff, this just seemed the most relevant thread. Probably gonna take the easy business route. So cheap here, I'll go IT next time if I want!