Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians
Health ScienceO*NET 29-2031.00United States
Conduct tests on pulmonary or cardiovascular systems of patients for diagnostic, therapeutic, or research purposes. May conduct or assist in electrocardiograms, cardiac catheterizations, pulmonary functions, lung capacity, and similar tests.
- Median annual earnings
- $76,014
- Projected change
- +7%
- Typical education
- Associate degree
- Employment
- 65.67K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
62.9% of the workforce
Growing to 70.27K by 2035
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These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What cardiovascular technologists and technicians do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Conduct electrocardiogram (EKG), phonocardiogram, echocardiogram, stress testing, or other cardiovascular tests to record patients' cardiac activity, using specialized electronic test equipment, recording devices, or laboratory instruments.
- Explain testing procedures to patients to obtain cooperation and reduce anxiety.
- Monitor patients' blood pressure and heart rate using electrocardiogram (EKG) equipment during diagnostic or therapeutic procedures to notify the physician if something appears wrong.
- Obtain and record patient identification, medical history, or test results.
- Monitor patients' comfort and safety during tests, alerting physicians to abnormalities or changes in patient responses.
- Prepare and position patients for testing.
- Attach electrodes to the patients' chests, arms, and legs, connect electrodes to leads from the electrocardiogram (EKG) machine, and operate the EKG machine to obtain a reading.
- Adjust equipment and controls according to physicians' orders or established protocol.
- Check, test, and maintain cardiology equipment, making minor repairs when necessary, to ensure proper operation.
- Supervise or train other cardiology technologists or students.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $38,720
- 25th percentile
- $48,267
- 50th percentile
- $76,014
- 75th percentile
- $101,158
- 90th percentile
- $125,473
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $76,014 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+7%faster than average
202565,667 jobs
2035 projected70,274 jobs
4,607 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- Associate degree
- 62.9%
- Certificate
- 12.9%
- High school diploma or less
- 9.9%
- Some college
- 7.8%
- Master's or Professional degree
- 3.8%
- Bachelor's degree
- 2.8%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Science
- Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Travel Cath Lab Technologists4,613 postings
- 02Cath Lab Technologists4,258 postings
- 03Cardiac Sonographers3,725 postings
- 04Cardiac Cath Lab Technologists3,270 postings
- 05Pathology Laboratory Technicians2,434 postings
- 06Travel Cardiovascular Operating Room Technologists2,158 postings
- 07Travel Radiology Technicians1,706 postings
- 08EKG Technicians1,634 postings
- 09Cath Lab Radiology Technologists1,540 postings
- 10Echo Technologist/Cardiac Sonographers1,464 postings
- 11Cardiovascular Technologists1,381 postings
- 12Cardiac Cath Lab Technicians1,146 postings
- 13Cardiovascular Techs1,070 postings
- 14Special Procedures Technologists1,059 postings
- 15Radiology Technologists866 postings
- 16Cardiac Cath Registered Nurses858 postings
- 17Echocardiography Technologists822 postings
- 18Cardiology Cath Lab Travel Registered Nurses807 postings
- 19Cardiac Monitor Technicians775 postings
- 20Patient Care Technicians758 postings
Top employers
- 01Aya Healthcare5,366 postings
- 02Soliant Health3,995 postings
- 03AMN Healthcare2,743 postings
- 04Titan Medical1,544 postings
- 05Medical Solutions1,349 postings
- 06HCA Healthcare1,300 postings
- 07Supplemental Health Care1,286 postings
- 08MedPro Healthcare Staffing1,003 postings
- 09Health Advocates Network889 postings
- 10Accountable Healthcare Staffing855 postings
- 11Trusted Health853 postings
- 12Gqr721 postings
- 13Ingenovis Health672 postings
- 14Triage Staffing625 postings
- 15Navitas Partners602 postings
- 16American Traveler557 postings
- 17Fusion Medical Staffing555 postings
- 18LeaderStat540 postings
- 19Anders Group522 postings
- 20K&A Recruiting511 postings
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