Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians
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.
MAY 2025 · OCCUPATIONAL WAGES
A wage reference for United States.
Published wage percentiles describe a distribution within the source occupation group. They provide context for a career decision; employer packages and job offers have their own terms.
Source wage group: Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians
This wage group may include multiple detailed occupations. The figures are for the source group, which may be broader than Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians. They are not an exact-title, employer, experience or seniority match.
May 2025 · USD · United States. Annual and hourly figures are shown only when the source publishes them; neither is calculated from the other.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational wage data, distributed through the O*NET® OnLine service.
Median annual wage$74,310USD per year · Published 50th percentile
Median hourly wage$35.73USD per hour · Published 50th percentile
Annual wage thresholds
USD per year
Hourly wage thresholds
USD per hour
| Percentile | Annual wage (USD/year) | Hourly wage (USD/hour) |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $39,000 | $18.75 |
| 25th | $47,890 | $23.02 |
| 50th · Median | $74,310 | $35.73 |
| 75th | $98,110 | $47.17 |
| 90th | $121,350 | $58.34 |
“≥” means at least the published amount; “≤” means at most that amount. These are bounds, not exact values. “Not published” means the source did not provide that figure. Occupational wages follow the source definition and do not establish an employer’s base salary, equity or total compensation.
PUT A WAGE IN CONTEXT
Where does your number sit?
Compare an entered wage with the published thresholds for United States. Your entry stays on this page.
This compares wage amounts to published percentile thresholds. It does not estimate your personal percentile, adjust for your experience, or compare total compensation. Match the wage definition and occupation group before using the result.
THE WORK BEHIND THE TITLE
What this career involves.
Occupation definitions describe common work. Responsibilities and requirements vary by employer and specific job.
Selected title examples
ARRT Technologist (American Registry of Radiologic Technologists Technologist)Cardiac Cath Lab Tech (Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory Technician)Cardiac Cath Lab Technologist (Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory Technologist)Cardiac Catheterization Special Procedures TechnologistCardiac Catheterization TechnicianCardiac Catheterization TechnologistCardiac Monitor TechnicianCardiac TechnicianCardio Tech (Cardiovascular Technician)Cardiograph OperatorCardiographerCardiology Technician
Expand more title examples (46)
Cardiology TechnologistCardiopulmonary TechnicianCardiopulmonary TechnologistCardiovascular Interventional TechnologistCardiovascular Invasive SpecialistCardiovascular Operating Room Technologist (CVOR Technologist)Cardiovascular Radiologic TechnologistCardiovascular Technologist (CVT)Cath Lab Radiological Technologist (Catheterization Laboratory Radiological Technologist)Cath Lab Radiology Technologist (Catheterization Laboratory Radiology Technologist)Cath Lab Tech (Catheterization Laboratory Technologist)Catheterization Laboratory Technician (Cath Lab Tech)Computed Tomography Technologist (CTT)Echo TechnicianEcho Technologist (Echocardiogram Technologist)EchocardiographerEchocardiography TechnologistEEG Tech (Electroencephalogram Technician)Electrocardiogram Technician (EKG Tech)Electrocardiograph OperatorElectrocardiograph TechnicianElectrocardiographic TechnicianElectrophysiology Technician (EP Tech)Holter Scanning TechnicianInvasive Cardiovascular TechnologistLaboratory Technician (Lab Technician)Laboratory Technologist (Lab Technologist)Medical Technologist (MT)Monitor TechnicianNuclear Medicine TechnologistPerfusionistPulmonary Function TechnicianPulmonary Function TechnologistRadiographerRegistered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS)SonographerSpecial Procedures Technologist (SPT)Stress Test TechnicianTelemetry Monitor TechnicianTelemetry TechnicianTravel Cath Lab Technologist (Travel Catheterization Laboratory Technologist)Travel Echo Tech (Travel Echocardiograph Technician)Travel Echo Technician (Travel Echocardiogram Technician)Travel Echo Technologist (Travel Echocardiogram Technologist)Vascular TechnicianVascular Technologist
Typical tasks
- 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.
Expand more tasks (15)
- 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.
- Compare measurements of heart wall thickness and chamber sizes to standard norms to identify abnormalities.
- Maintain a proper sterile field during surgical procedures.
- Observe ultrasound display screen and listen to signals to record vascular information, such as blood pressure, limb volume changes, oxygen saturation, or cerebral circulation.
- Assist physicians in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac or peripheral vascular treatments, such as implanting pacemakers or assisting with balloon angioplasties to treat blood vessel blockages.
- Assess cardiac physiology and calculate valve areas from blood flow velocity measurements.
- Operate diagnostic imaging equipment to produce contrast enhanced radiographs of heart and cardiovascular system.
- Observe gauges, recorder, and video screens of data analysis system during imaging of cardiovascular system.
- Inject contrast medium into patients' blood vessels.
- Transcribe, type, and distribute reports of diagnostic procedures for interpretation by physician.
- Set up 24-hour Holter and event monitors, scan and interpret tapes, and report results to physicians.
- Perform general administrative tasks, such as scheduling appointments or ordering supplies or equipment.
Skills used in this work
- 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.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Expand more skills (29)
- 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.
- 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.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Science
- Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Equipment Maintenance
- Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Equipment Selection
- Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
- Management of Material Resources
- Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.
- Management of Financial Resources
- Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.
- Technology Design
- Generating or adapting equipment and technology to serve user needs.
- Operations Analysis
- Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
- Programming
- Writing computer programs for various purposes.
- Installation
- Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.
FIND YOUR MARKET
United States wage reference Explore wages by location.
0 retained state and local wage references are available. Start with these selected locations, or search the full market directory for this career.
Local wage references are not retained for this occupation. The national view and employer evidence may still help.
Browse all wage markets
Available links reflect retained source coverage for this career.
TURN CONTEXT INTO A NEXT STEP
Find the next step that fits.
Look at current disclosed job ranges, explore supported employer salary evidence, or build a proposed hiring range with your own assumptions.