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Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians Career, Salary and Skills

Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $74,310 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 62,960. Wage data is published for 241 locations.

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Occupation description

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.

O*NET code

29-2031.00

Job zone

3

Typical education

Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree

Experience

Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years

National salary and employment

Median annual

$74,310

Hourly median

$35.73

Employment

62,960

Data year

2025

National salary distribution

$39,000
10th
$47,890
25th
$74,310
Median
$98,110
75th
$121,350
90th

Top skills

SkillImportanceLevel
Active Listening3.883.88
Critical Thinking3.753.75
Monitoring3.753.75
Speaking3.753.62
Operations Monitoring3.753.12
Reading Comprehension3.624.12
Social Perceptiveness3.623.25
Service Orientation3.253.25
Judgment and Decision Making3.253.25
Active Learning3.123.38
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Typical tasks

  • 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.
  • 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.
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Technology

  • Database software
  • Diagnostic image review software
  • Digital Imaging Communications in Medicine DICOM-compatible image acquisition and integration software products
  • Electronic medical record EMR software
  • Hypertext preprocessor PHP
  • Information systems integration software
  • Internet or intranet image distribution software
  • JavaScript
  • MEDITECH software
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft Word
  • Practice management software PMS
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Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians salary by location

Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.

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Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.