What is a Cardiovascular Technician
A cardiovascular technician (also known as Cardiac Technician, Cardiovascular Technologist, Cardiovascular Interventional Technologist, Cardiac Monitor Technician, Cardiopulmonary Technologist, Echocardiogram Technician, Echocardiographic Technologist, and Echocardiographer) is someone who assists cardiovascular physicians in diagnosing and treating vascular and cardiac diseases or ailments through the use of imaging technology, as well as various tests, to determine heart performance and function. They also help heart patients during therapy, and communicate cardiovascular data between physicians. To learn more about how to become a cardiovascular technician/technologist, please visit our cardiovascular technologist job description page.
Work Environment
Cardiovascular technicians work in healthcare facilities. Their work environment will tend to be clean, quiet, and well-lit. Most technicians (around 75%) work in hospitals, though there is a growing demand for them in clinics, laboratories and other non-hospital locations. Some are also employed at universities, and a small number work in the wholesale goods industry.
The work can be demanding; technicians are on their feet for long periods of time, and some heavy lifting may be required, particularly when working with patients who have a disability.
Work Schedule
The work schedule for a cardiovascular technician will generally involve a regular five-day work week of forty hours, though the days worked will vary. A technician may need to work Monday to Friday, Saturday to Wednesday, or any other combination of 5 days; a hospital will need technicians every day of the week. Furthermore, there may be emergency care required, and the technician may need to work late or overnight, or during holidays. For the most part, however, technicians have a standard work schedule.
Mean Annual Cardiovascular Technician Salary
The average annual cardiovascular technician salary is $53,050. The mean salary is calculated by adding all the wages within the occupation and divid that value by the total number of employees. Lowest 10% of this occupation makes less than $27,830 and the top 10% makes over $80,790.
Cardiovascular Technician Salary: Quick Summary
| 2012 Mean Salary | $53,050 per year $25.52 per hour |
| Top 10% Salary | $80,790 per year $38.84 per hour |
| Bottom 10% Salary | $27,830 per year $13.38 per hour |
| Number of Jobs, 2012 | 50,530 |
Cardiovascular Technician Job Outlook and Prospects
There are more than 51,000 cardiovascular technicians employed in the United States, and she job outlook is expected to grow by 30 percent between 2012 and 2022, a very promising increase, and much higher than the average. The innovation and development of imaging technology means hospitals will use it to replace more costly and invasive procedures, meaning a greater demand for cardiovascular technicians.
What Affects Cardiovascular Technician Salary
The level of training, location, and work experience all have an impact on cardiovascular technician salary. Specialization and certification are strong factors as well, with the overall average salary ranging between $30,000 and $80,000. The mean cardiovascular technologist salary is $53,050, or approximately $25.51 per hour.
Education and Specialization
While certification is not required to enter the profession, it is highly advised; education and certification will greatly improve the cardiovascular technician salary, as it allows for a shorter training period on the job, and a greater flexibility for the candidate to perform a broader range of work.
Specialization is a further area of salary improvement; there are a broad range of potential specializations, including vascular technology, invasive or noninvasive cardiology, and echocardiography. Certification in one of more of these areas makes a candidate more desirable, and will subsequently improve their salary.
Experience and Position
Experience greatly impacts cardiovascular technician salary, regardless of the milieu in which he or she works. As most cardiovascular technicians work in a hospital, the salary structure is generally designed to improve with commensurate experience and knowledge.
There are fewer roads of salary increase through position. While one may work in a team of cardiovascular technicians, these will generally be under the purview of the cardiology department. However, occasional managerial positions will offer themselves, and a technician may see salary advancement here, provided they have the requisite training, experience, and certification to fit the job.
Industry
The industries for cardiovascular technicians are interestingly varied. The majority of cardiovascular technicians work in general hospitals, and earn an average of $52,060. This accounts for around 38,500 persons employed, or almost 75%. The most lucrative side of the industry is in the offices of other health practitioners, offering an average of $69,030. However, only 170 (or 0.3%) are so employed. The private practices of physicians are the best middle ground, offering an average of $57,130, and employing around 15% of technicians.
Location
Location offers perhaps the best means of increasing cardiovascular technician salary. While many central or mid-west states offer a salary close to (or below) the national average, those on the coasts are significantly higher.
Washington and New Jersey offer the second and third highest average salaries, at $66,920, and $66,640, respectively. Alaska, however, has the highest, with an average salary of $80,000, and Anchorage, AK tops the metropolitan salaries at $82,480. Brockton-Bridgewater-Easton, MA is the only other comparative metropolitan area, with an average of $81,630.
Cardiovascular Technician Salary: Top 5
| Top Paying Metropolitan Areas | Top Paying States | Top Paying Industries | States with Highest Employment Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anchorage, AK: $82,420 | Alaska: $80,310 | Offices of Other Health Care Practitioners: $69,030 | Florida: (5,940 jobs) $45,910 |
| Brockton, MA: $81,630 | Washington: $66,920 | Specialty Hospitals: $57,910 | California: (3,540 jobs) $59,910 |
| Stockton, CA: $78,030 | New Jersey: $66,640 | Offices of Physicians: $57,320 | Texas: (3,530 jobs) $51,420 |
| Oxnard, CA: $75,080 | Massachusetts: $66,050 | Management of Companies and Enterprises: $56,490 | New York: (2,880 jobs) $54,240 |
| Las Cruces, NM: $72,760 | District of Columbia: $66,000 | Outpatient Care Centers: $56,300 | Pennsylvania: (2,780 jobs) $55,280 |
