Career profile · 29-2031
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.
What the work can involve
- 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.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Preparation and entry routes
This broad O*NET group commonly involves vocational training, related experience or an associate-level route. It does not mean every course in a related subject meets the requirements.
Check the route for the specific occupation where you plan to work. Education, employer experience requirements, occupational licensing and industry certification can be separate steps.
Understand the different credentials →Skills used in this occupation
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Knowledge to build
- Customer and Personal Service
- Medicine and Dentistry
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Education and Training
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Common work activities
- Assisting and Caring for Others
- Documenting/Recording Information
- Working with Computers
- Getting Information
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Training subjects to investigate
The federal education-to-occupation crosswalk connects this role to the subjects below. These links do not endorse a school or guarantee that any particular award qualifies a graduate for the job.
Working conditions to consider
These are the most common published responses to selected O*NET work-setting questions. They describe occupation-level survey findings, not every employer or a particular job.
| Work-setting question | Most common response | Share giving that response |
|---|---|---|
| Contact With Others | Constant contact with others | 94.3%07/2014 · sample 35 |
| Exposed to Contaminants | Never | 51.8%07/2014 · sample 35 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | Every day | 54.9%07/2014 · sample 35 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | Never | 80.9%07/2014 · sample 35 |
| Spend Time Sitting | More than half the time | 27.0%07/2014 · sample 35 |
| Spend Time Standing | Less than half the time | 34.8%07/2014 · sample 35 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | Continually or almost continually | 66.0%07/2014 · sample 35 |
| Time Pressure | Every day | 72.2%07/2014 · sample 34 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | Every day | 71.0%07/2014 · sample 35 |
| Work Schedules | Regular (established routine, set schedule) | 89.2%07/2014 · sample 33 |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, selected topics. Only unsuppressed source responses with sample size at least 10 are shown. A most-common response need not be a majority. Sampling uncertainty applies; source dates vary. Ask employers about actual schedules, accessibility, protective equipment and working conditions.
Software used in the workplace
Use these O*NET examples to ask how a course builds practical digital skills. They are workplace examples, not a required shopping list or confirmation of a school’s curriculum.
- Data base user interface and query software: Database software, Structured data entry software
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook
- Information retrieval or search software: Information systems integration software
- Internet browser software: Web browser software
- Inventory management software: Pyxis MedStation software
- Medical software: Diagnostic image review software, Digital Imaging Communications in Medicine DICOM-compatible image acquisition and integration software products, Electronic medical record EMR software, Internet or intranet image distribution software
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
- Web platform development software: Hypertext preprocessor PHP, JavaScript
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word
Selected categories and examples from O*NET 31.0 Software Skills. Products and employer requirements change. These examples are not endorsements; check the complete official occupation profile.
Pay & employment outlook
Salary estimates for cardiovascular technologists and technicians
The median divides workers into two equally sized groups by pay. It is not a starting salary, a school’s graduate outcome or a promise of employment. Lower percentiles are not automatically new graduates.
National outlook: 2025–2035
- Typical education for entry
- Associate's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- None
BLS national employment projections, 2025–2035. Openings include people leaving occupations or the labor force; these are not advertised vacancies. Education categories describe typical entry, not legal eligibility or a guarantee that any specific program is sufficient.
Compare wages across 51 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $47,650 | $22.91 | 930 |
| Alaska | $79,040 | $38.00 | 160 |
| Arizona | $74,900 | $36.01 | 1,450 |
| Arkansas | $74,800 | $35.96 | 410 |
| California | $78,170 | $37.58 | 5,570 |
| Colorado | $94,190 | $45.29 | 720 |
| Connecticut | $94,940 | $45.64 | 620 |
| Delaware | $87,640 | $42.13 | 290 |
| District of Columbia | $99,380 | $47.78 | 280 |
| Florida | $77,140 | $37.09 | 5,640 |
| Georgia | $78,070 | $37.53 | 2,580 |
| Hawaii | $111,730 | $53.72 | 140 |
| Idaho | $100,100 | $48.13 | 220 |
| Illinois | $61,870 | $29.75 | 1,710 |
| Indiana | $79,380 | $38.16 | 1,380 |
| Iowa | $78,850 | $37.91 | 380 |
| Kansas | $69,060 | $33.20 | 540 |
| Kentucky | $60,980 | $29.32 | 940 |
| Louisiana | $50,050 | $24.06 | 890 |
| Maine | $82,050 | $39.45 | 220 |
| Maryland | $86,440 | $41.56 | 970 |
| Massachusetts | $105,580 | $50.76 | 1,110 |
| Michigan | $80,650 | $38.77 | 2,070 |
| Minnesota | $71,520 | $34.38 | 950 |
| Mississippi | $38,000 | $18.27 | 590 |
| Missouri | $73,680 | $35.43 | 850 |
| Montana | $82,850 | $39.83 | 190 |
| Nebraska | $60,000 | $28.85 | 330 |
| Nevada | $71,240 | $34.25 | 380 |
| New Hampshire | $83,100 | $39.95 | 150 |
| New Jersey | $82,710 | $39.76 | 2,440 |
| New Mexico | $47,340 | $22.76 | 400 |
| New York | $89,570 | $43.06 | 3,540 |
| North Carolina | $55,460 | $26.67 | 1,990 |
| North Dakota | $65,890 | $31.68 | 120 |
| Ohio | $79,270 | $38.11 | 2,140 |
| Oklahoma | $44,900 | $21.59 | 830 |
| Oregon | $99,240 | $47.71 | 550 |
| Pennsylvania | $58,090 | $27.93 | 3,630 |
| Rhode Island | $104,000 | $50.00 | 260 |
| South Carolina | $59,170 | $28.45 | 890 |
| South Dakota | $67,290 | $32.35 | 200 |
| Tennessee | $76,650 | $36.85 | 1,030 |
| Texas | $53,000 | $25.48 | 6,140 |
| Utah | $113,510 | $54.57 | 1,250 |
| Vermont | $69,620 | $33.47 | 50 |
| Virginia | $76,880 | $36.96 | 2,410 |
| Washington | $83,790 | $40.28 | 1,110 |
| West Virginia | $45,910 | $22.07 | 350 |
| Wisconsin | $74,380 | $35.76 | 900 |
| Wyoming | $84,140 | $40.45 | 60 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 231 published local-area estimates for this occupation. Metropolitan areas can cross state lines; a city’s postal name is not necessarily the statistical area’s name.
Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS public downloads and 2025–2035 employment projections, retrieved September 9, 2026. Unpublished estimates stay unavailable. “+” means BLS’s upper reporting threshold ($239,200 annually or $115 hourly). Wages exclude self-employment and nonwage benefits. How to interpret these figures.
Compare the route and prepare for work
Questions to test the fit
- What does an entry-level working day look like, and how does it differ from the experienced role described here?
- Which tasks, work environments and schedules would I enjoy or find difficult?
- What education, supervised practice and credentials do local employers actually request?
- Can I speak with someone in the occupation or arrange a suitable workplace visit?
- How does the complete training cost compare with my realistic budget and available routes?
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Related through shared training-subject mappings. Entry requirements can differ substantially.
Sources and attribution
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. Trade School Guides selects and organizes the material and adds explanatory guidance. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. Occupation code: 29-2031.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.