Healthcare Practitioners and Technical · Holland code RIC
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.
Also called: Cardio Tech (Cardiovascular Technician), Cardiology Technician, Cardiovascular Technologist (CVT), Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS), Cardiac Cath Lab Technologist (Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory Technologist), Cardiac Catheterization Technician, Cardiac Technician, Cardiopulmonary Technician.
O*NET 29-2031.00
At a glance
- US median annual pay
- $74,310
- Middle half earn $47,890 to $98,110. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
- Most common education
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree
- 63% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
- Preparation needed
- Job Zone 3 of 5
- Medium preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
- US employment outlook, 2024 to 2034
- +3% · As fast as average
- 64,700 jobs in 2024, projected 66,600. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, which groups this with similar roles as "Cardiovascular technologists and technicians".
What the work involves
The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.
- 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.
- Compare measurements of heart wall thickness and chamber sizes to standard norms to identify abnormalities.
- Explain testing procedures to patients to obtain cooperation and reduce anxiety.
- 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.
- Monitor patients' blood pressure and heart rate using electrocardiogram (EKG) equipment during diagnostic or therapeutic procedures to notify the physician if something appears wrong.
- 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.
- Obtain and record patient identification, medical history, or test results.
Skills and knowledge it leans on
Skills
- Active Listening3.9 / 5
- Speaking3.8 / 5
- Critical Thinking3.8 / 5
- Monitoring3.8 / 5
- Reading Comprehension3.6 / 5
- Writing3.1 / 5
Knowledge areas
- Customer and Personal Service4.3 / 5
- Medicine and Dentistry3.9 / 5
- English Language3.9 / 5
- Computers and Electronics3.3 / 5
- Education and Training3.3 / 5
- Mathematics2.9 / 5
Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.
Who tends to enjoy it
How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.
- Realistic77
- Investigative72
- Artistic0
- Social54
- Enterprising5
- Conventional62
The same work abroad
Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.
European occupation titles (ESCO)
- clinical perfusion scientist · DE Fachassistent Herz-Kreislauf-Funktionsdiagnostik/Fachassistentin Herz-Kreislauf-Funktionsdiagnostik · FR perfusionniste clinique
Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)
- Medical radiographers (2254)44,200 employed
- Health associate professionals n.e.c. (3219)36,300 employed
- Medical and dental technicians (3213)40,000 employed
Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.
Pay across Europe, for the whole group
Median annual earnings of all employees in “Technicians and associate professionals”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.
| Country | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Belgium | €50,992 |
| Austria | €46,986 |
| Germany | €44,473 |
| Netherlands | €42,448 |
| Ireland | €41,613 |
| Sweden | €41,155 |
| Italy | €34,882 |
| France | €34,816 |
| Spain | €29,757 |
| Portugal | €18,080 |
| Poland | €12,108 |
Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.
Exposure to AI
This occupation sits in the middle third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -0.09. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.
Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.
Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (29-2031).
Related careers
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