Career
Cardiovascular technologists and technicians
Test and image the heart and blood vessels.
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- 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.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then ideas & analysis?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“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.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Monitoring.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
2 years of education after high school (associate's degree), for a median of $74,310 a year and 3,400 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Allied Health ProfessionsSee the degree →
- Cardiovascular Technology/TechnologistCIP 51.0901
- Electrocardiograph Technology/TechnicianCIP 51.0902
- Perfusion Technology/PerfusionistCIP 51.0906
- Cardiopulmonary Technology/TechnologistCIP 51.0915
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$96,590 · +13.9%
- Neurodiagnostic Technologists
- Radiologic Technologists and Technicians$80,110 · +5.0%
- Radiation Therapists$105,310 · +2.8%
- Respiratory Therapists$82,280 · +8.5%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
Not sure this fits who you are? Start with Vocational Finder →
Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.