Medical Skilled Trades
Cardiovascular Technologist
Cardiovascular technologists run heart tests such as EKGs, stress tests and echocardiograms, and help in cardiac catheterization labs. An associate's degree is the usual entry.
1.Career snapshot
- Role
- Cardiovascular Technologist
- Pay (planning range)
- $55K–$95K+ Wealth Playbook guide, 2026
- Training time
- 1–2 years
- Pathway
- Specialty Diagnostics
- Demand
- Employment of cardiovascular technologists and technicians is projected to grow 4 percent from 2025 to 2035, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
- Patient contact
- High
- Occupation code
- SOC 29-2031 · O*NET 29-2031.00
BLS and O*NET report this occupation as Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians (29-2031), a group that includes EKG technicians and cardiovascular invasive specialists. Wage and outlook figures are for the whole group.
- Diagnostic / technology-focused
- Schedule flexibility
- Career advancement potential
2.What you'll do
Everyday work and where it happens
You prepare and position patients, explain each test to calm their nerves, and record their medical history. You run EKGs, stress tests or echocardiograms, watch blood pressure and heart rate during procedures, and alert the physician to anything abnormal. In a cath lab you assist with invasive heart procedures.
Typical duties
- Conduct electrocardiogram (EKG), echocardiogram, stress testing and other cardiovascular tests
- Explain testing procedures to patients to reduce anxiety
- Monitor patients' blood pressure and heart rate during diagnostic or therapeutic procedures
- Monitor patients' comfort and safety and alert physicians to changes
- Obtain and record patient identification, medical history and test results
- Prepare and position patients for testing
- Where you could work
- Hospitals, Offices of physicians, Outpatient care centers, Medical and diagnostic laboratories
- Schedule
- Most cardiovascular technologists work full time, although part-time work is common. Because many health care facilities are always open, you may work evenings, weekends or overnight shifts.
- Physical demands
- You may need to stand for long periods and to lift or turn patients who are ill or disabled. O*NET also reports frequent repetitive motions and bending or twisting.
- Patient contact
- High
3.How to get there
Education, training, exams and licensing
- Typical training
- Certificate / associate degree
- Training time
- 1–2 years
1.Take science and math in high school
Anatomy, physiology and physics are useful preparation.
2.Complete a cardiovascular technology program
BLS says workers typically need an associate's degree or a certificate in cardiovascular technology or a related field; EKG technicians may qualify with a high school diploma and a certificate program that takes less than a year. O*NET's survey found 63% of new hires need an associate's degree.
3.Earn a professional credential
Cardiovascular Credentialing International offers the Certified Cardiographic Technician (CCT) for ECG, Holter monitoring and stress testing, and the Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS) for cardiac catheterization work. Echocardiography specialists can also pursue the ARDMS RDCS.
4.Check your state's rules
Some states require a license. Check with your state health board, and ask employers which certifications they want.
Exams and credentials
- CCT - Certified Cardiographic Technician (Cardiovascular Credentialing International)
- RCIS - Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (Cardiovascular Credentialing International)
- RDCS - Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer (ARDMS, part of Inteleos)
Licensing
Some cardiovascular technologists need a state-issued license. Employers may require or prefer professional certification, such as CCI's CCT or RCIS or ARDMS's RDCS, and you may also need basic life support (BLS) or CPR certification. Requirements vary by state; check your state board.
Look up your state's license requirements (opens in a new tab)
4.What it costs
Tuition, fees, exams and financial aid
Costs vary by program.
CCI exam fees: CCT $175 USD; RCIS $365 USD; each includes a $100 non-refundable application processing fee (cci-online.org, read October 2026).
Grants, loans and work-study can help pay for an eligible program. Start with the FAFSA at studentaid.gov (opens in a new tab), and ask each program what its total cost includes.
5.What you can earn
Starting, median and experienced pay, and where the figures come from
Planning range
$55K–$95K+
Planning range from the Wealth Playbook medical careers guide, 2026
Local wage data isn't loaded yet, so this is a broad planning range, not a wage figure.
A planning range is broad and has no median: it is for planning, not a promise of pay. Starting, median and experienced wages will show here when BLS wage data is loaded.
For reference only (not this page's pay figure): BLS median, May 2025, national: $74,310 a year (source, opens in a new tab). BLS and O*NET report this occupation as Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians (29-2031), a group that includes EKG technicians and cardiovascular invasive specialists. Wage and outlook figures are for the whole group.
6.Jobs near you
Coming soon
We plan to show local openings here once a job-data source is connected. Until then, you can search current listings yourself.
7.Career ladder
Next certifications and roles
- Cardiovascular Technologist(this career)
- Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS)(CCI's cardiac catheterization credential; eligible through an accredited invasive cardiovascular program, or a health-science credential plus one year of full-time work in invasive cardiovascular technology and 600 procedures.)
- Cardiac Sonographer (RDCS)(ARDMS cardiac credential: SPI exam plus a cardiac specialty exam. A two-year allied health degree plus 12 months of full-time ultrasound experience is one accepted prerequisite pathway.)
8.Your wealth path
From your first paycheck to owning and investing
Train
Certify
Get hired
Advance
Build wealth
Own / invest
Estimated take-home pay
Low end of the planning range: $55,000 a year
About $44,231 a year ($3,686 a month)
High end of the planning range: $95,000 a year
About $71,219 a year ($5,935 a month)
Estimate only. Assumptions: tax year 2026, single filer, the standard deduction, federal income tax, FICA at 7.65%, and a default state income tax rate of 5.00% (choose a state above to use its rate). No retirement contributions or other deductions. The Paycheck calculator uses the same engine.
9.Find training
Free U.S. Department of Labor resources. We don't list or rank schools.
Registered apprenticeships exist for some of these roles. For licensed careers, check that a program meets your state's licensing rules.
10.Compare careers
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Sources
- Pay: Planning range from the Wealth Playbook medical careers guide, 2026 (a planning range, not wage data).
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians (opens in a new tab)
- O*NET OnLine: 29-2031.00 Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians (summary) (opens in a new tab)
- O*NET OnLine: 29-2031.00 Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians (details: education, work context) (opens in a new tab)
- CCI: Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS) (opens in a new tab)
- CCI: Certified Cardiographic Technician (CCT) (opens in a new tab)
- Inteleos (ARDMS): Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer (RDCS) Certification (opens in a new tab)
- Inteleos (ARDMS): SPI Requirement & Specialty Examination Prerequisites (PDF, August 2026) (opens in a new tab)