Career profile
Also known as Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory Technologist, Cardiac Catheterization Technician, Cardiac Technician, Cardiology Technician, Cardiopulmonary Technician, Cardiovascular Technician, Cardiovascular Technologist (CVT), Electrocardiogram Technician (EKG Tech), Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS)
Cardiology Technician
Also known as Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory Technologist, Cardiac Catheterization Technician, Cardiac Technician
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Interests Profile
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Realistic
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Investigative
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Social
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Pay Range
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$30,140 - $96,790 (annual)
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Required Skills
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Active Listening
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Speaking
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Critical Thinking
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Knowledge Areas
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Customer and Personal Service
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Medicine and Dentistry
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Computers and Electronics
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Core tasks
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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.
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Maintain a proper sterile field during surgical procedures.
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Compare measurements of heart wall thickness and chamber sizes to standard norms to identify abnormalities.
What does a Cardiology Technician do?
Cardiology Technicians conduct tests on pulmonary or cardiovascular systems of patients for diagnostic, therapeutic, or research purposes.
In addition, Cardiology Technicians may conduct or assist in electrocardiograms, cardiac catheterizations, pulmonary functions, lung capacity, and similar tests.
What kind of tasks does a Cardiology Technician perform regularly?
Cardiology Technicians are often responsible for overseeing or executing some or all of the following tasks:
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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.
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Explain testing procedures to patients to obtain cooperation and reduce anxiety.
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Monitor patients' blood pressure and heart rate using electrocardiogram (EKG) equipment during diagnostic or therapeutic procedures to notify the physician if something appears wrong.
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Obtain and record patient identification, medical history, or test results.
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Attach electrodes to the patients' chests, arms, and legs, connect electrodes to leads from the electrocardiogram (EKG) machine, and operate the EKG machine to obtain a reading.
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Prepare and position patients for testing.
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Monitor patients' comfort and safety during tests, alerting physicians to abnormalities or changes in patient responses.
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Adjust equipment and controls according to physicians' orders or established protocol.
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Check, test, and maintain cardiology equipment, making minor repairs when necessary, to ensure proper operation.
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Supervise or train other cardiology technologists or students.
The above responsibilities are specific to Cardiology Technicians. More generally, Cardiology Technicians are involved in several broader types of activities:
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Activities
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Importance |
Details |
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Assisting and Caring for Others
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Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
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Documenting/Recording Information
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Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
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Working with Computers
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Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
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Getting Information
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Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
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Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
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Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
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Assisting and Caring for Others
Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
Documenting/Recording Information
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
What is a Cardiology Technician salary?
The median salary for a Cardiology Technician is
$59,100,
and the average salary is
$60,940.
Both the median and average roughly describe the middle of the Cardiology Technician salary range, but the average is more easily affected by extremely high or low salaries.
Many Cardiology Technicians earn significantly more or less than the average, due to several factors.
About 10% of Cardiology Technicians earn less than $30,140 per year,
25% earn less than $39,250,
75% earn
less than $78,170, and
90% earn
less than $96,790.
Between the years of 2020 and 2030, the number of Cardiology Technicians is expected to change by 8.2%, and there should be roughly 4,700 open positions for Cardiology Technicians every year.
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Median annual salary
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$59,100
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Typical salary range
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$30,140 -
$96,790
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Projected growth (2020 - 2030)
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8.2%
What personality traits are common among Cardiology Technicians?
Interests
Career interests describe a person's preferences for different types of working environments and activities. When a person's interest match the demands of an occupation, people are usually more engaged and satisfied in that role.
Compared to most occupations, those who work as a Cardiology Technician are usually higher in their
Realistic,
Investigative, and
Social
interests.
Cardiology Technicians typically have strong
Realistic
interests. Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Also,
Cardiology Technicians typically have strong
Investigative
interests. Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Lastly,
Cardiology Technicians typically have strong
Social
interests. Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Values
People differ in their values, or what is most important to them for building job satisfaction and fulfillment.
Compared to most people, those working as a Cardiology Technician tend to value
Relationships,
Support, and
Independence.
Most importantly,
Cardiology Technicians very strongly value
Relationships.
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.
Second,
Cardiology Technicians very strongly value
Support.
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.
Lastly,
Cardiology Technicians strongly value
Independence.
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions.
Psychological Demands
Each occupation brings its own set of psychological demands, which describe the characteristics necessary to perform the job well.
In order to perform their job successfully, people who work as Cardiology Technicians must consistently demonstrate qualities such as
concern for others,
cooperation, and
attention to detail.
Below, you'll find a list of qualities typically required of Cardiology Technicians, ranked by importance:
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Demands
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Importance |
Details |
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Concern for Others
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Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
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Cooperation
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Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
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Attention to Detail
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Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
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Dependability
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Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
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Stress Tolerance
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Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
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Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
What education and training do Cardiology Technicians need?
Cardiology Technicians often have training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Cardiology Technicians usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with this occupation.
Educational degrees among Cardiology Technicians
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2.0% did not complete
high school or secondary school
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15.6% completed
high school or secondary school
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25.2% completed
some college coursework
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16.5% earned a
Associate's degree
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28.2% earned a
Bachelor's degree
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11.0% earned a
Master's degree
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1.5% earned a
doctorate or professional degree
Knowledge and expertise required by Cardiology Technicians
Cardiology Technicians may benefit from understanding of specialized subject areas, such as
customer and personal service,
medicine and dentistry, or
computers and electronics
knowledge.
The list below shows several areas in which most Cardiology Technicians might want to build proficiency, ranked by importance.
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Knowledge areas
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Importance |
Details |
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Customer and Personal Service
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Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
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Medicine and Dentistry
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Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
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Computers and Electronics
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Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
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Education and Training
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Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
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Mathematics
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Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
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Customer and Personal Service
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Computers and Electronics
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Important Abilities needed by Cardiology Technicians
Cardiology Technicians must develop a particular set of
abilities
to perform their job well. Abilities are individual capacities that influence a person's information processing, sensory perception, motor coordination, and physical strength or endurance. Individuals may naturally have certain abilities without explicit training, but most abilities can be sharpened somewhat through practice.
For example, Cardiology Technicians need abilities such as
problem sensitivity,
oral comprehension, and
oral expression
in order to perform their job at a high level. The list below shows several important abilities for Cardiology Technicians, ranked by their relative importance.
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Abilities
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Importance |
Details |
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Problem Sensitivity
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The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
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Oral Comprehension
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The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
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Oral Expression
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The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
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Near Vision
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The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
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Deductive Reasoning
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The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
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The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Critical Skills needed by Cardiology Technicians
Skills
are developed capacities that enable people to function effectively in real-world settings. Unlike abilities, skills are typically easier to build through practice and experience. Skills influence effectiveness in areas such as learning, working with others, design, troubleshooting, and more.
Cardiology Technicians frequently use skills like
active listening,
speaking, and
critical thinking
to perform their job effectively. The list below shows several critical skills for Cardiology Technicians, ranked by their relative importance.
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Skills
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Importance |
Details |
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Active Listening
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Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
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Speaking
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Talking to others to convey information effectively.
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Critical Thinking
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Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
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Monitoring
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Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
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Operations Monitoring
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Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
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Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
What is the source of this information?
The information provided on this page is adapted from data and descriptions published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration under the CC BY 4.0 license. TraitLab has modified some information for ease of use and reading, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
If you have any questions or suggestions about this information, please send a message.
