Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians
Also called: Cardio Tech (Cardiovascular Technician), Cardiology Technician, Cardiovascular Technologist (CVT), Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS)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.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 5 of its 21 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 3.7% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 0.6% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 5.0 hires for every 10 job openings in health care and social assistance, which employs about 97% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.5.0 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $47,650 | $35,670 to $76,130 | 930 |
| Alaska | $79,040 | $48,210 to $125,820 | 160 |
| Arizona | $74,900 | $49,860 to $102,980 | 1,450 |
| Arkansas | $74,800 | $54,460 to $85,610 | 410 |
| California | $78,170 | $66,090 to $124,200 | 5,570 |
| Colorado | $94,190 | $77,870 to $109,860 | 720 |
| Connecticut | $94,940 | $62,050 to $108,280 | 620 |
| Delaware | $87,640 | $48,550 to $99,990 | 290 |
| District of Columbia | $99,380 | $58,520 to $126,660 | 280 |
| Florida | $77,140 | $41,110 to $95,370 | 5,640 |
| Georgia | $78,070 | $49,310 to $98,610 | 2,580 |
| Hawaii | $111,730 | $57,350 to $130,180 | 140 |
| Idaho | $100,100 | $84,190 to $117,270 | 220 |
| Illinois | $61,870 | $46,010 to $97,700 | 1,710 |
| Indiana | $79,380 | $44,840 to $97,570 | 1,380 |
| Iowa | $78,850 | $47,600 to $91,860 | 380 |
| Kansas | $69,060 | $46,170 to $87,800 | 540 |
| Kentucky | $60,980 | $41,590 to $86,840 | 940 |
| Louisiana | $50,050 | $35,780 to $73,840 | 890 |
| Maine | $82,050 | $51,890 to $96,540 | 220 |
| Maryland | $86,440 | $51,450 to $103,990 | 970 |
| Massachusetts | $105,580 | $63,270 to $127,300 | 1,110 |
| Michigan | $80,650 | $49,590 to $86,950 | 2,070 |
| Minnesota | $71,520 | $48,970 to $90,510 | 950 |
| Mississippi | $38,000 | $31,780 to $65,350 | 590 |
| Missouri | $73,680 | $45,750 to $95,570 | 850 |
| Montana | $82,850 | $49,880 to $101,920 | 190 |
| Nebraska | $60,000 | $47,950 to $81,110 | 330 |
| Nevada | $71,240 | $49,610 to $108,760 | 380 |
| New Hampshire | $83,100 | $62,210 to $104,440 | 150 |
| New Jersey | $82,710 | $56,330 to $101,000 | 2,440 |
| New Mexico | $47,340 | $39,970 to $74,160 | 400 |
| New York | $89,570 | $61,010 to $107,650 | 3,540 |
| North Carolina | $55,460 | $41,180 to $83,510 | 1,990 |
| North Dakota | $65,890 | $42,720 to $83,880 | 120 |
| Ohio | $79,270 | $48,410 to $92,460 | 2,140 |
| Oklahoma | $44,900 | $37,650 to $72,560 | 830 |
| Oregon | $99,240 | $59,770 to $125,040 | 550 |
| Pennsylvania | $58,090 | $45,760 to $85,960 | 3,630 |
| Puerto Rico | $34,160 | $23,030 to $40,910 | 380 |
| Rhode Island | $104,000 | $82,450 to $104,460 | 260 |
| South Carolina | $59,170 | $39,080 to $82,280 | 890 |
| South Dakota | $67,290 | $55,380 to $80,650 | 200 |
| Tennessee | $76,650 | $46,290 to $86,510 | 1,030 |
| Texas | $53,000 | $41,840 to $82,660 | 6,140 |
| Utah | $113,510 | $84,410 to $224,280 | 1,250 |
| Vermont | $69,620 | $60,310 to $130,620 | 50 |
| Virginia | $76,880 | $46,610 to $98,130 | 2,410 |
| Washington | $83,790 | $62,370 to $129,420 | 1,110 |
| West Virginia | $45,910 | $36,910 to $75,590 | 350 |
| Wisconsin | $74,380 | $49,600 to $98,300 | 900 |
| Wyoming | $84,140 | $62,470 to $102,680 | 60 |
Nationally: $74,310. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 5 of its 21 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Prepare and position patients for testing. | Not published |
| AI + software | Obtain and record patient identification, medical history, or test results. | Not published |
| AI alone | Explain testing procedures to patients to obtain cooperation and reduce anxiety. | Not published |
| Not much | 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. | Not published |
| Not much | Adjust equipment and controls according to physicians' orders or established protocol. | Not published |
| Not much | Monitor patients' comfort and safety during tests, alerting physicians to abnormalities or changes in patient responses. | Not published |
See all 21 tasks
| Not much | Monitor patients' blood pressure and heart rate using electrocardiogram (EKG) equipment during diagnostic or therapeutic procedures to notify the physician if something appears wrong. | Not published |
| Not much | 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. | Not published |
| Not much | Check, test, and maintain cardiology equipment, making minor repairs when necessary, to ensure proper operation. | Not published |
| AI alone | Transcribe, type, and distribute reports of diagnostic procedures for interpretation by physician. | Not published |
| AI + software | Compare measurements of heart wall thickness and chamber sizes to standard norms to identify abnormalities. | Not published |
| Not much | Assess cardiac physiology and calculate valve areas from blood flow velocity measurements. | Not published |
| Not much | Observe gauges, recorder, and video screens of data analysis system during imaging of cardiovascular system. | Not published |
| Not much | Supervise or train other cardiology technologists or students. | Not published |
| Not much | Observe ultrasound display screen and listen to signals to record vascular information, such as blood pressure, limb volume changes, oxygen saturation, or cerebral circulation. | Not published |
| AI alone | Perform general administrative tasks, such as scheduling appointments or ordering supplies or equipment. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Operate diagnostic imaging equipment to produce contrast enhanced radiographs of heart and cardiovascular system. | Not published |
| Not much | Maintain a proper sterile field during surgical procedures. | Not published |
| Not much | Set up 24-hour Holter and event monitors, scan and interpret tapes, and report results to physicians. | Not published |
| Not much | 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. | Not published |
| Not much | Inject contrast medium into patients' blood vessels. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 1 of the 21 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 21 tasks fall under 21 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #30 Perform administrative or clerical activities
- #36 Purchase goods or services
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operate medical equipment | |||
| Assist healthcare practitioners during medical procedures | |||
| Perform administrative or clerical activities | |||
| Analyze health or medical data | |||
| Monitor health conditions of humans or animals | |||
| Monitor equipment operation | |||
| Confer with healthcare or other professionals about patient care | |||
| Purchase goods or services |
Show all 21 activities
| Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Explain medical information to patients or family members | |||
| Schedule appointments | |||
| Collect information about patients or clients | |||
| Administer basic health care or medical treatments | |||
| Prepare health or medical documents | |||
| Inspect commercial, industrial, or production systems or equipment | |||
| Supervise personnel activities | |||
| Train others on health or medical topics | |||
| Maintain health or medical records | |||
| Prepare medical equipment or work areas for use | |||
| Maintain medical equipment or instruments | |||
| Administer diagnostic tests to assess patient health |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- An analysis or summary16%
- An explanation or answer14%
- An email or message11%
- A plan or strategy11%
- Advice or a recommendation4%
How they worked with Claude
45% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for cardiovascular technologists and technicians specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 21,952 moves out
- 1 Registered Nurses High +5.6% 6%
- 2 Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 3 Medical and Health Services Managers High +24.2% 4%
- 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
- 5 Nursing Assistants Low +2.6% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 19,940 moves in
- 1 Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
- 2 Nursing Assistants Low +2.6% 5%
- 3 Registered Nurses High +5.6% 3%
- 4 Medical Assistants Moderate +12.9% 3%
- 5 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 10% high school
- 13% postsecondary certificate
- 8% some college
- 63% associate's
- 3% bachelor's
- 4% professional doctorate
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 40 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 4% less than high school
- 13% high school
- 22% some college
- 19% associate's
- 32% bachelor's
- 10% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 478 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
4 programs, such as Cardiovascular Technology/Technologist, Electrocardiograph Technology/Technician and Perfusion Technology/Perfusionist.
See all
- Cardiovascular Technology/Technologist
- Electrocardiograph Technology/Technician
- Perfusion Technology/Perfusionist
- Cardiopulmonary Technology/Technologist
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 1 registered apprenticeship in this occupation (Invasive Cardiovascular Technologist (NOF)). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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