A cardiovascular technician serves as the primary technical assistant for cardiovascular surgeons and physicians, assisting them both in diagnosing the patient, as well as during the various types of invasive operations that can be performed on the human heart. Cardiovascular technicians operate the various pieces of equipment required during the operational process, and they’re also tasked with performing the technical aspects of the various diagnostic procedures associated with determining a patient’s heart health.
Becoming cardiovascular technician involves lesser demands on the candidate’s education, as the standard duration for cardiovascular technicians’ training programs is about 2-4 years. Various skills related to invasive operational procedures must be attained by the candidate during their training, such as stress tests and operating monitoring equipment. People with a pre-existing medical background generally only need to take a one-year course that covers the specific aspects of a cardiovascular technician’s job, though some restrictions may apply from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. In some cases, even licensed physicians will need to complete the entire training course related to becoming a cardiovascular technician.
Cardiovascular technicians tend to be on the lower-paying end of the medical sector, as their annual salary rarely goes over $100,000. The median salary for 2009 was $76,000, and the standard compensation for more experienced technicians is between $60,000 and $80,000. In cases where the cardiovascular technician frequently operates more complicated pieces of machinery and is involved in a relatively large number of operations, their salary can be noticeably higher than those of their peers.