Occupation · SOC 29-1212
Cardiologists
Diagnose, treat, manage, and prevent diseases or conditions of the cardiovascular system. May further subspecialize in interventional procedures (e.g., balloon angioplasty and stent placement), echocardiography, or electrophysiology.
Median wage
$239,200
$119,970–$239,200
Projected growth
—
—
Annual openings
—
per year
Employed (US)
18,020
Job Zone 5
Typical preparation
Extensive preparation
Stackable credential programs
55 mapped
Core skills
Active ListeningCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionSpeakingSocial PerceptivenessMonitoringJudgment and Decision MakingWriting
Knowledge areas
Medicine and DentistryCustomer and Personal ServiceEnglish LanguageBiologyPsychology
Technology & tools
Medical softwareTransaction security and virus protection software
Representative tasks
Administer emergency cardiac care for life-threatening heart problems, such as cardiac arrest and heart attack.Advise patients and community members concerning diet, activity, hygiene, or disease prevention.Answer questions that patients have about their health and well-being.Calculate valve areas from blood flow velocity measurements.Compare measurements of heart wall thickness and chamber sizes to standards to identify abnormalities, using the results of an echocardiogram.Conduct electrocardiogram (EKG), phonocardiogram, echocardiogram, or other cardiovascular tests to record patients' cardiac activity, using specialized electronic test equipment, recording devices, or laboratory instruments.Conduct exercise electrocardiogram tests to monitor cardiovascular activity under stress.Conduct research to develop or test medications, treatments, or procedures that prevent or control disease or injury.Conduct tests of the pulmonary system, using a spirometer or other respiratory testing equipment.Design and explain treatment plans, based on patient information such as medical history, reports, and examination results.Diagnose cardiovascular conditions, using cardiac catheterization.Diagnose medical conditions of patients, using records, reports, test results, or examination information.Explain procedures and discuss test results or prescribed treatments with patients.Inject contrast media into patients' blood vessels.Monitor patients' conditions and progress, and reevaluate treatments, as necessary.Observe ultrasound display screen, and listen to signals to record vascular information, such as blood pressure, limb volume changes, oxygen saturation, and cerebral circulation.Obtain and record patient information, including patient identification, medical history, and examination results.Operate diagnostic imaging equipment to produce contrast-enhanced radiographs of heart and cardiovascular system.Order medical tests, such as echocardiograms, electrocardiograms, and angiograms.Perform minimally invasive surgical procedures, such as implanting pacemakers and defibrillators.Perform vascular procedures, such as balloon angioplasty and stents.Prescribe heart medication to treat or prevent heart problems.Recommend surgeons or surgical procedures.Supervise or train cardiology technologists or students.Talk to other physicians about patients to create a treatment plan.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Patient medical histories — collect and document under attending cardiologist supervision in an inpatient hospital setting.Cardiovascular diagnostic findings — recognize and categorize basic patterns using established clinical protocols in a supervised residency environment.Active listening techniques — apply during initial patient interviews to capture symptom onset and duration under direct faculty oversight.Electrocardiogram tracings — interpret foundational waveform characteristics by following structured reading protocols in a cardiology training unit.Medical history questionnaires — complete and organize accurately in electronic health record systems under preceptor guidance.Clinical judgment — exercise with explicit attending approval when selecting preliminary diagnostic pathways for stable cardiac patients.Patient communication — deliver basic cardiac health information clearly using plain language under supervised outpatient clinic conditions.Critical thinking — apply to distinguish common arrhythmias from normal sinus rhythm using reference criteria in a supervised clinical rotation.Cardiovascular pharmacology principles — reference and apply foundational knowledge when reviewing medication lists under attending cardiologist direction.Medical software platforms — navigate to retrieve and enter patient data accurately within hospital electronic health record systems under structured onboarding.
developing
Comprehensive cardiac assessments — conduct routinely including history, physical examination, and auscultation with reduced oversight in an outpatient cardiology clinic.Diagnostic imaging reports — interpret echocardiographic and angiographic findings independently for standard presentations in a community hospital setting.Patient medical records — maintain and update with precision using certified medical software systems across multispecialty practice environments.Differential diagnoses for cardiac conditions — formulate and prioritize for familiar presentations such as stable angina and heart failure using established clinical reasoning frameworks.Therapeutic decisions — exercise judgment to initiate or modify standard pharmacological regimens for stable cardiovascular patients with periodic peer review.Health and medical history documentation — review and synthesize across multiple encounters to identify longitudinal cardiovascular risk trends in chronic disease populations.Interdisciplinary care coordination — communicate cardiac assessment findings verbally and in writing to referring physicians and allied health teams in hospital settings.Stress testing and Holter monitoring results — analyze and integrate into clinical management plans for patients with known coronary artery disease.Social perceptiveness — apply to detect patient anxiety or health literacy barriers and adapt counseling accordingly during follow-up consultations.Transaction security and data integrity protocols — follow consistently when accessing and transmitting sensitive patient information through electronic health systems.
proficient
Complex cardiovascular diagnoses — formulate autonomously across the full clinical spectrum including rare and atypical presentations in a tertiary referral center.Invasive diagnostic procedures — perform including cardiac catheterization and electrophysiology studies independently, managing intraoperative complications in a catheterization laboratory.Patient health and medical histories — critically evaluate for subtle or masked cardiovascular risk factors that require nuanced clinical interpretation across diverse patient populations.Non-routine arrhythmia management — design and implement individualized treatment strategies including device therapy decisions without requiring peer validation.Written clinical documentation — produce high-quality consultation letters, procedure reports, and discharge summaries that meet professional and regulatory standards across practice settings.Deductive and inductive reasoning — apply simultaneously to reconcile conflicting diagnostic data and reach evidence-based conclusions for unstable or critically ill cardiac patients.Cardiovascular risk stratification — conduct and communicate for pre-operative and preventive medicine contexts using multimodal diagnostic data in integrated health systems.Advanced cardiac imaging modalities — order, oversee, and interpret cardiac MRI, CT angiography, and nuclear perfusion scans within a comprehensive imaging-integrated practice.Patient-centered counseling — deliver autonomously on complex topics including implantable devices, surgical options, and end-of-life planning across culturally diverse populations.Monitoring and outcome tracking — implement systematic patient surveillance programs for high-risk cohorts using digital health tools and remote monitoring platforms.
advanced
Cardiology service line strategy — direct clinical, operational, and research priorities to advance institutional performance and patient outcomes at health system scale.Evidence-based clinical guidelines — lead development or institutional adaptation of cardiovascular protocols that shape practice standards across a hospital network.Fellow and resident education — design and oversee competency-based training curricula that build diagnostic and procedural excellence in cardiology trainees.Organizational judgment and decision making — exercise at executive level when allocating cardiac catheterization laboratory resources, technology investments, and staffing across facilities.Multidisciplinary cardiovascular programs — establish and govern heart team structures integrating cardiology, cardiac surgery, imaging, and rehabilitation services.Clinical research leadership — originate and oversee investigator-initiated cardiovascular trials that generate new diagnostic or therapeutic knowledge at national scope.Quality and safety culture — champion system-wide improvement initiatives targeting cardiac procedure complication rates, readmissions, and diagnostic accuracy benchmarks.Peer mentorship and professional development — cultivate the careers of junior attending cardiologists through structured coaching, feedback, and sponsorship within academic medical centers.Health policy and advocacy — represent institutional and specialty perspectives on cardiovascular care standards before regulatory bodies, payers, and professional societies.Digital health and informatics integration — lead adoption of AI-assisted diagnostic tools and predictive analytics platforms that transform cardiovascular population health management.
Also known as
28 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Heart Failure CardiologistCardiology Non-Invasive PhysicianCardiovascular Technician (Navy L06A)APP (Advanced Practice Provider)Cardiac SpecialistInterventional Cardiology PhysicianInvasive CardiologistElectrophysiology CardiologistCardiologist (Army 60H)Peripheral Vascular Surgeon (Army 61W)Osteopathic PhysicianThoracic Surgeon (Army 61K)Noninvasive CardiologistGeneral CardiologistMedical Doctor (MD)Interventional CardiologistProctologistCardiovascular Technician (Navy 001354)Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeon (Navy 0264)PhysicianPediatric CardiologistPediatric Sub-Specialist (Army 60Q)OtolaryngologistDO Physician (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Physician)Cardiology PhysicianCardiologistOphthalmologistNon-Invasive Cardiologist