Certified Cath Lab Tech Salary Guide
What is a cath lab technician? A cath lab tech helps with procedures that evaluate and diagnose heart function, treat heart attacks, repair heart valves and blood vessels, and more, within the exhilarating and fast-paced environment of the cardiac cath lab. Technical procedures, advanced imaging, and complex patients are the norm here. You will work alongside a dedicated team to perform cutting-edge, lifesaving cardiac procedures.
Look at our Cath Lab Tech Career Guide for more insight and information!
Are you interested in this fast-paced and rewarding medical specialty? If so, you may want to know how much a cath lab tech makes. Here, we talk about everything related to cath lab tech pay. We’ll let you know who the highest-paid cath lab techs are, what states pay the most, and what the cath lab tech job outlook is.
A cath lab technician's annual salary ranges from $33,950 to $102,000 annually (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The median salary is $63,020. Cath lab techs with more experience, advanced certification, trained to work in multiple areas, or work as travel cath lab techs can often earn much more.
In this section, we’ll compare cath lab tech pay to other specialized procedural technician pay. The following technicians share some similarities, as well as differences, with cath lab techs. Each area performs technical procedures with advanced imaging and technology, but the focus of each area is slightly different. Cath lab nurses also work in the cath lab and have a somewhat different scope and focus than cath lab techs.
Electrophysiology techs are a type of cardiovascular tech that assist cardiologists during cardiac procedures and focus on ablations, electrical interventions, and diagnostics. A typical EP tech salary ranges from $44,000- $84,000 per year, with a median of $54,000 (source). Travel EP techs have the opportunity to earn much more.
Interventional radiology techs specialize in diagnosing and treating diseases through imaging technologies. The average interventional radiology tech salary is currently slightly higher than that of a cath lab tech. These techs assist with imaging procedures in areas of the body other than the heart. IR techs make $47,750 to 97,940, with a median pay of $65,140 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Like other specialties, travel IR techs are in high demand and can earn much more than their staff counterparts.
It is important to remember that areas of the country with higher living costs often pay higher salaries. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the top-paying states that offer the highest annual salary for cath lab techs are:
Always remember that your total salary is dependent on many factors. Experience, certifications, and additional training can all impact your pay. Pay also varies between facilities and different areas' costs of living.
Another factor is cath lab tech on-call pay. Most cath lab technicians must be on call at times, and call requirements vary from facility to facility. Having staff on call is essential to ensure cath labs can stay ready to provide emergency care after hours and on weekends and holidays. Call pay is typically 1.5 times your hourly rate, and cath lab technicians who work large amounts of call can earn significantly more pay.
Cath lab techs are in demand year-round, but some areas may see increased cases during different times of the year. Some areas of the country with warmer weather, such as Florida and Arizona, have an increased population of older Americans during winter months. This can lead to an uptick in cath lab cases.
A cath lab tech is a fantastic career with a remarkable job outlook. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that cath lab tech jobs will grow by 10% over the next 10 years! Heart disease affects millions of Americans each year, and cath lab techs are needed to provide necessary cardiovascular care. This field is in high demand; cath lab techs are needed nationwide. As a cath lab tech, you can also take your specialized skills on the road and begin traveling!
The average travel cath lab tech salary is higher than the average staff cath lab tech salary, and travel cath lab techs are some of the highest-paid cath lab techs. Travel cath lab tech pay can range from $1,800 to $3,800 weekly!
Are you ready to start your career as a travel cath lab tech? At Trusted Health, we are here for you at each step of your journey. Click to browse jobs!
