Occupation Profile

Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians

(SOC Code : 29-2031)

in California

Conduct tests on pulmonary or cardiovascular systems of patients for diagnostic purposes. May conduct or assist in electrocardiograms, cardiac catheterizations, pulmonary-functions, lung capacity, and similar tests. Include vascular technologists.

Employers are usually looking for candidates with a Associate degree .

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Occupational Wages

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Area	Year	Period	Hourly Mean	Hourly by Percentile
				25th	Median	75th
California	2012	1st Qtr	$29.09	$20.90	$27.71	$36.29

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Occupational Projections of Employment (also called "Outlook" or "Demand")

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Area	Estimated Year-Projected Year	Employment		Employment Change		Annual Avg Openings
		Estimated	Projected	Number	Percent
California	2010 - 2020	3,600	4,500	900	25.0	150

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Job Openings from JobCentral National Labor Exchange

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Enter a Zip Code Find a Zip code in California

Within miles of Zip Code.

Industries Employing This Occupation (click on Industry Title to View Employers List)

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Industry Title

Number of Employers in State of California

Percent of Total
Employment for Occupation in State of California

General Medical and Surgical Hospitals

1,393

77.9%

Offices of Physicians

62,928

12.8%

About Staffing Patterns

Training Programs (click on title for more information)

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Program Title

Cardiopulmonary Technology/Technologist

Cardiovascular Technology/Technologist

Electrocardiograph Technology/Technician

About Training & Apprenticeships

About This Occupation (from O*NET - The Occupation Information Network)

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Top Tasks (Specific duties and responsibilities of this job.)

Monitor patients` blood pressure and heart rate using electrocardiogram (EKG) equipment during diagnostic or therapeutic procedures to notify the physician if something appears wrong.

Explain testing procedures to patients to obtain cooperation and reduce anxiety.

Observe gauges, recorder, and video screens of data analysis system during imaging of cardiovascular system.

Monitor patients` comfort and safety during tests, alerting physicians to abnormalities or changes in patient responses.

Obtain and record patient identification, medical history, or test results.

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.

Adjust equipment and controls according to physicians` orders or established protocol.

Prepare and position patients for testing.

Check, test, and maintain cardiology equipment, making minor repairs when necessary, to ensure proper operation.

Supervise or train other cardiology technologists or students.

More Tasks for Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians

Top Skills used in this Job

Active Listening - 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.

Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others` reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.

Time Management - Managing one`s own time and the time of others.

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Top Abilities (Attributes of the person that influence performance in this job.)

Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

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Top Work Values (Aspects of this job that create satisfaction.)

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.

Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

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Top Interests (The types of activities someone in this job would like.)

Realistic - 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.

Investigative - 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.

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Alternate Titles

EKG Technicians; Electrocardiograph Technicians