Post job

Anesthesia technician vs cardiovascular technician

The differences between anesthesia technicians and cardiovascular technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become an anesthesia technician, becoming a cardiovascular technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a cardiovascular technician has an average salary of $62,986, which is higher than the $39,640 average annual salary of an anesthesia technician.

The top three skills for an anesthesia technician include patients, patient care and BLS. The most important skills for a cardiovascular technician are patients, BLS, and patient care.

Anesthesia technician vs cardiovascular technician overview

Anesthesia TechnicianCardiovascular Technician
Yearly salary$39,640$62,986
Hourly rate$19.06$30.28
Growth rate6%10%
Number of jobs78,13237,036
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 38%Associate Degree, 39%
Average age4145
Years of experience122

What does an anesthesia technician do?

Anesthesia technicians are healthcare professionals who oversee activities related to anesthetics. They administer anesthesia to patients and assist doctors in related activities. They also monitor the patient after the anesthesia is administered to ensure that no harmful side effects occurred. Anesthesia technicians are expected to know how to test for anesthetic allergies and to spot signs of such allergies. They should be familiar with the different techniques, solutions, and equipment used for anesthetic procedures. Aside from those, anesthesia technicians are also expected to manage the inventory of anesthetic solutions and to trigger purchase requests for new stocks.

What does a cardiovascular technician do?

A cardiovascular technician is responsible for monitoring and administering treatment plans for patients with cardiovascular illnesses. Cardiovascular technicians operate various equipment and machinery to ensure the accuracy of diagnosis and determine the medical procedures to take. They also assist the doctors in performing medical operations, observing the patients' condition, and explaining the test findings to the patients. A cardiovascular technician keeps a record of medical charts for reference, as well as providing progress updates to the doctors and the patients' families.

Anesthesia technician vs cardiovascular technician salary

Anesthesia technicians and cardiovascular technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Anesthesia TechnicianCardiovascular Technician
Average salary$39,640$62,986
Salary rangeBetween $30,000 And $52,000Between $43,000 And $91,000
Highest paying CityRedwood City, CADavis, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyChildren's Hospital Los AngelesHeartland Home Health Inc.
Best paying industryEducationHealth Care

Differences between anesthesia technician and cardiovascular technician education

There are a few differences between an anesthesia technician and a cardiovascular technician in terms of educational background:

Anesthesia TechnicianCardiovascular Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 38%Associate Degree, 39%
Most common majorNursingMedical Technician
Most common collegeUniversity of ConnecticutDuke University

Anesthesia technician vs cardiovascular technician demographics

Here are the differences between anesthesia technicians' and cardiovascular technicians' demographics:

Anesthesia TechnicianCardiovascular Technician
Average age4145
Gender ratioMale, 50.5% Female, 49.5%Male, 35.5% Female, 64.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 13.2% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 4.8% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 3.3% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 13.9% White, 58.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage13%8%

Differences between anesthesia technician and cardiovascular technician duties and responsibilities

Anesthesia technician example responsibilities.

  • Assess vitals, apply splints and other orthopedic devices, perform wind care, phlebotomy and EKG's.
  • Maintain an unobstruct operative field, using surgical retractors, sponges, or suctioning and irrigating equipment.
  • Provide appropriate life-saving care and assist veterinarian in triage emergency cases.
  • Provide anesthesia technician services to patients under the direct supervision of a license anesthesia care provider designate by the client facility.
  • Assist anesthesiologists in preparing patients for local or general anesthesia in the areas of main surgery, outpatient surgery and labor/delivery.
  • Scrub minor ENT, GYN, and Ortho procedures.
  • Show more

Cardiovascular technician example responsibilities.

  • Assist with placement and manage intra-aortic balloon pumps.
  • Certify in CPR and ACLS.
  • Scrub and monitor implant and EP Carto and basic ablation procedures.
  • Collect data with a GPS handheld receiver and map it in the office using GIS.
  • Provide continuous ECG and blood pressure monitoring for secondary medical cardiac beds as a cardiopulmonary monitor technician.
  • Perform hook-up and scanning of holter monitors.
  • Show more

Anesthesia technician vs cardiovascular technician skills

Common anesthesia technician skills
  • Patients, 16%
  • Patient Care, 11%
  • BLS, 7%
  • Anesthesia Tech, 6%
  • Surgery, 5%
  • IV, 3%
Common cardiovascular technician skills
  • Patients, 19%
  • BLS, 12%
  • Patient Care, 10%
  • Acls, 8%
  • Cardiovascular Technologist, 5%
  • Cardiology, 4%

Browse healthcare practitioner and technical jobs