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The differences between cardiac technicians and anesthesia technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a cardiac technician, becoming an anesthesia technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a cardiac technician has an average salary of $39,698, which is higher than the $39,640 average annual salary of an anesthesia technician.
The top three skills for a cardiac technician include patients, BLS and CPR. The most important skills for an anesthesia technician are patients, patient care, and BLS.
| Cardiac Technician | Anesthesia Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $39,698 | $39,640 |
| Hourly rate | $19.09 | $19.06 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 50,689 | 78,132 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
Cardiac or cardiovascular technicians are healthcare professionals who participate in saving the lives of patients with a heart attack by helping physicians diagnose and treat cardiac and peripheral vascular ailments. These technicians are experts in conducting electrocardiogram (ECG) tests that measure the electrical activity of a patient's heart. They prepare patients and position them for the medical procedure while setting up the necessary diagnosing and monitoring equipment. Cardiac technicians must also assist cardiovascular surgeons in interpreting the reports for their patients.
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.
Cardiac technicians and anesthesia technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Cardiac Technician | Anesthesia Technician | |
| Average salary | $39,698 | $39,640 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $50,000 | Between $30,000 And $52,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fargo, ND | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Brigham and Women's Hospital | Children's Hospital Los Angeles |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Education |
There are a few differences between a cardiac technician and an anesthesia technician in terms of educational background:
| Cardiac Technician | Anesthesia Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Medical Technician | Nursing |
| Most common college | Emory University | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between cardiac technicians' and anesthesia technicians' demographics:
| Cardiac Technician | Anesthesia Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 34.4% Female, 65.6% | Male, 50.5% Female, 49.5% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 13% |