Cardiology technician vs patient care technician

The differences between cardiology technicians and patient care technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a cardiology technician has an average salary of $43,580, which is higher than the $32,806 average annual salary of a patient care technician.

The top three skills for a cardiology technician include patients, patient care and arrhythmia. The most important skills for a patient care technician are patients, vital signs, and phlebotomy.

Cardiology technician vs patient care technician overview

	Cardiology Technician	Patient Care Technician
Yearly salary	$43,580	$32,806
Hourly rate	$20.95	$15.77
Growth rate	10%	9%
Number of jobs	57,811	167,520
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 27%
Average age	45	34
Years of experience	2	-

What does a cardiology technician do?

Cardiology Technicians are responsible for assisting physicians in diagnosing and treating cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases by conducting diagnostic testing, managing equipment, and recording results. Their duties include registering patients, maintaining a patient log, explaining testing and equipment procedures, assisting the patient in the physical examination, and conducting echocardiogram, electrocardiogram, phonocardiogram, and stress tests. They are also involved in operating physiologic monitors, monitoring instrument readings, conducting pulmonary tests, managing laboratory records, submitting reports, adjusting and cleaning equipment, and maintaining inventory levels. Cardiology Technicians also perform preventive maintenance, handle charge slips, and ensure work complies with professional standards and regulations.

What does a patient care technician do?

Patient care technicians are medical workers who work in clinics, hospitals, or other medical facilities under the supervision of doctors or other health professionals. They provide assistance to health professionals and patients. They help patients with mobility concerns get into hospital beds, bathrooms, wheelchairs, and more. They also help patients with their physical therapy sessions and other physical needs. They handle patient concerns and communicate these to attending physicians. They may be assigned to administer basic medical procedures such as checking vital signs and collecting samples from patients, among others.

Cardiology technician vs patient care technician salary

Cardiology technicians and patient care technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Cardiology Technician	Patient Care Technician
Average salary	$43,580	$32,806
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $62,000	Between $24,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	Eureka, CA	Rochester, NH
Highest paying state	California	Vermont
Best paying company	Columbia University in the City of New York	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Best paying industry	Education	Health Care

Differences between cardiology technician and patient care technician education

There are a few differences between a cardiology technician and a patient care technician in terms of educational background:

	Cardiology Technician	Patient Care Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 27%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	Emory University	Emory University

Cardiology technician vs patient care technician demographics

Here are the differences between cardiology technicians' and patient care technicians' demographics:

	Cardiology Technician	Patient Care Technician
Average age	45	34
Gender ratio	Male, 24.7% Female, 75.3%	Male, 19.0% Female, 81.0%
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, 14.3% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 6.4% White, 51.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	8%	15%

Differences between cardiology technician and patient care technician duties and responsibilities

Cardiology technician example responsibilities.

Assist with placement and manage intra-aortic balloon pumps.
Perform stress testing, holter monitoring, and pulmonary function testing.
Prepare schedules for the next day, prepare patient charts for appointments using EMR system.
Attend all training including, CPR and arrythmia course and staff meetings.
Administer stress testing, pulmonary function testing, ECG's, pacemaker and AICD testing and general patient management.
Conduct thousands of ECG's, plus Holter monitoring, signal average ECG's, computer editing of ECG reports.

Patient care technician example responsibilities.

Manage care and prepare medical records, transcription and supply orders.
Manage daily care of high acuity patients with neurological trauma/disorders and post-surgery.
Qualify to perform patient care responsibilities on catheter patients.
Transport patients using wheelchairs and stretchers and assist patients to ambulate safely.
Assist with transferring patients in and out of wheelchairs, recliners, and stretchers.
Apply protective restraints safely and appropriately, assist in the admission, discharge and transfer of patients as needed.

Cardiology technician vs patient care technician skills

Common cardiology technician skills

Patients, 27%
Patient Care, 10%
Arrhythmia, 5%
CPR, 4%
ECG, 4%
Treadmill, 4%

Common patient care technician skills

Patients, 24%
Vital Signs, 9%
Phlebotomy, 7%
CPR, 6%
Direct Patient Care, 5%
Customer Service, 5%

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Cardiology Technician
Cardiology Technician vs Patient Care Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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