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The differences between cardiovascular technicians and pulmonary function technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a cardiovascular technician and a pulmonary function technician. Additionally, a cardiovascular technician has an average salary of $62,986, which is higher than the $50,458 average annual salary of a pulmonary function technician.
The top three skills for a cardiovascular technician include patients, BLS and patient care. The most important skills for a pulmonary function technician are patients, respiratory care, and patient care.
| Cardiovascular Technician | Pulmonary Function Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $62,986 | $50,458 |
| Hourly rate | $30.28 | $24.26 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 37,036 | 50,955 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 39% | Associate Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
Pulmonary Function Technologists generally pay around $77K per year and require skills in respiratory care, spirometry, RRT, and understanding test results. In addition to a high school diploma, most employers will require anyone who chooses this career to have an associate degree in respiratory therapy or NBRC certification. This will be needed in a career that calls for setting up and running respective patients' respiratory tests for identifying lung diseases or disorders and conducting tests and collaborating with medical staff for possible diagnoses of lung disease.
Cardiovascular technicians and pulmonary function technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Cardiovascular Technician | Pulmonary Function Technician | |
| Average salary | $62,986 | $50,458 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $91,000 | Between $33,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | Davis, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | - |
| Best paying company | Heartland Home Health Inc. | - |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | - |
There are a few differences between a cardiovascular technician and a pulmonary function technician in terms of educational background:
| Cardiovascular Technician | Pulmonary Function Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 39% | Associate Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Medical Technician | Medical Technician |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between cardiovascular technicians' and pulmonary function technicians' demographics:
| Cardiovascular Technician | Pulmonary Function Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 35.5% Female, 64.5% | Male, 52.0% Female, 48.0% |
| 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, 10.6% Unknown, 3.3% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 13.9% White, 58.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |