Physician extender vs cardiovascular technician

The differences between physician extenders and cardiovascular technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a physician extender has an average salary of $244,718, which is higher than the $62,986 average annual salary of a cardiovascular technician.

The top three skills for a physician extender include patients, patient care and medical care. The most important skills for a cardiovascular technician are patients, BLS, and patient care.

Physician extender vs cardiovascular technician overview

	Physician Extender	Cardiovascular Technician
Yearly salary	$244,718	$62,986
Hourly rate	$117.65	$30.28
Growth rate	28%	10%
Number of jobs	73,599	37,036
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Associate Degree, 39%
Average age	39	45
Years of experience	-	2

What does a physician extender do?

Physician extenders are not physicians. However, physician extenders perform a vital task in the overall care of patients. They diagnose and treat medical conditions, document and update patient records, consult patients, and perform physical exams. They may serve either as physician assistants or nurse practitioners. In becoming a physician extender, they must be a registered nurse or must have medical experience by working in the medical field even at a lower level. They need to be a regulatory agency certified and licensed instructor in their region or state.

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.

Physician extender vs cardiovascular technician salary

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

	Physician Extender	Cardiovascular Technician
Average salary	$244,718	$62,986
Salary range	Between $125,000 And $476,000	Between $43,000 And $91,000
Highest paying City	Des Moines, IA	Davis, CA
Highest paying state	New Mexico	California
Best paying company	UnitedHealth Group	Heartland Home Health Inc.
Best paying industry	Professional	Health Care

Differences between physician extender and cardiovascular technician education

There are a few differences between a physician extender and a cardiovascular technician in terms of educational background:

	Physician Extender	Cardiovascular Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Associate Degree, 39%
Most common major	Athletic Training	Medical Technician
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	Duke University

Physician extender vs cardiovascular technician demographics

Here are the differences between physician extenders' and cardiovascular technicians' demographics:

	Physician Extender	Cardiovascular Technician
Average age	39	45
Gender ratio	Male, 35.4% Female, 64.6%	Male, 35.5% Female, 64.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 9.5% White, 67.8% 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 Percentage	12%	8%

Differences between physician extender and cardiovascular technician duties and responsibilities

Physician extender example responsibilities.

Work closely with patients to manage their depression and anxiety beginning with initial diagnosis to med-initiation and follow-up care.
Render emergency medical treatment and transport patients.
Initial reading of EKG's.
Assess patients' symptoms while conducting initial injury evaluation.
Work in an outpatient orthopedic clinic with emphasis on physical medicine, rehabilitation of both chronic and acute orthopedic conditions.
Perform wound care.perform laceration repair including suturing.

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.

Physician extender vs cardiovascular technician skills

Common physician extender skills

Patients, 43%
Patient Care, 15%
Medical Care, 5%
Rehabilitation, 4%
Physical Therapy, 3%
Clinical Care, 3%

Common cardiovascular technician skills

Patients, 19%
BLS, 12%
Patient Care, 10%
Acls, 8%
Cardiovascular Technologist, 5%
Cardiology, 4%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Physician Extender
Physician Extender vs Cardiovascular Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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