How Much Do EKG Technicians Make?
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EKG technicians are interchangeably known as EKG technologists or cardiovascular technicians. People who work as EKG technicians are a vital part of a cardiovascular healthcare team. EKG technicians focus on administering different tests to assess a patient’s cardiovascular system. Such assessment may be completed for diagnostic, therapeutic, and research purposes.
The need for EKG technicians is forecast to be robust through the end of this decade. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS 2024) predicts a 4 percent increase in job openings nationally between 2023 and 2033 for cardiovascular technologists and technicians, which is as fast as the national average for all occupations (4 percent). The strong job market for EKG techs is driven in part by the aging demographic of the American population. Notably, this occupation does not require a bachelor’s-level college degree. The most recent data from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics show that the median salary for EKG technicians is $66,170 (BLS May 2023).
Those interested in becoming EKG technicians may choose from various training options. One-year certification programs and associate and bachelor’s degree programs in cardiovascular and vascular technology can provide the training necessary to become an EKG technician. Many training programs also feature a clinical portion in which students earn academic credit while working in a healthcare setting such as a hospital, imaging lab, or doctor’s office. Prospective employers tend to especially value graduates of programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).
In addition to formal academic education and training, successful EKG technicians will apply several soft skills in their daily duties. Soft skills of particular value include physical stamina, technical skills, attention to detail, effective hand-eye coordination, and a capacity to work independently and with cardiovascular care team members.
This guide features salary data for EKG technicians, including regional and workplace statistics from the BLS and other sources in the sections below to provide the most specific salary information.
EKG Technician Salary Overall
EKG technicians earning the mean national salary for this occupation earn more than the national average for all occupations, which the BLS (May 2023) lists at $65,470 per year or $31.48 per hour. The EKG techs nationally earned an average of $70,270.
Levels of education and years of experience are influential factors to consider over a career’s lifetime. The BLS (May 2023) breaks down EKG technician salary percentiles as follows:
| United States Annual Wage | United States Hourly Wage | |
|---|---|---|
| Number employed in the U.S. | 55,660 | 55,660 |
| Average Annual Salary | $70,270 | $33.79 |
| 10th Percentile | $36,620 | $17.61 |
| 25th Percentile | $44,160 | $21.23 |
| 50th Percentile (Median) | $66,170 | $31.81 |
| 75th Percentile | $85,930 | $41.31 |
| 90th Percentile | $105,140 | $50.55 |
Compensation for EKG technicians typically depends on several factors, including an individual’s certification status, level of education, level of experience, geographic location, and the number of modalities a person is qualified to perform.
Though it is possible to work as a non-certified EKG technician many employers prefer or even require that EKG technicians be certified. Certified EKG technicians, also known as CETs, customarily need to regularly renew their credentials by completing continuing education credits (CEs) and paying a recertification fee.
As is true for many professions within the field of healthcare, salary data for EKG technicians varies and depends on several factors, including the local cost of living, education and experience, full-time and part-time work, and professional certification.
EKG Technician Salary by State
Cost of living by region is one of the most important factors to consider when looking for jobs and negotiating salary. Dollars earned in a state with a higher cost of living (such as the western and eastern coastal states) will effectively have less purchasing power than dollars earned in a state with a lower cost of living (such as the states located in the southern, central, and mid-western regions).
Prospective employees seeking to determine how much power their dollars will have can use the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC 2025) to calculate the cost of living and affordability of a particular state. MERIC compares expenses such as groceries, housing, utilities, transportation, and healthcare to determine the rankings of the most- and least-affordable places to live in the United States.
A review of compensation among the top five-paying states for EKG technicians compared against MERIC data for these same five states indicates that no state featuring a high rate of compensation has a low cost of living. In fact, all these states have high costs of living. Comparing such data as part of a review of a job offer can prove worthwhile in determining the relative value of the offer in terms of how much purchasing power a person would have if they accepted the offer.
Here are the five top-paying states for EKG technicians (BLS May 2023):
| State | Average Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $103,570 | $49.79 |
| District of Columbia | $97,330 | $46.79 |
| Rhode Island | $91,800 | $44.13 |
| California | $89,780 | $43.16 |
| Alaska | $87,490 | $42.06 |
Job availability is another critical factor to consider when looking for employment.
Here are the top five states with the highest employment levels for EKG technicians and their average annual and hourly earnings (BLS May 2023):
| State | Employment | Average Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 5,480 | $59,640 | $28.67 |
| Texas | 4,720 | $56,240 | $27.04 |
| California | 4,590 | $89,780 | $43.16 |
| New York | 3,310 | $81,350 | $39.11 |
| Georgia | 2,930 | $69,940 | $33.62 |
EKG Technician Salary by Region
Metropolitan areas are well-known for offering high convenience and services to their residents. In general, bigger cities and their surrounding regions pay higher salaries to match higher living costs in places with higher population density.
Here are the 10 top-paying metropolitan areas for EKG technicians (BLS May 2023):
| Metropolitan Area | Average Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $113,680 | $54.65 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $109,150 | $52.48 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH | $108,200 | $52.02 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $106,980 | $51.43 |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | $98,580 | $47.39 |
| Medford, OR | $96,390 | $46.34 |
| Chico, CA | $95,980 | $46.15 |
| Salem, OR | $95,350 | $45.84 |
| Modesto, CA | $95,180 | $45.76 |
| Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | $95,070 | $45.71 |
Here are 10 of the metropolitan areas with the highest levels of employment for EKG technicians and their average annual and hourly earnings (BLS May 2023):
| Metropolitan Area | Employment | Average Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 3,290 | $83,300 | $40.05 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 1,570 | $74,100 | $35.63 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 1,570 | $87,870 | $42.25 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 1,360 | $69,420 | $33.38 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 1,290 | $59,720 | $28.71 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 1,170 | $60,360 | $29.02 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 1,140 | $57,530 | $27.66 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 1,140 | $87,020 | $41.84 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 1,120 | $69,850 | $33.58 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | 1,000 | $66,340 | $31.89 |
EKG Technician Salary by Work Environment
When seeking employment as an EKG technician, one final factor is which industries and work environments hire and pay the most.
Here are five industries with the highest levels of employment for EKG technicians, as well as their average annual salaries and hourly rates (BLS May 2023):
| Industry | Employment | Average Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 42,740 | $67,440 | $32.42 |
| Offices of Physicians | 6,740 | $77,260 | $37.15 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 1,480 | $104,210 | $50.10 |
| Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals | 1,010 | $53,710 | $25.82 |
| Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories | 890 | $71,440 | $34.35 |
These figures show that while general medical and surgical hospitals are far and above the top employers in terms of numbers, the industries offering the highest pay to EKG technicians are outpatient care centers and physicians’ offices.
As for the highest salaries, here are the five top-paying industries for EKG technicians (BLS May 2023):
| Industry | Average Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
| Outpatient Care Centers | $104,210 | $50.10 |
| Employment Services | $80,810 | $38.85 |
| Offices of Physicians | $77,260 | $37.15 |
| Home Health Care Services | $76,410 | $36.74 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $74,880 | $36.00 |
