29 Series · SOC 29-1212
Cardiologists Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $496,010
- Median / year
- $712,130
- Top 10% earn
- +4.1%
- Growth '23–'33
- 17,290
- US workers
Cardiologists earn a median of $496,010 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $496,010, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $107,190 (10th percentile) to $712,130 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 17,290 US workers. Washington pays the most ($656,330), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Cardiologists earn a median of $496,010, putting them among the better-paid US occupations and higher than 99% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Healthcare Practitioners and Technical, it ranks #2 of 71 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 4.1% by 2033.
- $496,010
- Median annual wage
- Top 1%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #2 of 71
- in Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- 6.6×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: Washington at $656,330. Typical entry-level education: Doctoral or professional degree.
Cardiologists (SOC 29-1212) pays a national median of $496,010 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $107,190 at the 10th percentile to $712,130 at the 90th, with a mean of $454,940 indicating a compressed distribution clustered near the median. An estimated 17,290 Americans work in this occupation across 23 reporting states and 34 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +4.1% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as about average relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 600 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is Doctoral or professional degree and internship/residency of on-the-job training. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of A for this role, with a fatality rate of 0.7 per 100,000 and injury rate of 1.5 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Washington pays the highest state median at $656,330, which is +32% above the national figure. The top metro is Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA at $662,760 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
Median Salary
$496,010
per year
Median Hourly
$238.47/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$454,940
average
Employment
17,290
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Cardiologists pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$496,010 Top 1% higher than 99% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 29-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Cardiologists; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 25 29-series occupations with growth data, Cardiologists sits on the slower-growing side at +4.1% growth and $496,010 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
+4.1%
About average
Annual Openings
600
per year (projected)
Typical Education
Doctoral or professional degree
On-the-Job Training
Internship/residency
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Very Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
0.7/100K
Injury Rate
1.5/100
Danger Index
6.4/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Cardiologists roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Key Tasks
- ▸ Administer emergency cardiac care for life-threatening heart problems, such as cardiac arrest and heart attack.
- ▸ Advise patients and community members concerning diet, activity, hygiene, or disease prevention.
- ▸ Answer questions that patients have about their health and well-being.
- ▸ Calculate valve areas from blood flow velocity measurements.
- ▸ Compare measurements of heart wall thickness and chamber sizes to standards to identify abnormalities, using the results of an echocardiogram.
- ▸ Conduct electrocardiogram (EKG), phonocardiogram, echocardiogram, or other cardiovascular tests to record patients' cardiac activity, using specialized electronic test equipment, recording devices, or laboratory instruments.
- ▸ Conduct exercise electrocardiogram tests to monitor cardiovascular activity under stress.
- ▸ Conduct research to develop or test medications, treatments, or procedures that prevent or control disease or injury.
- ▸ Conduct tests of the pulmonary system, using a spirometer or other respiratory testing equipment.
- ▸ Design and explain treatment plans, based on patient information such as medical history, reports, and examination results.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$107,190
25th Percentile
$274,280
Median
$496,010
75th Percentile
$610,060
90th Percentile
$712,130
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 23 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $656,330 | +32% above national |
| 2 | Missouri | $648,070 | +31% above national |
| 3 | Nebraska | $646,300 | +30% above national |
| 4 | Wisconsin | $636,580 | +28% above national |
| 5 | Tennessee | $610,080 | +23% above national |
| 6 | Georgia | $610,070 | +23% above national |
| 7 | Indiana | $588,890 | +19% above national |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $579,120 | +17% above national |
| 9 | Kentucky | $558,180 | +13% above national |
| 10 | Alabama | $519,480 | +5% above national |
| 11 | Illinois | $517,850 | +4% above national |
| 12 | Ohio | $504,260 | +2% above national |
| 13 | New York | $492,040 | 1% below national |
| 14 | Connecticut | $488,940 | 1% below national |
| 15 | Virginia | $461,450 | 7% below national |
| 16 | Michigan | $419,030 | 16% below national |
| 17 | Florida | $414,910 | 16% below national |
| 18 | Texas | $410,150 | 17% below national |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $395,610 | 20% below national |
| 20 | Maryland | $337,230 | 32% below national |
| 21 | New Jersey | $286,540 | 42% below national |
| 22 | Iowa | $283,070 | 43% below national |
| 23 | California | $185,610 | 63% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 34 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $662,760 | +34% above national |
| 2 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $610,080 | +23% above national |
| 3 | Omaha, NE-IA | $598,480 | +21% above national |
| 4 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $567,680 | +14% above national |
| 5 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | $558,180 | +13% above national |
| 6 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $551,320 | +11% above national |
| 7 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $528,750 | +7% above national |
| 8 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $527,720 | +6% above national |
| 9 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $515,710 | +4% above national |
| 10 | Jacksonville, FL | $514,740 | +4% above national |
| 11 | Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | $514,290 | +4% above national |
| 12 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $511,400 | +3% above national |
| 13 | Lancaster, PA | $503,970 | +2% above national |
| 14 | New Haven, CT | $502,320 | +1% above national |
| 15 | Winchester, VA-WV | $500,020 | +1% above national |
| 16 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $493,670 | same as national |
| 17 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $492,150 | 1% below national |
| 18 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $475,590 | 4% below national |
| 19 | Syracuse, NY | $460,900 | 7% below national |
| 20 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $451,790 | 9% below national |
| 21 | Richmond, VA | $450,480 | 9% below national |
| 22 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $436,510 | 12% below national |
| 23 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $430,900 | 13% below national |
| 24 | Rochester, NY | $415,000 | 16% below national |
| 25 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $403,340 | 19% below national |
| 26 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $395,610 | 20% below national |
| 27 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $382,000 | 23% below national |
| 28 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $341,080 | 31% below national |
| 29 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $337,230 | 32% below national |
| 30 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $253,610 | 49% below national |
| 31 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $187,550 | 62% below national |
| 32 | Oklahoma City, OK | $161,160 | 68% below national |
| 33 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $130,880 | 74% below national |
| 34 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $119,690 | 76% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 29 (healthcare practitioners) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Cardiologists make? ▼
What state pays Cardiologists the most? ▼
What education do you need to become a Cardiologists? ▼
How dangerous is being a Cardiologists? ▼
Is Cardiologists a good career? ▼
How does Cardiologists pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Cardiologists? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Cardiologists pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $610,060/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: Washington leads at $656,330/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.