What is the Average Cardiologist Salary?

Jobs & Education

May 28, 2016

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According to the BLS (the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S), a Cardiologist is registered under the section of Physician or Surgeon, and the 2015 Median cardiologist salary is equal to or greater than $187,200 per year or $90.00 per hour. The entry level education requires a Doctoral or professional degree, and the profession has a 14% job outlook, regarded as much faster than average.

Cardiology is the second best paid medical specialty in the USA, after orthopedics, while pediatric care ranks at the bottom of the chart. There are various areas for a med student who is interested in cardiology to work in after finishing his academic studies. He/she can become a surgeon, veterinary cardiologist or a cardiology consultant.

A cardiologist in the Unites States can earn even more that other Physicians or Surgeons, because of the profession’s specific requirements. Location and tenure can greatly impact the average salary, but in general, the annual pay should exceed 6 figures. According to PayScale, a cardiologist should earn around $243,000 per year. The ratio of men to women for this profession is greatly unbalanced, the number of male cardiologists (86%) exceeding greatly the female professionals (14%) in this field.

Their duties include patient care, performing tests and delivering diagnoses to cardiovascular system related afflictions. Cardiologists also have to oversee treatment and offer follow-up tests if necessary. There are two main branches of this profession: invasive and non-invasive cardiology. Invasive cardiology’s main focus is cardiovascular procedures, being an interventional branch while non-invasive cardiology deals with heart complications or heart failure. An interventional cardiologist salary ranks above the one of his non-invasive counterparts due to the most specialized skills necessary.

There are pay differences between the various cardiologist specializations, making invasive cardiologists earn more than their non-invasive counterparts. An invasive cardiologist’s annual pay may range between $242,588 – $571,165, while a simple physician earns between $153,998 – $388,791, according to PayScale.

A survey from 2015 shows that top paying states for cardiologists are in the Southwest area while they are likely to earn much less in Northwest states. These are the yearly salaries of cardiologists with residency in the United States, starting with the highest paying regions.

Geographical region	Annual compensation
Southwest	$486,000
Northwest	$484,000
North Central	$450,000
South Central	$412,000
Great Lakes	$379,000
Southeast	$372,000
West	$364,000
Mid-Atlantic	$354,000
Northeast	$322,000

Highest pay for Cardiologist is in Seattle with 21% above national average and San Diego, 2% more than the overall average. The location is an important factor as doctors working in Boston earn 49% above national average! For a practitioner living in Houston or NYC, the salary is below the national average by 18% and 17% respectively.

Around the world people, the average cardiologist salary varies from AUS$180,000 annual in Australia, between £22,412 and £120,000 in the UK, a median of C$203,472 in Toronto, Canada and Rs 1,190,509 for a doctor working in India.

Experience level	Annual Salary
Entry-level (0-5yrs)	$204,000
Mid-Career (5-10 yrs)	$243,000
Experienced (10-20 yrs)	$287,000
Late-Career (>20 yrs)	$270,000

The annual pay is also influenced by experience, a rule that applies to all related professions, such as a technician, assistant or nurse.

Currently, there are openings for cardiologists in California and Chicago clinics, where the salary has been steadily growing since 2013. An important aspect to be remembered is a that the pediatric cardiologist salary amounts to less than the average for the other branches.

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