How much do cardiologists make?
Answer
Cardiologists in the US earned a median of $496,010 a year ($238.47 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $274,280 to $610,060.
- Median annual pay
- $496,010
- Mean $454,940
- Median hourly pay
- $238.47
- Mean $218.72
- Typical range (10th–90th)
- $107K–$712K
- $107,190 to $712,130
- US jobs
- 17,290
- +4.8% projected, 2025–35
BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology
How to become a cardiologist: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: Nebraska
Cardiologist pay range
Annual wages, May 2025
- 10th percentile$107,190
- 25th percentile$274,280
- Median$496,010
- 75th percentile$610,060
- 90th percentile$712,130
Half of all cardiologists earned more than $496,010 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $107,190; the top 10% made over $712,130. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $274,280 to $610,060.
These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $107,190 | $51.53 | $8,933 |
| 25th | $274,280 | $131.87 | $22,857 |
| Median (50th) | $496,010 | $238.47 | $41,334 |
| 75th | $610,060 | $293.30 | $50,838 |
| 90th | $712,130 | $342.37 | $59,344 |
| Mean (average) | $454,940 | $218.72 | $37,912 |
Cardiologist salary by state
Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024
Highest-paying states
- 1. Washington $656,330
- 2. Missouri $648,070
- 3. Nebraska $646,300
- 4. Wisconsin $636,580
- 5. Tennessee $610,080
Lowest-paying states
- 23. California $185,610
- 22. Iowa $283,070
- 21. New Jersey $286,540
- 20. Maryland $337,230
- 19. Rhode Island $395,610
Best after cost of living: Nebraska. Its median of $646,300 is worth about $717,290 at national-average prices, more than in Washington once prices are counted.
| Alabama | $519,480 | 10 | $584,849 | 10 | $249.75 | 130 | 0.06 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Arizona | $239,200+ | — | — | — | $115.00+ | 440 | 0.14 |
| Arkansas | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| California | $185,610 | 23 | $167,639 | 23 | $89.24 | 630 | 0.04 |
| Colorado | $239,200+ | — | — | — | $115.00+ | 200 | 0.07 |
| Connecticut | $488,940 | 14 | $471,904 | 13 | $235.07 | 320 | 0.19 |
| Delaware | $239,200+ | — | — | — | $115.00+ | 90 | 0.19 |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Florida | $414,910 | 17 | $401,213 | 18 | $199.48 | 920 | 0.09 |
| Georgia | $610,070 | 6 | $633,556 | 5 | $293.30 | 1,150 | 0.23 |
| Hawaii | $239,200+ | — | — | — | $115.00+ | 50 | 0.08 |
| Idaho | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Illinois | $517,850 | 11 | $518,068 | 12 | $248.97 | 340 | 0.06 |
| Indiana | $588,890 | 7 | $630,983 | 6 | $283.12 | 140 | 0.04 |
| Iowa | $283,070 | 22 | $322,543 | 20 | $136.09 | 100 | 0.06 |
| Kansas | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Kentucky | $558,180 | 9 | $619,106 | 7 | $268.36 | — | — |
| Louisiana | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Maine | $239,200+ | — | — | — | $115.00+ | 150 | 0.23 |
| Maryland | $337,230 | 20 | $321,297 | 21 | $162.13 | — | — |
| Massachusetts | — | — | — | — | — | 510 | 0.14 |
| Michigan | $419,030 | 16 | $435,505 | 16 | $201.46 | 340 | 0.08 |
| Minnesota | $239,200+ | — | — | — | $115.00+ | 420 | 0.14 |
| Mississippi | — | — | — | — | — | 50 | 0.04 |
| Missouri | $648,070 | 2 | $713,600 | 2 | $311.57 | 150 | 0.05 |
| Montana | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | $646,300 | 3 | $717,290 | 1 | $310.72 | 170 | 0.17 |
| Nevada | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | $239,200+ | — | — | — | $115.00+ | 190 | 0.28 |
| New Jersey | $286,540 | 21 | $263,352 | 22 | $137.76 | — | — |
| New Mexico | $239,200+ | — | — | — | $115.00+ | 90 | 0.11 |
| New York | $492,040 | 13 | $455,926 | 15 | $236.56 | 2,260 | 0.23 |
| North Carolina | — | — | — | — | — | 300 | 0.06 |
| North Dakota | $239,200+ | — | — | — | $115.00+ | 40 | 0.10 |
| Ohio | $504,260 | 12 | $543,536 | 11 | $242.43 | 760 | 0.14 |
| Oklahoma | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oregon | $239,200+ | — | — | — | $115.00+ | 150 | 0.08 |
| Pennsylvania | $579,120 | 8 | $593,531 | 9 | $278.42 | 640 | 0.10 |
| Rhode Island | $395,610 | 19 | $386,791 | 19 | $190.20 | 60 | 0.13 |
| South Carolina | $239,200+ | — | — | — | $115.00+ | 210 | 0.09 |
| South Dakota | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tennessee | $610,080 | 5 | $664,069 | 4 | $293.31 | 560 | 0.17 |
| Texas | $410,150 | 18 | $422,587 | 17 | $197.19 | 2,050 | 0.14 |
| Utah | $239,200+ | — | — | — | $115.00+ | 280 | 0.16 |
| Vermont | — | — | — | — | — | 70 | 0.24 |
| Virginia | $461,450 | 15 | $456,411 | 14 | $221.85 | 810 | 0.20 |
| Washington | $656,330 | 1 | $613,318 | 8 | $315.54 | 200 | 0.06 |
| West Virginia | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wisconsin | $636,580 | 4 | $676,529 | 3 | $306.05 | 200 | 0.07 |
| Wyoming | $239,200+ | — | — | — | $115.00+ | 30 | 0.12 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure (15 states). State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.
Best-paying metro areas for cardiologists
58 metro areas with published pay
| Metro area | Median | Adjusted | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corpus Christi, TX | $239,200+ | — | — |
| Albuquerque, NM | $239,200+ | — | 70 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $239,200+ | — | 910 |
| Bangor, ME | $239,200+ | — | 30 |
| Boulder, CO | $239,200+ | — | 30 |
| Cleveland, OH | $239,200+ | — | — |
| Columbus, OH | $239,200+ | — | 70 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $239,200+ | — | 80 |
| Fargo, ND-MN | $239,200+ | — | 30 |
| Ithaca, NY | $239,200+ | — | 60 |
| Metro area | Jobs | Median | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 2,050 | $492,150 | $437,222 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 940 | $403,340 | $391,250 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 910 | $239,200+ | — |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 460 | $187,550 | $190,157 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 440 | — | — |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 310 | $239,200+ | — |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 290 | — | — |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | 230 | $239,200+ | — |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 230 | $430,900 | $439,959 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 210 | $551,320 | $578,085 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).
What moves cardiologist pay: employers and settings
Cardiologists are among the highest-paid physicians in the BLS data, with a median of $496,010, a 25th percentile of $274,280, and a 75th percentile of $610,060, but the spread is wide: the 10th percentile is $107,190, and the 90th is $712,130, near the top of all occupations. Those percentiles describe how pay is spread across all cardiologists in one year; they are not a timeline of raises.
Setting is the clearest signal. About six in ten cardiologists work in physicians' offices, where the median is $516,940; hospital-employed cardiologists have a median of $446,020; private employers overall report $504,260; and local government (including public hospitals) reports $429,660. Outpatient care centers report at least $239,200; BLS does not publish an exact median there.
Geography changes the picture sharply. The states with the highest medians are Washington at $656,330, Missouri at $648,070, Nebraska at $646,300, Wisconsin at $636,580, and Tennessee at $610,080. Nebraska comes out on top after living costs at $717,290. The lowest medians are in New Jersey at $286,540, Iowa at $283,070, and California at $185,610.
Subspecialty changes the work: interventional and electrophysiology roles bring more procedures and call. BLS does not publish pay by subspecialty, so these figures cover all cardiologists together.
| Industry | Share of jobs | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Offices of Physicians | 61.5% | $516,940 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 27.5% | $446,020 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | 5.1% | — |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 2.8% | $239,200+ |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 1.6% | $239,200+ |
| Employer type | Jobs | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Private employers | 16,280 | $504,260 |
| Local government (incl. schools and hospitals) | 310 | $429,660 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).
What cardiologists do
A cardiologist is a physician who diagnoses and treats diseases of the heart and blood vessels: coronary artery disease, heart attacks, heart failure, abnormal rhythms such as atrial fibrillation, valve disease and high blood pressure that has become hard to control. Most patients are referred by a primary care doctor or arrive through the emergency department.
A general cardiologist splits time between an outpatient clinic and the hospital. In clinic they review symptoms, order and read tests such as EKGs, echocardiograms, stress tests and heart monitors, and adjust medicines. In the hospital they see patients admitted with chest pain or heart failure and consult for other teams. Many go further. Interventional cardiologists open blocked arteries with balloons and stents in the catheterization lab, and electrophysiologists map and ablate rhythm problems and implant pacemakers and defibrillators.
They work with cardiac sonographers, cath lab technologists, nurses, nurse practitioners and cardiac surgeons. On-call nights for heart attacks are part of most jobs, especially in procedural roles.
A typical day
- See clinic patients with chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations or known heart disease
- Read EKGs, echocardiograms, stress tests and heart monitor recordings
- Adjust medicines for heart failure, rhythm problems, cholesterol and blood pressure
- Round on hospitalized heart patients and answer consults from other doctors
- Perform catheterizations, stent placements or device implants, depending on subspecialty
- Take call for heart attacks and come in at night to open blocked arteries
- Talk patients and families through risks and choices before procedures
How to become a cardiologist
Full guideTo become a cardiologist you need a bachelor's degree, four years of medical school (MD or DO), a three-year internal medicine residency and a three-year cardiovascular disease fellowship, plus passing the USMLE or COMLEX licensing exams. That is about 14 years after high school, and 15 to 16 for interventional cardiology or electrophysiology.
- Typical time
- 14-16 years
- Fastest: About 14 years after high school
- Minimum education
- Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO), followed by an accredited internal medicine residency and cardiovascular disease fellowship
- License
- Medical license required in all 50 states and DC; board certification in cardiovascular disease is voluntary but expected by most hospitals and employers
- Typical training cost
- $299K–$410K
- See the guide for what it includes
Read the step-by-step guide to becoming a cardiologist: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.
Is it worth it? Training cost against pay
Compare careers- Training time
- 14-16 years
- Typical path in our guide
- Training cost
- $299K–$410K
- Tuition and exam fees, before aid
- Median pay
- $496,010
- $445,030 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
- Cost vs. one year's pay
- 60–83%
- Training cost as a share of a year at the median
Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($445,030 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in less than a year after training ends (14-16 years in our guide). This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.
Job outlook for cardiologists
BLS Employment Projections 2025–35
- Projected growth
- +4.8%
- All occupations +3.5%
- Jobs in 2025
- 18,500
- 19,400 projected for 2035
- Openings each year
- 500
- New jobs plus replacements
- Self-employed
- 3.8%
- Not in the pay figures above
BLS projects cardiologist jobs to grow 4.8% from 2025 to 2035, from 18,500 to 19,400, a little faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations. That works out to about 500 openings a year, many of them to replace cardiologists who retire.
Heart disease remains common, and an aging population means more patients with heart failure, atrial fibrillation and valve disease who need long-term specialist care. About 3.8% are self-employed, so most work for physician groups or health systems.
Related careers and their pay
- Anesthesiologist$391,490
- Radiologist$420,860
- Neurologist$248,560
- Orthopedic Surgeon$358,550
- Cardiovascular Technologist$74,310
- OB-GYN$292,910
- Pediatrician$210,040
- Dermatologist$328,730
Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Cardiologist salary FAQ
How much do cardiologists make an hour?
The median hourly wage for cardiologists was $238.47 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $51.53 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $342.37. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.
Which state pays cardiologists the most?
Washington has the highest median pay for cardiologists, $656,330 a year, followed by Missouri ($648,070) and Nebraska ($646,300). After adjusting for each state's price level, Nebraska comes out ahead at about $717,290 in national-average dollars.
Do cardiologists make $200,000 a year?
Most do: based on the BLS percentiles, between 75% and 90% of cardiologists earn more than $200,000 a year. The median is $496,010, and the top 10% earn more than $712,130. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.
What is the difference between a cardiologist and a cardiac surgeon?
A cardiologist is an internal medicine physician who diagnoses heart disease and treats it with medicines and catheter-based procedures through blood vessels, such as stents and ablations. A cardiac or cardiothoracic surgeon trains in surgery instead and performs open operations, such as bypass surgery and valve replacement. The two work closely: cardiologists often decide which patients need surgery and refer them.
Do cardiologists perform surgery?
Not open-heart surgery. Many cardiologists do invasive procedures, though. Interventional cardiologists thread catheters through an artery in the wrist or groin to place stents and, in some centers, replace heart valves. Electrophysiologists implant pacemakers and defibrillators and ablate abnormal rhythm tissue. Noninvasive cardiologists focus on clinic care and imaging such as echocardiography and nuclear stress testing.
Do cardiologists work long hours?
Usually, yes. Clinic and hospital work fill the regular week, and most cardiologists also share call, which can mean coming in overnight to treat a heart attack in the cath lab or answering calls about hospitalized patients. Procedural cardiologists tend to have the heaviest call. Some noninvasive and outpatient-focused roles offer more predictable hours, often with lower procedure volume.
Sources
Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 29-1212
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
- O*NET 31.0 Database (29-1212.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
- Physicians and Surgeons: Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
- Cardiovascular Disease Certification Policies; Internal Medicine Policies, American Board of Internal Medicine · checked October 28, 2026
- Interventional Cardiology and Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Certification Policies, American Board of Internal Medicine · checked October 28, 2026
- You Can Afford Medical School, Association of American Medical Colleges · checked October 28, 2026
- MCAT Scheduling Fees, Association of American Medical Colleges · checked October 28, 2026
- United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), National Board of Medical Examiners · checked October 28, 2026
- COMLEX-USA, National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners · checked October 28, 2026
- License Finder, CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor) · checked October 28, 2026
- Policies and Procedures for Certification (December 2025), American Board of Internal Medicine · checked October 28, 2026
Careers and Salaries is not affiliated with the Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Found an error? Tell us; corrections are listed on the editorial policy page.