Cardiovascular, Respiratory & Neurodiagnostic Technologists salary guide

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Published BLS wages for this family. BLS OEWS May 2025.

Cardiac Cath Lab Technologist (Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist, RCIS) SOC 29-2031, Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians. broader match.
Electrophysiology Lab Technologist (EP Tech) SOC 29-2031, Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians. broader match.
EKG Technician (ECG, Holter and Stress Test Tech) SOC 29-2031, Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians. broader match.
Monitor Technician (Telemetry Tech) SOC 29-2031, Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians. broader match.
Respiratory Therapist (RRT, CRT, RT) SOC 29-1126, Respiratory Therapists. direct match.
Neonatal / Pediatric Respiratory Therapist (RRT-NPS) SOC 29-1126, Respiratory Therapists. broader match.
ECMO Specialist SOC 29-2099, Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other. broader match.
Pulmonary Function Technologist (PFT Tech) SOC 29-2099, Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other. broader match.
Polysomnographic Technologist (Sleep Tech, RPSGT) SOC 29-2099, Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other. broader match.
EEG Technologist (Neurodiagnostic Tech) SOC 29-2099, Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other. broader match.
Intraoperative Neuromonitoring Technologist (IONM Tech, CNIM) SOC 29-2099, Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other. broader match.
Cardiac & Pulmonary Rehab Exercise Physiologist SOC 29-1128, Exercise Physiologists. direct match.
Lead Respiratory Therapist SOC 29-1126, Respiratory Therapists. broader match.
Lead Cath Lab Technologist SOC 29-2031, Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians. broader match.

What work sits in this technologist family during a shift?

These roles cover prep, testing, monitoring, procedure support, and handoff notes. A cath lab or EP technologist may prep the room, check tracings, assist during procedures, and record the case. Respiratory, sleep, EEG, and PFT staff run ordered studies, watch the patient, and share findings with the supervising clinician.

The owner or manager decides scope, call coverage, and cross-training limits. We ask who reads the study, who responds to an urgent finding, and who stays with the patient when the case changes.

Which settings use these roles most often?

Hospitals, outpatient labs, physician offices, and sleep centers all hire from this family. The workday changes by setting. In a hospital, the technologist may move from floor support to procedure rooms. In outpatient work, the day centers on booked tests, charting, and same-day patient flow.

We also check whether the site shares staff across services. A smaller practice may ask one person to cover EKGs, Holter setup, and stress testing. A larger department may split those duties and assign separate owners for equipment, scheduling, and result routing.

How does credential mix change who we interview?

Some posts need a named credential, while others accept related training. An RRT, RCIS, RPSGT, CNIM, or EEG technologist may work under different review patterns and different physician oversight. That changes who can perform each task and what the manager can assign on day one.

We ask which credentials are required for independent work and which are preferred. We also ask about pediatric experience, invasive lab support, telemetry watching, or sleep study setup, because those details change the interview list.

What does scheduling look like for coverage and call?

These jobs often include early starts, late cases, weekends, or overnight coverage. Cath lab and EP teams may stay for add-on procedures. Respiratory and telemetry staff may cover rounds, admissions, and urgent unit calls. Sleep and neurodiagnostic roles often follow booked studies with some evening or weekend work.

The hiring decision should match the real schedule, not the title alone. We ask who handles nights, who handles call-back, and whether the same person covers procedures and follow-up charting.

What should we ask before we send a finalist?

We ask about room setup, device brands, charting systems, and how much direct patient contact the role carries. We also ask who signs off on work, who reviews abnormal findings, and which tasks must stay with licensed staff. Those answers help us match the right background to the opening.

For example, an ECG or Holter role may need steady outpatient volume, while an ECMO or IONM role may need a very different pace and reporting chain. The more exact the workday, the more precise the interview.

How do owners use this guide when hiring?

Use the title as a starting point, then check the actual duties in your department. A lead respiratory therapist may guide daily assignment flow, but the physician-owner or manager still decides staffing, protocol changes, and which service lines the role supports. That split matters in every interview.

This guide helps you compare roles that share a broad family but do not work the same day. If the post touches cardiology, pulmonary, or neurodiagnostics, we ask about each work stream before we move forward.

What else should you ask about this edition?

How do we know whether one technologist can cover more than one service line?

Start with the tasks done alone, not the title. If one person must run EKGs, stress tests, and telemetry, we ask whether the site already expects that mix or needs cross-training. The answer changes who is a real fit for the opening.

What if the role includes both procedures and patient monitoring?

That is common in cath lab, EP, and some respiratory posts. We ask who stays with the patient, who documents the case, and who hands off to the next shift. Those details tell us whether the opening needs procedural depth or broader bedside support.

How should a buyer think about lead roles in this family?

Lead staff usually help assign rooms, answer day-shift questions, and keep the team moving. They do not replace manager decisions on hiring, discipline, or protocol changes. We look for candidates who have already worked in that middle layer of responsibility.

What matters most for sleep, EEG, or pulmonary testing posts?

Accuracy, patient instruction, and clean documentation matter every day. These roles often depend on setup quality and good handoff notes more than pace. We ask whether the site wants independent testing, shared coverage, or supervision during the first weeks.