8. EKG Technician — $38K – $48K
EKG technicians perform 12-lead electrocardiograms, stress tests, Holter monitor placement, and telemetry monitoring in hospitals, cardiology practices, and outpatient centers. Programs typically run 6 to 12 weeks and combine cardiac anatomy, rhythm interpretation basics, and hands-on lead placement practice.
The National Healthcareer Association offers the Certified EKG Technician (CET) credential, and Cardiovascular Credentialing International offers the Certified Cardiographic Technician (CCT). Both are widely accepted, and hospitals frequently pair the EKG cert with the Patient Care Technician role for higher pay.
BLS OES groups EKG techs under cardiovascular technologists, with pay ranging roughly $38K to $48K for stand-alone EKG roles. Combined PCT plus EKG positions tend to earn at the upper end of that range, and stress-test-competent techs at cardiology practices often earn more with weekend and on-call differentials.
