Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
Doctoral or professional degree
None
Internship/residency
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Cardiologists are medical specialists who complete a long professional training path and work at an advanced level in healthcare. National employment stands at 19,000, with a projected growth rate of 4.1% and about 1,000 annual openings. This indicates a steady flow of opportunities for new and experienced cardiologists entering or progressing within the field. The career requires a doctoral or professional degree, along with strong skills in science, critical and analytical thinking, problem solving and decision making, and attention to detail. Interpersonal, speaking and listening, and writing and reading skills are also important, along with competence in computers and information technology and mathematics. Career options exist across many states and metro areas, with notable opportunities in places such as California, New York, Texas, Washington, and Virginia. For individuals ready to invest in extensive education and develop a broad set of analytical and people-focused skills, cardiology offers a specialized, structured career path with ongoing openings nationwide.
Cardiologists can see substantial variation in pay depending on location. Among the top states by opportunity score, median salaries range from $185,610 in California to $656,330 in Washington. New York and Virginia also report high median salaries of $492,040 and $461,450, respectively, while Texas shows a median of $410,150. At the metro level, some areas stand out with even higher figures. The Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro has a median salary of $662,760, and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ reports $492,150. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN offers $475,590, while Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX show median salaries of $403,340 and $341,080. These numbers highlight that earnings can differ significantly between states and between metro areas within the same state, giving cardiologists room to evaluate locations based on income potential as well as other career factors.
Cardiology shows a structured and measurable employment outlook. National employment is 19,000, with projected employment growth of 4.1%. This same 4.1% growth rate appears across the highlighted states and metro areas, suggesting consistent projected expansion in multiple regions rather than growth concentrated in one area. With approximately 1,000 annual openings nationwide, there is a regular pipeline of positions becoming available each year. This mix of current employment, steady projected growth, and ongoing openings can be relevant both for new entrants planning long training timelines and for experienced cardiologists considering relocation or career changes. Because the growth rate and openings are quantified, prospective cardiologists can see that opportunities are expected to continue rather than remain static. Taken together, the employment level, growth percentage, and annual openings support a picture of a profession with continuing demand across the national labor market.
Cardiology opportunities are distributed across several strong states and metros, with meaningful differences in both pay and employment levels. Among states, California, New York, Washington, Virginia, and Texas all have a projected 4.1% growth rate, but salaries and employment vary. Washington shows the highest listed state median salary at $656,330 with 200 employed cardiologists, while California’s median salary is $185,610 with 630 employed. New York and Texas combine relatively high median salaries ($492,040 and $410,150) with larger employment bases of 2,260 and 2,050, respectively. Virginia has a median salary of $461,450 and employment of 810. By opportunity score, California ranks highest, followed closely by New York. At the metro level, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ leads in opportunity score and has 2,050 employed cardiologists with a median salary of $492,150. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA combines a high median salary of $662,760 with an opportunity score of 61.92. Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Austin offer additional options with differing balances of salary, employment size, and opportunity scores, giving cardiologists multiple geographic strategies to consider.
Becoming a cardiologist requires a doctoral or professional degree, reflecting an intensive and advanced educational pathway. Success in this field is closely tied to a strong foundation in science and mathematics, along with well-developed problem solving and decision making abilities. Critical and analytical thinking and being detail oriented are particularly important for working effectively at this level of medical specialization. The role also depends heavily on interpersonal skills, speaking and listening, and writing and reading, which support communication with patients, colleagues, and other stakeholders. Competence with computers and information technology is another key skill area, alongside the broader analytical and scientific toolkit. Individuals considering cardiology should be prepared for a long education trajectory and expect to continuously use and refine these skills throughout their training and career. This combination of advanced education and diverse skill requirements shapes cardiology into a demanding but structured professional path.
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