Cardiovascular technologists and technicians run tests and assist in procedures involving the heart or lungs. They prepare patients, operate imaging and monitoring equipment, and help physicians during procedures. Software increasingly helps analyze readings. Working with the patient and the equipment stays with the technologist.
The short answer: this is hands-on clinical work, and an aging population keeps demand up. The ILO's 2025 index rates medical imaging and therapeutic equipment technicians, the closest group, as not exposed with a score of 0.22. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 4 percent growth for cardiovascular technologists and technicians from 2025 to 2035, about as fast as average, with about 3,400 openings a year. Projections are estimates, not guarantees.
How exposed cardiovascular technologists are
The International Labour Organization scores occupations' tasks from 0 (cannot be automated with generative AI) to 1 (could be done without a human operator), and groups them into gradients from 1 to 4, with 4 the most exposed; below them sit minimal exposure and not exposed (ILO Working Paper 140, 2025).
| Occupation (ISCO-08) | ILO category | Mean task score (0 to 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Imaging and Therapeutic Equipment Technicians | Not exposed | 0.22 |
The ILO scores groups of occupations, so this is the closest group for cardiovascular technologists and technicians, not a score for the job title itself.
The ILO index measures generative AI, not robots or automated machines.
What the BLS projects
| Occupation | Projected change 2025 to 2035 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiovascular technologists and technicians | Grow 4% | About 3,400 |
The BLS says the need to diagnose conditions that affect older adults, such as coronary artery disease, will likely increase as the population ages. It notes that the work means operating complex machinery and computerized instruments. Its outlook does not mention AI.
Where AI is helping
- Flagging readings for a closer look as a starting point.
- Measurements and image quality checks on equipment.
- Drafting preliminary notes for the physician to review.
What stays with cardiovascular technologists
- Patient care: preparing, calming and monitoring patients during tests.
- Getting a good study: positioning and adjusting equipment on a real person.
- Procedures: assisting physicians in the room.
- Checking AI help: automated readings and notes can be wrong, which NIST calls confabulation (NIST AI 600-1). See checking AI output.
How the job is changing
More of the equipment comes with built-in software that measures and flags results. Technologists still decide whether a study is good enough and spot what the software misses, and a physician makes the diagnosis. This page is general information, not career advice.
See also will AI replace sonographers?, will AI replace nuclear medicine technologists? and will AI replace respiratory therapists?
Pay and how to get in
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual pay for cardiovascular technologists and technicians at $74,310 in May 2025, against $50,980 for all workers. The typical education needed to enter is: associate's degree. See how this job compares in AI exposure by pay and AI exposure by education level.
Questions and answers
Will AI replace cardiovascular technologists?
Not on current projections. The BLS projects 4 percent growth from 2025 to 2035.
How exposed are cardiovascular technologists to AI?
The ILO rates medical imaging and therapeutic equipment technicians, the closest group, as not exposed with a score of 0.22.
How many openings are expected?
About 3,400 a year on average over the decade, according to the BLS.
What drives demand?
The BLS points to an aging population and the need to diagnose conditions such as coronary artery disease.