A cardiovascular technician supports the physician in the diagnosing and treating of patients with cardiac or vascular problems and illnesses. The technician is responsible for monitoring heart rate, maintaining the cardiac testing equipment, performing many tests such as ultrasounds and interpreting the test results. The technician is typically responsible for appointment scheduling as well as maintaining patient files including the review of the physician's findings and interpretations.

There are 3 recognized career paths for the Cardiovascular Technologist or Technician. Those are the paths of invasive cardiology (assisting a physician with invasive types of procedures), vascular technology (assisting a physician treating circulatory problems) and electrocardiography (administering EKG, stress and Holter Monitor testing) , all of which require some specialized training and education. About 75% of all tech jobs are in a hospital setting with the rest being in private practice.

A candidate can become a cardiovascular tech with 2 years of training in an accredited program at a junior college or a community college. There are also some 4 year schools that offer these types of programs. Only some states require licensing. Interestingly, many cardiac practitioners prefer to train candidates for these types of jobs who are already in the health care field. It's not unusual for a candidate to pursue a formal education program while working part time in training.