Travel Cath Lab Tech 101
Interested in a travel Cath Lab Tech career? Here’s all you need to get started.

Cath lab techs are also called cath lab technicians or cardiac catheterization technologists. These professionals work in healthcare facilities where patients undergo tests aimed at uncovering heart conditions.
Although the duties of a cath lab tech, electrophysiology tech, and vascular interventional radiology tech are similar, the heart procedures they perform and assist with are different. For example, a cardiac catheterization evaluates anatomical structures and looks for blockages within the heart. The electrophysiology lab focuses on mapping the electrical system within the heart and vascular interventional radiology is a subspecialty of radiology that uses image-guided procedures to diagnose and treat conditions of the vascular system.
The roles of cath lab techs, interventional radiology techs, and EP techs often intersect, but each has distinct specialties. Below is a breakdown of their roles:
Cath lab techs specialize primarily in the cardiovascular system. Their responsibilities include:
Interventional radiology techs specialize in diagnosing and treating diseases through imaging technologies. They are a crucial part of the interventional radiology team. Their responsibilities can include:
EP techs are experts in the electrical activity and pathways of the heart. They are vital in the diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm disorders. Their responsibilities encompass:
Cath lab techs are predominantly found in inpatient healthcare facilities that maintain a cardiac catheterization lab. These settings are specially designed to diagnose and treat cardiovascular issues, leveraging state-of-the-art imaging technology. The primary objective is to address blockages and other heart-related problems, minimizing the need for surgery.
Interventional radiology techs typically work in specialized radiology departments within hospitals or standalone imaging centers. These facilities are equipped with advanced imaging modalities, such as CT, MRI, and fluoroscopy, to assist interventional radiologists in performing minimally invasive procedures. In addition to diagnosing and treating vascular issues, interventional radiology can also be employed for non-vascular procedures, such as tumor biopsies or drain placements.
EP techs mostly operate within electrophysiology labs, which can be part of larger hospitals or specialized cardiac centers. These labs are designed to investigate, diagnose, and treat electrical abnormalities of the heart. Equipped with sophisticated mapping and imaging systems, these labs enable the accurate identification and treatment of arrhythmias and other heart rhythm disorders. EP Techs also play a role in assisting with the implantation and maintenance of devices like pacemakers and defibrillators.Depending on the facility they’re working in, these professionals can work irregular hours, including evenings and weekends, and may take on-call shifts.
Patients who require cardiac catheterization, electrophysiology, or interventional radiology are suspected of having a cardiovascular problem or are undergoing a minimally invasive, non-surgical procedure to correct a heart problem. This might include patients with:
Electrophysiology technicians collaborate with physicians to identify the electrical reasons for heart failure or cardiomyopathy. Vascular interventional radiology techs may be involved in the treatment of coronary artery disease, guiding minimally invasive procedures such as stenting or angioplasty using imaging.
To become a cath lab, IR, or EP tech, most students typically follow a two-year educational track leading to an associate degree. This assumes full-time attendance without unscheduled interruptions, though many institutions offer part-time options catering to working students. The general pathway is as follows:
Identify an Accredited Program:
Ensure You Meet Admission Criteria:
While prerequisites might vary slightly between the specialties, common criteria often include:
Application:
Once enrolled, students will receive specialized training tailored to their chosen field, preparing them for their respective roles in the healthcare environment.
Once you've achieved your associate degree and passed the certification examination in your initial specialty, there are multiple avenues for career advancement:
Diversifying Skill Sets:
Further Education:
Pursuing Another Medical Profession:
By continuously updating skills and seeking further education, techs in these fields can significantly enhance their career trajectories and patient impact.
Cath Lab, IR, and EP techs engage with intricate health issues and advanced equipment, necessitating specialized training:
Educational Foundation:
Program Structure:
Certification:
Maintaining Certification:
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual median wage for a cardiovascular tech is $57,720 and the median hourly wage is $27.75. Over three-quarters of cath lab techs work within hospitals, yet the top-paying industry is outpatient care centers where the annual mean wage is $77,740. The top-paying states are Oregon, the District of Columbia, Rhode Island, and New Jersey.
Professional organizations and associations offer an opportunity to network and options to advance your career. These organizations were designed to help meet the needs of cath lab, IR, and EP techs.
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic
Typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.
Are you thinking about pursuing a career in nursing? You may be asking yourself, "How much do nurses make?" Or maybe you're already working as a registered nurse...
Are you thinking about pursuing a career in nursing? You may be asking yourself, "How much do nurses make?" Or maybe you're already working as a registered nurse...
Are you thinking about pursuing a career in nursing? You may be asking yourself, "How much do nurses make?" Or maybe you're already working as a registered nurse...
Are you thinking about pursuing a career in nursing? You may be asking yourself, "How much do nurses make?" Or maybe you're already working as a registered nurse...
Our Licensure Guide provides both high-level and in-depth information on how to get licensed in every U.S. state, including a breakdown of the documents required for your application, fees and application timeline, and additional resources for each state.
There is a lot that goes into choosing a nursing specialty: education requirements, career advancement, responsibilities, salary, work setting, patient population, and even the most common diagnoses you’ll see on a daily basis.
Here are some broad resources to help you in your travel healthcare career, applicable to Allied health roles as well as travel nursing.
Are you thinking about pursuing a career in nursing? You may be asking yourself, "How much do nurses make?" Or maybe you're already working as a registered nurse...
Are you thinking about pursuing a career in nursing? You may be asking yourself, "How much do nurses make?" Or maybe you're already working as a registered nurse...
Are you thinking about pursuing a career in nursing? You may be asking yourself, "How much do nurses make?" Or maybe you're already working as a registered nurse...