Runs the heart-lung machine and related life-support equipment that keeps patients alive during open-heart surgery. BLS does not publish separate figures for cardiovascular technologists and technicians; it counts them within cardiovascular technologist and technician (SOC 29-2031), whose median pay is $74,310 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Master's degree.
- SOC 29-2031
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Perfusionist in four numbers
- Median pay
- $74,310a year, or $35.73/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $39KTop 10% $121K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +3.7%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+3.7%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +3.7% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 3,40064,500 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202564.5K
- Projected 203566.9K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 64.5K Projected 2035 66.9K - Typical education
- Master'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- High school9.9%
- Certificate12.9%
- Some college7.8%
- Associate's62.9%
- Bachelor's2.8%
- Professional degree3.8%
Highest education held by cardiovascular technologists and technicians Segment Value High school 9.9% Certificate 12.9% Some college 7.8% Associate's 62.9% Bachelor's 2.8% Professional degree 3.8%
Also advertised as: Clinical Perfusionist, Certified Clinical Perfusionist, Cardiovascular Perfusionist, Staff Perfusionist.
Pay
How much do Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians make?
Every perfusionist in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$74,310
Middle half earn $47,890 to $98,110
- 10th
- $39,000
- 25th
- $47,890
- 75th
- $98,110
- 90th
- $121,350
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $39,000 |
| 25th | $47,890 |
| Median | $74,310 |
| 75th | $98,110 |
| 90th | $121,350 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $74,310
- Median hourly wage
- $35.73/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $76,940
- People employed
- 62,960
Versus all US occupations
At $74,310, Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians earn 46% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $23,330 a year.
Versus healthcare practitioners and technical occupations
Inside the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical group, where the middle occupation pays $102,760, this is 28% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $121,350 or more while the bottom 10% earn $39,000, a gap of 3.1×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 48% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Utah pays the most at $113,510, and still leads at $114,814 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Utah | $113,510 | $114,814 | 1,250 |
| 2Hawaii | $111,730 | $101,618 | 140 |
| 3Massachusetts | $105,580 | $99,833 | 1,110 |
| 4Rhode Island | $104,000 | $101,682 | 260 |
| 5Idaho | $100,100 | $104,823 | 220 |
| 6District of Columbia | $99,380 | $90,427 | 280 |
| 7Oregon | $99,240 | $96,013 | 550 |
| 8Connecticut | $94,940 | $91,632 | 620 |
| 9Colorado | $94,190 | $91,400 | 720 |
| 10New York | $89,570 | $82,996 | 3,540 |
Job outlook
Is Perfusionist a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +3.7% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians | +3.7% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians to change 3.7% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 2,400 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 3,400 openings are projected each year, 5.3% of the 64,500 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Perfusionist
The standard route is a graduate perfusion program accredited by the Accreditation Committee for Perfusion Education (AC-PE) through CAAHEP. Most current programs award a master's degree and take roughly two years, combining classroom science with supervised clinical cases. Applicants usually hold a science bachelor's degree, and many come from respiratory therapy, nursing, or medical technology.
Graduates sit for the two-part certification exam of the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion (ABCP): the Perfusion Basic Science Exam and the Clinical Applications in Perfusion Exam. Passing earns the Certified Clinical Perfusionist (CCP) credential, which employers expect. A growing number of states also license perfusionists, and certification is kept current through continuing education and a minimum case load.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Master's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as cardiovascular technologists and technicians.
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree62.9%
- Post-Secondary Certificate12.9%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)9.9%
- Some College Courses7.8%
- First Professional Degree3.8%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 62.9% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 12.9% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 9.9% |
| Some College Courses | 7.8% |
| First Professional Degree | 3.8% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Perfusionist do?
Perfusionists operate the cardiopulmonary bypass machine that takes over the work of the heart and lungs while a surgeon operates on a stopped heart. They prime the circuit, manage blood flow and pressure, control body temperature, adjust anesthetic and blood gases, and give medications and blood products through the circuit on the surgeon's and anesthesiologist's orders.
Outside the operating room they manage ECMO for critically ill patients in intensive care, run blood salvage and autotransfusion equipment, support ventricular assist device implants, and assist with organ procurement and transplant cases. Each case means close, real-time teamwork with the surgical and anesthesia teams, and careful documentation of every adjustment.
Day-to-day tasks
- Prime and assemble cardiopulmonary bypass circuits before surgery
- Operate the heart-lung machine to maintain circulation and oxygenation during open-heart procedures
- Monitor blood gases, pressures, and temperature and adjust the circuit in real time
- Administer medications, anesthetic agents, and blood products through the bypass circuit as ordered
- Manage extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for patients in intensive care
- Run blood salvage and autotransfusion equipment during surgery
- Support ventricular assist device and transplant procedures
- Document every perfusion event and parameter for the patient record
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Perfusionists work in hospital cardiac operating rooms, cardiac catheterization suites, and intensive care units, often for hospitals directly or for contract perfusion groups that staff several hospitals. Days start early, cases can run long, and on-call duty for emergency surgery, transplants, and ECMO is a normal part of the job. The work involves long periods of standing and intense concentration.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the timeRegular bending or twisting.
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening3.9
- Speaking3.8
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Monitoring3.8
- Reading Comprehension3.6
- Writing3.1
- Active Learning3.1
- Science3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.9 |
| Speaking | 3.8 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.8 |
| Monitoring | 3.8 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.6 |
| Writing | 3.1 |
| Active Learning | 3.1 |
| Science | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Operations Monitoring3.8
- Social Perceptiveness3.6
- Service Orientation3.3
- Judgment and Decision Making3.3
- Complex Problem Solving3.1
- Operation and Control3.1
- Coordination3.0
- Instructing3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 3.8 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.6 |
| Service Orientation | 3.3 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 |
| Operation and Control | 3.1 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Instructing | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Medical software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Web platform development software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software
- Information retrieval or search software
- Internet browser software
- Inventory management software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Perfusionist?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code IRS) built on O*NET's Cardiovascular Technologist and Technician profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Perfusionist |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 6 |
| Investigative | 6 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 4 |
| Enterprising | 1 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
- Realistic5.6
- Investigative5.5
- Conventional4.6
- Social4.4
- Enterprising1.3
- Artistic1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Perfusionist
O*NET related occupations
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
Cardiovascular Technologist and Technician
$74,310median a year
Most earn $39K to $121K
+3.7%Associate's - Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
More healthcare practitioners and technical careers
Median annual pay, with cardiovascular technologists and technicians highlighted
- Anesthesiologist$391,490
- Physician Assistant$135,880
- Nurse Practitioner$132,300
- Physical Therapist$102,760
- Dental Hygienist$98,100
- Diagnostic Medical Sonographer$96,590
- Radiologic Technologist and Technician$80,110
- Perfusionist$74,310
- Surgical Technologist$64,650
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Anesthesiologist | $391,490 |
| Physician Assistant | $135,880 |
| Nurse Practitioner | $132,300 |
| Physical Therapist | $102,760 |
| Dental Hygienist | $98,100 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographer | $96,590 |
| Radiologic Technologist and Technician | $80,110 |
| Perfusionist | $74,310 |
| Surgical Technologist | $64,650 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Perfusionist appears on
Questions
Perfusionist: frequently asked questions
How much do Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for cardiovascular technologists and technicians. It counts them within cardiovascular technologist and technician, whose median pay is $74,310 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $47,890 and $98,110, and the top 10% earn $121,350 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Perfusionist?
Yes. BLS reports a master's degree as the typical entry-level education for Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as some preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 62.9% hold associate's degree or other 2-year degree.
Is Perfusionist a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.7% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 3,400 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Perfusionist do?
Perfusionists operate the cardiopulmonary bypass machine that takes over the work of the heart and lungs while a surgeon operates on a stopped heart. A typical task: prime and assemble cardiopulmonary bypass circuits before surgery. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Medical software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians the most?
The highest state medians for Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians are Utah ($113,510), Hawaii ($111,730), Massachusetts ($105,580) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Perfusionist?
O*NET scores Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians highest on the Realistic, Investigative and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.