Explore cardiologist salary ranges, day rates, and how subspecialty and locum work shape earning potential.
Cardiologist salary in 2026 is among the highest in medicine, but varies widely by subspecialty, ownership model, and call burden. Most cardiologists earn between $430,000 and $590,000 annually, with procedural subspecialties exceeding $700,000.
| Source | What it Measures | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS — Cardiologists SOC 29-1212 (May 2024 release) | Mean annual wage | $432,490 |
| Medscape Physician Compensation Report (2025) | Average total compensation | $520,000 |
| Doximity Physician Compensation Report (2025) | Median total compensation | $587,360 |
| SalaryDr (as of April 2026) | Median verified compensation | $630,000 |
| MedAxiom / ACC Cardiovascular Provider Compensation Survey (2024) | Median annual wage | $695,000 |
Cardiology is one of the few specialties where subspecialty choice can shift income by $200K+ annually.
The BLS reports employer-paid wages and excludes self-employed physicians. Doximity is based on self-reported earnings from its member base. MedAxiom and the ACC break things out by subspecialty and ownership, which is why it’s often considered the most precise. Medscape combines base pay, bonuses, and productivity incentives from a broad survey group.
Cardiology locum is priced per day, not per hour, because coverage bundles clinic, rounding, procedures, and call into a single block.
| Compensation Type | Rate |
|---|---|
| W-2 employed (BLS derived hourly) | ~$62–$70 per hour |
| Locum tenens market rate | roughly $2,500 to $4,000 per day (approximately $235 to $430 per hour equivalent depending on workload and call intensity) |
Sources: BLS OEWS 29-1212 Cardiology for the W-2 hourly derivation and national locum market data for the per-day range.
the per-day framing matters for cardiology locum. Hospitals and cath lab programs typically buy coverage in full days, not shifts, because cardiologists are expected to be available for inpatient consults, cath lab cases, and call over the same span. The per-hour conversion is useful for comparison but is not how the assignments are priced.
Location impacts cardiology compensation, but the drivers are not always the obvious coastal markets.
Source: BLS OES 2024 State-Level Cross-Industry data, SOC 29-1212. State-level cardiology salary data is limited. In many states, cardiologists are grouped under “Physicians, All Other,” which means only a subset of states report specialty-specific data.
Several high-cost coastal markets do not appear in the top of the BLS band. New York ($381,320) and Texas ($301,930) both fall below the national mean. The lowest reported state in the available BLS state-level dataset is West Virginia at $276,750, which reflects both sample and cost-of-practice differences rather than a true floor for physician earnings.
Cardiology pay tracks supply density, not prestige markets. Mid-sized regions with fewer cardiologists often outpay major metros.
There is no standardized “full-time” definition in cardiology. Most roles combine clinic, inpatient care, procedures, and call, typically totaling 40–50 clinical hours per week plus call.
The American College of Cardiology 2025 Workforce feature documents the broader staffing pressure: ACC and American Heart Association projections show a patient-to-cardiologist ratio moving from roughly 1:1,087 to 1:1,700 by 2035, driven by fixed fellowship output and projected retirements. Locum cardiology assignments are priced against that reality. Day rates reflect both the density of the clinical work and the call coverage bundled into the assignment.
Locum cardiology is structured around day-based coverage, not shifts.
To exceed $700K
Cardiology locum income scales with procedural demand and call intensity. The more specialized and harder to staff the role, the higher the rate.
A $2,900 locum day rate can represent a meaningful increase compared to a roughly $208 hourly W-2 equivalent, but the real advantage comes down to how the structure is used. As a 1099 physician, you take on responsibilities that are typically covered in employed roles—like health insurance, retirement contributions, and self-employment taxes.
At the same time, this model unlocks a level of financial flexibility and control that W-2 roles don’t offer:
With the right strategy, many physicians are able to offset costs and meaningfully improve their net income.
That’s why many don’t navigate this alone. Barton partners with Earned, a wealth and tax firm built specifically for doctors, to provide locum clinicians with entity formation, tax planning, and long-term financial strategy tailored to how physicians actually earn.
Subspecialty is the single biggest driver of cardiology compensation variation. The 2024 MedAxiom / ACC Cardiovascular Provider Compensation and Production Survey reports the following:
Source: MedAxiom / American College of Cardiology, 2024 Cardiovascular Provider Compensation and Production Survey Report, n=2,750.
cardiology is the specialty where subspecialty label matters more than employment model for top-end compensation. A non-invasive general cardiologist in private practice and an interventional cardiologist in the same integrated system can be separated by more than $200,000 in annual total compensation.
Cardiology compensation hit a new high in 2024, with median total pay reaching $695,000 per MedAxiom
The bigger story is divergence. Integrated cardiologists now earn a median of $701,000 (+4.7% YoY), while private practice dropped to $588,000 (−4.6%), creating a 16% gap—the widest in over five years.
cardiology pay isn’t just rising, it’s separating. Subspecialty and practice models are now the primary drivers.
Locum tenens works when everything around the assignment works—credentialing moves fast, coverage starts on time, and nothing breaks between submittal and the final shift. That’s where the gap is. Too often, breakdowns happen behind the scenes: delayed credentialing, licensing issues, unclear malpractice coverage, or billing that lags after the work is done.
Barton is built to remove that friction across the full assignment lifecycle.
Barton coordinates your job search from start to finish!
We’ll schedule a phone consultation to discuss your interests, goals, and work history to find the right opportunities.
Your Barton rep will submit your information to the facility you want to take an assignment at and work on next steps.
Barton handles licensing, credentialing, and travel arrangements before you arrive so you’re ready on day one.
Most earn $430K–$590K annually, with procedural subspecialties exceeding $700K.
$2,500–$4,000 per day depending on call and procedures.
Often yes. Day rates and hybrid models can significantly increase total income.
Subspecialty, procedural volume, and call coverage.
Yes. Demand continues to outpace supply, especially in underserved markets.
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