Cardiology Physician Salary (2026)

The 2024 median base salary for a Cardiology physician in the United States is approximately $510K, with the typical 25th-to-90th-percentile band running from $445K to $640K. These figures are composite benchmarks drawn from MGMA, AAMC, and AMGA compensation surveys and reflect base compensation only — productivity bonuses, signing bonuses, call stipends, partnership distributions, and quality incentives sit on top of base and materially shift total cash compensation in every Cardiology offer I close.

Cardiology compensation at a glance

Median base (2024): $510K
Typical range (25th–90th): $445K – $640K
National demand: high
Primary board: ABIM Cardiovascular Disease subspecialty board
Fellowship pathways: 3-year general cardiology fellowship; +1-2 years for interventional, EP, advanced imaging, structural
Common practice settings: single-specialty cardiology group, hospital-employed CV service line
Geographic concentration of top offers: every metro with a 200+ bed hospital and most major regional health systems

What drives Cardiology compensation up or down

Subspecialty cardiology offers vary wildly by sub-discipline. Interventional cardiology base lands $625K-$725K with call-stipend overlay, electrophysiology clears $700K-$825K in most metros, and structural-heart programs are now offering $750K-$900K to physicians with TAVR/Mitraclip volume. The most negotiable line is procedural-volume escalator language — clauses that increase comp once specific procedure thresholds are crossed are worth more than upfront base in a growing program.

Cardiology is one of the most-recruited subspecialties in the United States. Subspecialization (interventional, electrophysiology, structural, advanced imaging, heart failure) drives the majority of high-comp searches.

Cardiology salary by state

Base ranges for Cardiology run inside the $445K–$640K band in most states, with rural and HPSA-designated counties producing offers at or above the upper end once signing bonuses, loan repayment, and rural premiums are stacked. Click a state below for the in-state Cardiology comp picture, anchor employers, and incentive stacking.

How recruiters benchmark a Cardiology offer

When I scope a Cardiology engagement, I pull MGMA and AMGA percentiles for the region, layer in the specific employer's historical comp band, and pressure-test against active Cardiology candidates we are already working. The $445K–$640K range above is the national reference; the actual offer for a given Cardiology role is built bottom-up from RVU model assumptions, call rotation, and ramp expectations. For Cardiology candidates evaluating an offer, the three numbers I tell people to focus on are base, wRVU conversion factor, and call-coverage stipend — not the headline salary alone.

Talk to a Cardiology recruiter about your number

Email hire@physicianrecruitment.com or call 1-888-812-3452 for a 30-minute confidential Cardiology compensation benchmarking call. We provide Cardiology candidates a written market analysis of any offer at no cost.