Cardiologists working in employed settings can see a 74% increase in average salary from early to late career, according to Medscape’s salary explorer.
Nationwide, cardiologists with 1 to 7 years of experience earn an average of $310,000 annually. Salaries rise significantly with experience:
- 8 to 14 years: $400,000
- 15 to 21 years: $480,000
- 22 to 28 years: $540,000
By comparison, salaries of self-employed cardiologists start higher and see faster growth, reaching $360,000 in the early years and up to $670,000 at 22 to 28 years.
The gap highlights how independent practice can offer greater long-term earning potential, particularly in procedural subspecialties like interventional cardiology and electrophysiology, as noted in MedAxiom’s 2024 “Cardiovascular Provider Compensation Survey.”
