These findings come from a new report on recruiting incentives among U.S. physicians and advanced practitioners. Interventional cardiologists earn the second highest starting salary of any specialty, with non-invasive cardiologists not far behind. 

With physician burnout on the rise and a massive physician shortage on the way, it’s more important now than ever to keep a close eye on how the country’s cardiologists—and their colleagues—are being paid. 

This continues a consistent rise in pay for the specialty—the same report recorded cardiology’s average salary as $459,000 in 2021, $438,000 in 2020 and $430,000 in 2019.

A significant number of cardiologists are mistreated—often in more ways than one—after they tell their employer they are pregnant. 

Reps. Ami Bera, MD, D-Calif., and Larry Bucshon, MD, R-Ind., recently introduced the Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2021, drawing praise from several doc groups. 

Production was way down for cardiologists in 2020, with COVID-19 clearly playing a large role. Salaries, it seems, did not drop as a result. 

While interventional cardiology came in at No. 1, other specialties near the top of the list included orthopedic surgery, gastroenterology, non-invasive cardiology and radiology.

Cardiologists are confident COVID-related shortfalls will soon be behind them, according to the report.