Cardiologists Salary

Yes — at the median salary of $186K, rent takes 23.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,471/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.

The 10th-percentile wage — what new cardiologists typically earn — is $109K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $6,559/month. At HUD’s $2,471/month FMR, rent would take 38% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.

Local pay runs 63% below the national median — $186K here vs. $496K nationally.

California pays $186K median vs. the U.S. average of $496K — that’s -63%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $175K — below the national median.

The median is $185,610 a year, that works out to about $89 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $109,310, and experienced cardiologists can clear $532,070. The mean (average) is $296,940, reflecting that some workers earn substantially more. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $10,401/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 23.8% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.

California has a Regional Price Parity of 106.14 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median cardiologists salary is worth about $174,873 in national-average purchasing power.

The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.