6 templates for hospital cardiac programs and independent perfusion groups: staff, chief, per diem, provisional, ECMO specialist, and perfusion assistant. Download as DOCX.
The first time I watched a cardiac program stall over a single hire, the missing person was not the surgeon. A community hospital had two open heart rooms, three perfusionists, and one resignation letter. The chief told me the search would take four to six months, and until it closed the other two would carry call every other night.
Generic job description templates are useless in that situation. They describe the heart lung machine in one sentence, then reuse boilerplate written for a laboratory technician. The posting says nothing about certification, nothing about the call ratio, and nothing about whether pediatric cases are in scope, which are the three things a certified perfusionist reads first.
At FirstHR we write hiring templates for employers who have no HR department to fix a weak posting later. The six below cover a staff perfusionist, a chief perfusionist, per diem call coverage, a provisional new graduate, an ECMO specialist, and a perfusion assistant, each with the credential, classification, and call language already written in.
TL;DR
A cardiovascular perfusionist runs the cardiopulmonary bypass circuit during cardiac surgery and manages circulation, blood gases, temperature, and anticoagulation while the heart is stopped. The posting must state the certification requirement, your state license status, the call ratio, and pediatric or ECMO scope. Six templates below, downloadable as DOCX.
What a Cardiovascular Perfusionist Actually Does
A cardiovascular perfusionist operates the cardiopulmonary bypass circuit that takes over the work of the heart and lungs during cardiac surgery. In posting language: the perfusionist manages the patient circulation, oxygenation, temperature, acid base balance, and anticoagulation while the surgeon operates on a stopped heart.
Around that core sit the duties that decide whether a candidate wants your job. Circuit selection and priming, cardioplegia delivery, cell salvage and blood conservation, balloon pump and ventricular assist support, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, the perfusion record, and equipment maintenance are all common, and none of them are automatic.
The scope you choose is the first real decision in the posting. A program that runs adult coronary and valve work needs a different candidate than one doing pediatric congenital repairs or covering a round the clock extracorporeal service. Say which you are in the first paragraph, not the fourth.
Who Hires Perfusionists
Four kinds of employer hire perfusionists, and the posting changes with each. Hospital departments hire onto an internal call rotation, independent groups contract coverage to community hospitals, extracorporeal support programs staff the bedside rather than the pump room, and every one of them needs a per diem pool behind it.
Hospital perfusion department
Employed staff, internal call
The cardiac program employs its own perfusionists and covers its own call. Hiring is yours, but so is the rotation math: a three person team cannot lose one member without every remaining schedule breaking.
Independent perfusion group
Contract coverage, small employer
A group of perfusionists contracts coverage to community hospitals. These are genuinely small businesses with a payroll, a call schedule, credentialing at multiple facilities, and no HR department behind them.
ECMO or mechanical support program
Bedside, not just the pump room
Extracorporeal support runs in the ICU around the clock and pulls from perfusion, respiratory therapy, and critical care nursing. The credential you require decides the classification and the pay structure.
Per diem and locum coverage
The relief valve every program needs
Vacation, illness, and add-on cases get covered by a per diem pool. The posting has to state the monthly minimum, the response time, and whether the pay structure is hourly, per case, or a fee.
Write the Call Ratio Before You Write Anything Else
Call is the single most consequential number in a perfusion posting and the one most often left out. A perfusionist evaluating your job wants to know the ratio (one in three, one in four, one in five), the required response time, how many sites they might be sent to, and what call pays. Leaving it vague does not widen your candidate pool. It tells experienced perfusionists that the rotation is thin and the answer is bad, and they move on to the next posting.
What Belongs in the Posting
A perfusionist job description does four jobs at once: it describes the program honestly, it filters candidates who lack the credential, it protects you in a classification or credentialing review, and it closes the hire. Most clinical postings do only the first. Here is the full inventory.
The parts a perfusionist reads first
Case volume and case mix, stated as numbers
Team size and the exact call ratio
Adult only, pediatric, or both
Whether ECMO and VAD are in scope
The parts that filter applicants
Certification requirement and whether board eligible qualifies
State license status and who pays for it
Years of independent pump experience
Response time and how far the base can be
The parts that protect you
FLSA classification stated on the posting
Credentialing and privileging before the first case
Bloodborne pathogen and immunization requirements
Equal opportunity statement and essential functions
The parts that win the hire
Base salary plus the call pay structure
Continuing education allowance and dues coverage
Equipment generation and what is on the capital plan
A named person to reply to and a real timeline
The most common omission at small programs is case volume. Candidates want the number of cardiac cases a year, the mix, the team size, and the ratio of call, because those four numbers tell them how busy the job is and how thin the coverage is. Our guide to writing a job description covers the general structure in more depth.
6 Cardiovascular Perfusionist Job Description Templates to Download
Download all six as one file or copy them individually. Each follows the same structure: employer overview, position summary, key responsibilities, required qualifications, a classification and compliance note, an equal opportunity statement, and how to apply. The bracketed fields are the only parts you need to change.
Download All 6 Perfusionist Job Description Templates
Staff perfusionist, chief perfusionist, per diem, provisional new graduate, ECMO specialist, and perfusion assistant. All in one download.
Staff Perfusionist
Full-time, in the call rotation
The core operating room role: circuit management, cardioplegia, blood conservation, documentation, and a stated share of call.
Chief Perfusionist
Working lead, owns the schedule
For a program lead who still carries cases: protocols, quality review, capital equipment, disposables contracts, and coverage.
Per Diem / PRN
Call coverage pool
For relief coverage, with the monthly minimum, response time, credentialing requirement, and the pay structure decided up front.
Provisional / New Graduate
Supervised practice period
For a new graduate on a supervised path, with the competency checklist, case target, and certification deadline written down.
ECMO Specialist
Bedside circuit management
For an extracorporeal support program, with circuit emergencies, transport, drills, and an honest note on credential and classification.
Perfusion Assistant
Hourly, non-exempt support
For room setup, cell salvage, and supply management, with the scope limits stated plainly so nobody drifts into clinical decisions.
Template 1: Cardiovascular Perfusionist (Staff)
The core operating room role, with circuit management, cardioplegia, blood conservation, documentation, and a stated share of the call rotation.
For your relief pool, with the monthly minimum, response time, credentialing requirement, and the two traps (pay basis and contractor status) spelled out.
Per Diem / PRN Perfusionist Job Description (Call Coverage)
PER DIEM / PRN PERFUSIONIST JOB DESCRIPTION
Employer: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Chief Perfusionist / Scheduling Coordinator]
Employment type: Per diem, minimum commitment of [number] days per month
FLSA status: Read the classification note before you choose
Compensation: $_ per [case / day / hour]
ABOUT THIS ROLE
[Employer Name] keeps a per diem pool to cover vacation, illness, add-on cases,
and second room days. Assignments are offered [weeks] ahead where possible and
on short notice when a case is added. We ask for a minimum of [number] days a
month so credentialing and competency stay current.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Per Diem Perfusionist covers scheduled and unscheduled cardiopulmonary
bypass cases on an as needed basis, working to our protocols and equipment, with
the same clinical accountability as a staff perfusionist.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Cover assigned cases at [site or sites] on the agreed schedule
•Set up, prime, and operate the bypass circuit to our written protocols
•Manage anticoagulation, cardioplegia, blood conservation, and documentation
•Respond within [minutes] when accepting a call shift
•Complete the perfusion record before leaving the facility
•Keep competency, certification, and privileges current at every site covered
•Report equipment issues and near misses through our quality process
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•Current CCP credential through the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion
•State perfusionist license where required: [state, license type, status]
•[Number] years of independent pump experience; no orientation period beyond
[number] cases is provided
•Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support certification
•Credentialed and privileged at [facility] before the first assignment
•Minimum availability of [number] days per month, including [weekend / holiday]
CLASSIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE NOTE
Two traps live in this posting. First, exempt status: the learned professional
exemption turns on duties, and it can be met on a fee basis for a single job as
well as on a salary basis, but paying a straight hourly rate generally breaks
the salary or fee basis test and makes the role non-exempt, which means hours
tracked and overtime past forty in a week. Decide which structure you are using
before you post, and pay accordingly. Second, contractor status: a per diem
perfusionist you schedule, direct, and equip is an employee, not an independent
contractor, whatever the invoice says. If you genuinely engage an outside
perfusion group, the contract runs with the entity and the 1099-NEC reporting
threshold is $2,000 for payments made on or after January 1, 2026. This is
general information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Employer Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_ per [case / day / hour], [call stipend], [travel and
mileage policy], [cancellation policy when a case is called off]
To apply, email __ with your resume, CCP number, license
status, and the days you can commit each month.
Template 4: Provisional / New Graduate Perfusionist
For a new graduate on a supervised path, with a competency checklist, a case target, and a certification deadline written into the posting rather than promised verbally.
Provisional / New Graduate Perfusionist Job Description
PROVISIONAL / NEW GRADUATE PERFUSIONIST JOB DESCRIPTION
Employer: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Chief Perfusionist]
Employment type: Full-time, supervised practice for [months]
FLSA status: Exempt (learned professional; see classification note)
Compensation: $_ per year, increasing to $_ at independent status
ABOUT THIS ROLE
[Employer Name] is hiring a new graduate perfusionist into a structured
supervised program. You will work under a designated preceptor until you have
completed [number] independent cases and hold your certification, then move to
the staff rotation and the call schedule.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Provisional Perfusionist performs cardiopulmonary bypass under the direct
supervision of a certified perfusionist, builds an independent case log, and
completes certification and licensure within the agreed period.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Set up, prime, and operate the bypass circuit under direct supervision
•Progress through the competency checklist: [circuit setup, cannulation
•Maintain a case log and submit it toward certification requirements
•Sit the certification examinations on the agreed timeline
•Complete equipment, safety, and bloodborne pathogens training
•Move to the call rotation only after sign off by the chief perfusionist
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•Graduate of a perfusion education program accredited by the Commission on
Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
•Board eligible; certification required within [period] of hire
•Provisional or temporary state license where your state issues one
•Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support certification
•Willing to work a supervised schedule of [days] before joining call
CLASSIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE NOTE
Supervision here is a clinical and licensing requirement, not a wage
classification. A provisional perfusionist practicing under a licensed
perfusionist still performs learned professional work and is generally exempt
when paid on a salary basis of at least $684 per week. Where your state issues a
provisional credential, read the limits carefully: Texas, for example, issues a
Provisional Perfusionist license for a one year period and does not allow more
than five applications, and provisional licensees must practice under the
supervision of a licensed perfusionist. Write the supervision plan, the case
target, and the certification deadline into the offer letter so the path to
independent status is a document rather than a promise. This is general
information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Employer Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_ per year during supervised practice, $_ on
independent status, [exam fee and study support], [benefits summary]
To apply, email __ with your resume, program completion
date, and examination schedule.
Template 5: ECMO Specialist
For an extracorporeal support program, with bedside circuit management, emergencies, drills, and transport. If you staff it with a therapist instead, pair this with the respiratory therapist templates.
ECMO Specialist Job Description (Perfusion Based)
ECMO SPECIALIST JOB DESCRIPTION (PERFUSION BASED)
Employer: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Chief Perfusionist / ECMO Program Director]
Employment type: Full-time, [12 hour shifts / call based coverage]
FLSA status: Turns on the credential and duties (see classification note)
Compensation: $_ per [year / hour] plus [shift differential]
ABOUT THIS ROLE
[Employer Name] runs an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation program supporting
[VA / VV / both] patients in [ICU / cardiac ICU], averaging [number] runs a
year. We are hiring an ECMO Specialist to manage circuits at the bedside and to
support cannulation and transport.
POSITION SUMMARY
The ECMO Specialist manages extracorporeal circuits at the bedside, monitors
flow, oxygenation, anticoagulation, and circuit integrity, supports cannulation
and decannulation, and responds to circuit emergencies around the clock.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Prime, initiate, and manage VA and VV ECMO circuits at the bedside
•Monitor flows, pressures, gas exchange, anticoagulation, and hemolysis markers
•Perform circuit checks and emergency interventions: [circuit change out, air
management, oxygenator failure, hand crank drill]
•Support cannulation, decannulation, and bedside procedures
•Round with the ICU and cardiac surgery teams and document circuit management
•Support [inter-facility / intra-facility] transport on ECMO
•Maintain the ECMO cart, disposables, and emergency equipment
•Take part in the ECMO call rotation: [frequency], [response time]
For room setup, cell salvage, and supply management, with the scope limits stated plainly. For the rest of the operating room team, see the surgical tech templates and the anesthesia tech templates.
[Employer Name] is hiring a Perfusion Assistant to support the perfusion team in
the cardiac operating rooms: room setup, cell salvage, supply management, and
equipment turnover. This role does not operate the cardiopulmonary bypass
circuit and does not make clinical perfusion decisions.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Perfusion Assistant prepares rooms and equipment for cardiac cases, runs
cell salvage under the direction of a certified perfusionist, manages perfusion
supplies, and turns equipment over between cases.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Set up the perfusion room, pump, monitors, and disposables before each case
•Operate cell salvage (autotransfusion) under the direction of the perfusionist
on the case, where your state and facility allow it
•Assist with circuit assembly and priming under direct supervision
•Clean, disinfect, and turn over equipment between cases
•Track disposables inventory, rotate stock, and flag expiring product
•Log equipment preventive maintenance and coordinate service visits
•Transport equipment between rooms and sites as assigned
•Follow all bloodborne pathogen, sharps, and waste handling procedures
SCOPE LIMITS (state these plainly)
•Does not operate the cardiopulmonary bypass circuit
•Does not administer medications, cardioplegia, or blood products
•Does not make or document clinical perfusion decisions
•Works only under the direction of a certified perfusionist
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•High school diploma or equivalent; [associate degree / allied health
coursework] preferred
•[Autotransfusion certification / on the job training provided: choose one]
•Basic Life Support certification
•Comfortable in a sterile operating room environment and with [on call] turnover
•Able to lift and move equipment weighing up to [pounds]
CLASSIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE NOTE
This is a non-exempt role. The learned professional exemption requires advanced
knowledge in a field of science customarily acquired through a prolonged course
of specialized instruction, and a support role trained on the job does not meet
it regardless of how technical the equipment is. Track hours, pay overtime past
forty in a week, and include shift differential and call pay in the regular rate
when you calculate it. Because the role handles blood and sharps, the OSHA
bloodborne pathogens standard applies: exposure control plan, hepatitis B
vaccination offered within ten working days of assignment, annual training, and
a sharps injury log. This is general information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Employer Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_ per hour, [shift differential], [call pay], [benefits
summary], [tuition support toward a perfusion program]
To apply, email __ with your resume and availability.
Certification, Licensure, and Privileging
Three separate gates stand between an offer and a first case, and confusing them is why perfusion hires slip. Certification is national and belongs to the candidate. Licensure is a state question that only some states answer. Privileging belongs to each hospital and has to be repeated at every facility covered.
Certification is the real gate
The American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion awards the Certified Clinical Perfusionist credential, and it does so through two examinations: the Perfusion Basic Science Examination and the Clinical Applications in Perfusion Examination. Eligibility runs through a perfusion education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs plus a documented case log, which the board sets at 75 cardiopulmonary bypass cases including a minimum of 10 pediatric bypass cases, with 5 of the 75 being extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or ventricular assist device cases for candidates from July 1, 2023 onward. Recertification runs on a three year cycle requiring 45 continuing education units, at least 15 of them from board approved perfusion meetings, alongside a minimum level of ongoing clinical activity. Write the credential into the posting as required or board eligible, and say which you mean.
Licensure is a state variable
There is no federal perfusion license, and states split on whether they issue one at all. Where a license exists it usually wraps the national credential rather than replacing it. Texas is a clear example: the Texas Medical Board issues a Perfusionist license and a Provisional Perfusionist license, and the full license requires graduation from an accredited perfusion education program, passage of the board certification examination with the Certified Clinical Perfusionist credential held within the three years immediately preceding application, and a score of 75 or better on the Texas Medical Jurisprudence Examination. The provisional license runs one year and may not be applied for more than five times. In states with no perfusion license, the credential requirement is enforced through hospital credentialing instead. Check your own state medical or allied health board before you write the line into the posting.
Privileging happens per facility
A certificate and a license get a perfusionist to the door. Privileges get them to the pump. Hospitals grant clinical privileges through their own credentialing process, which means primary source verification of education and certification, license verification, background screening, immunization and health records, competency attestation, and reference checks from the last practice site. It takes weeks, not days, and it repeats at every facility a per diem or contract perfusionist covers. This is the single most common reason a perfusion hire slips: the offer is signed, the start date is set, and the credentialing file is still missing two verifications. Start the packet the day the offer is accepted, track every document with its expiration date, and treat the first case date as an output of credentialing rather than an input.
Blood exposure is a written program
Perfusion is high exposure work: the whole job runs blood outside the body. The OSHA bloodborne pathogens standard obliges the employer to maintain a written exposure control plan, provide engineering and work practice controls and personal protective equipment, offer the hepatitis B vaccination series at no cost within ten working days of an employee starting work with occupational exposure, provide training at assignment and annually after that, keep a sharps injury log, and run post exposure evaluation and follow up. None of that is optional and none of it is something a small perfusion group can improvise the week after a needlestick. Build the vaccination offer, the declination form, the training record, and the annual refresher into onboarding so the documentation exists before you ever need it.
Where a state does license the profession, the requirement wraps the national credential rather than replacing it. The Texas Medical Board perfusionist license application is a good model of the pattern: accredited program, board certification held within the preceding three years, and a state jurisprudence examination on top.
The sequencing matters more than any single requirement. Write the certification bar into the posting, verify the state position before you interview, and open the credentialing packet the day the offer is accepted. Our guides to running a background check and to state background check laws cover the screening piece that sits inside that packet.
What to Pay a Cardiovascular Perfusionist
Start with an honest limitation: the federal wage survey does not publish a perfusionist figure. There is no perfusionist occupation in the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, so the role is absorbed into a residual category that pools it with dozens of unrelated jobs and produces a median far below what any working perfusionist earns.
No BLS Occupation Exists for This Title
The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (May 2025) has no perfusionist occupation code. The role falls into the residual classification Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other (29-2099), whose national median was $50,290 a year, or $24.18 an hour. Treat that as a statistical artifact rather than a benchmark, and bracket the role against the nearest published classifications instead (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates).
Bracketing works better than guessing. The table below lists the published classifications closest to perfusion in training length, operating room presence, or credential structure, all from the same May 2025 vintage. A perfusionist sits well above the allied health lines and below the nurse anesthetist line, and the exact position depends on your market, your call load, and your case mix.
Nearest published classification
National median (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
Why it is a useful reference point
Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other (29-2099)
$50,290 per year
The residual bucket perfusionists fall into; pooled with unrelated jobs, so not a real benchmark
Surgical Technologists (29-2055)
$64,650 per year
Same operating room, far shorter training; a hard floor rather than a target
Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians (29-2031)
$74,310 per year
Closest cardiac classification, but diagnostic and interventional rather than bypass
Respiratory Therapists (29-1126)
$82,280 per year
Comparable extracorporeal and ventilation responsibility, often staffing the same ECMO program
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (29-2032)
$96,590 per year
A credential gated allied health specialty with a similar scarcity profile
Nurse Anesthetists (29-1151)
$236,590 per year
The other advanced operating room specialist; a practical ceiling reference
Two adjustments then apply. Call pay is a separate line item and candidates evaluate it separately, so publish the standby rate, the callback minimum, and the per case rate rather than folding everything into base. And publish a good faith range wherever pay transparency laws require one, because a clinical posting with no number attracts fewer applicants, not more.
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A staff perfusionist is normally exempt under the learned professional test, which covers work requiring advanced knowledge in a field of science customarily acquired through a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction. The definition sits in the federal regulation on learned professionals, and accredited perfusion education plus board certification fits it squarely.
The exemption still requires payment on a salary or fee basis of at least $684 per week. Call stipends, per case pay, and shift bonuses layered on a genuine base salary do not break it. What does break it is paying a per diem perfusionist a straight hourly rate, which fails the salary basis test and makes the role non-exempt with tracked hours and overtime past forty in a week.
Role variant
Usual classification
What to state in the posting
Staff perfusionist
Exempt, learned professional
Base salary, call ratio, standby and callback pay as separate lines
Chief perfusionist
Exempt, professional plus administrative duties
Base salary, administrative stipend, supervisory scope and case load split
Per diem paid hourly
Non-exempt
Hourly rate, overtime past forty hours, cancellation pay, monthly minimum
Per diem paid a fee per case
Exempt if the fee basis test is met
Fee per case, response time, and the assignment the fee covers
ECMO specialist, perfusionist credential
Exempt, learned professional
Salary, shift pattern, call rotation, drill and competency requirements
ECMO specialist, therapist or nurse on shifts
Usually non-exempt
Hourly rate, differentials included in the regular rate, shift length
Perfusion assistant / autotransfusion tech
Non-exempt
Hourly rate, overtime, scope limits, and what the role may not do
The other classification error is the contractor label. A per diem perfusionist whose schedule, protocols, equipment, and facility you control is an employee, whatever the invoice says. Our breakdown of exempt versus non-exempt classification works through the tests, and on-call pay rules covers when waiting time is compensable.
Blood Exposure Compliance Is Not Optional for Small Groups
Perfusion runs blood outside the body for the whole case, so the OSHA bloodborne pathogens standard applies to every person on the team, including per diem staff and assistants. You owe a written exposure control plan, engineering and work practice controls, personal protective equipment, the hepatitis B vaccination series offered at no cost within ten working days of a new employee starting exposure work, training at assignment and annually after that, a sharps injury log, and post exposure evaluation. Build the vaccination offer, the signed declination form, and the training record into onboarding so the file exists before an incident makes you look for it.
Hiring a Perfusionist Without an HR Department
Perfusion hiring fails in three predictable places: the team is too small to absorb a departure, the credentialing file moves slower than the start date, and nobody owns the paperwork. Each has a fix that costs less than the vacancy does.
A three person perfusion team has no slack, so one resignation becomes a coverage crisis
Cardiac programs run on small teams, and the call ratio is the first thing to break. When a four person rotation drops to three, every remaining person moves from one night in four to one in three, and the search you are running to fix it is competing against every other program doing the same thing. The practical answer is to keep a per diem pool credentialed and current before you need it, and to write the per diem posting once so it is ready to run the week a resignation lands. A per diem perfusionist who has already cleared credentialing at your facility can cover a case tomorrow. One who has not is eight weeks away no matter how quickly you sign them.
An independent perfusion group is a small business that has to look like a hospital department
Groups that contract coverage to community hospitals carry every obligation of an employer plus credentialing at each client facility. That means license and certification expirations tracked per person per site, continuing education documented on the board cycle, competency attestations, immunization records, exposure control training, and contract terms that all sit in different places. Most groups run this on a spreadsheet and a shared drive until something expires quietly. The fix is not more spreadsheets, it is a single employee record where the credential, its expiration date, the signed acknowledgment, and the training completion all live together and can be produced on demand when a hospital asks for the file.
The paperwork for one clinical hire is heavier than for ten office hires
A perfusionist onboarding packet is an entire compliance project: signed offer and call agreement, certification and license copies, primary source verification requests, immunization and titer records, hepatitis B vaccination offer or declination, bloodborne pathogens training, equipment competency sign off, policy acknowledgments, emergency contacts, and payroll forms. FirstHR was built for exactly this. The AI onboarding wizard runs the same sequence every time, built in e-signature handles the offer and the acknowledgments, document management stores licenses and certificates against each employee profile with renewal dates attached, and training modules cover safety orientation before the first case. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR. FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not a payroll provider.
Once the offer is signed, the job becomes a repeatable onboarding checklist with hard dates on every credential. For clinical teams specifically, our guide to healthcare onboarding covers the sequence from credentialing packet through first case sign off.
The retention side deserves the same attention, because in a three person department the cost of losing one person is the entire call schedule. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR, and until it launches the pipeline work is manual, which is one more argument for keeping a credentialed per diem pool warm. Our notes on recruitment and retention in healthcare cover that ground.
Key Takeaways
A cardiovascular perfusionist job description has to state four things generic templates omit: the certification requirement, the state license position, the call ratio and response time, and whether pediatric or extracorporeal support is in scope.
The Certified Clinical Perfusionist credential from the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion is the national bar, earned through two examinations after an accredited program and a documented case log, and maintained on a three year continuing education cycle.
Licensure is a state variable with no federal equivalent, and where it exists, as in Texas, it wraps the national credential and adds a jurisprudence examination rather than replacing certification.
The federal wage survey publishes no perfusionist occupation, so the role falls into a residual category with a May 2025 median of $50,290 that is not a usable benchmark; bracket instead against surgical technologists at $64,650 and nurse anesthetists at $236,590.
Staff and chief perfusionists are normally exempt learned professionals paid on a salary basis of at least $684 per week, while hourly per diem staff and perfusion assistants are non-exempt and owed overtime.
Privileging repeats at every facility a perfusionist covers, so open the credentialing packet the day the offer is accepted and treat the first case date as an output of that process, not an input.
Clinical hiring lives or dies on documents with expiration dates. FirstHR runs the same onboarding sequence for every perfusionist and assistant, with e-signature for offers and acknowledgments, document storage for certifications, licenses, and immunization records, and renewal dates tracked so nothing lapses quietly between credentialing cycles. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR. Browse the rest of the hiring templates library for the roles around this one.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a cardiovascular perfusionist do?
A cardiovascular perfusionist operates the cardiopulmonary bypass circuit during cardiac surgery, taking over the work of the heart and lungs while the surgeon operates on a stopped heart. During the case the perfusionist manages blood flow, arterial and venous pressures, oxygenation and blood gases, hematocrit, electrolytes, patient temperature, and anticoagulation, and delivers cardioplegia for myocardial protection. Around that core the role usually includes circuit selection, assembly and priming, cell salvage and blood conservation, support of intra-aortic balloon pumps, ventricular assist devices and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, the perfusion record for every case, and equipment testing and maintenance. Which of those extras you include changes the credential you need and the pay you have to offer, so state the scope in the posting instead of leaving it to the interview.
What certification does a cardiovascular perfusionist need?
The Certified Clinical Perfusionist credential from the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion is the national standard, and most postings should require it or accept board eligible candidates with a stated deadline. The board awards the credential through two examinations, the Perfusion Basic Science Examination and the Clinical Applications in Perfusion Examination. Eligibility runs through graduation from a perfusion education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs plus a documented case log, which the board sets at 75 cardiopulmonary bypass cases including at least 10 pediatric bypass cases, with 5 of the 75 being extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or ventricular assist device cases for candidates from July 1, 2023 onward. Recertification runs on a three year cycle requiring 45 continuing education units and ongoing clinical activity.
Do perfusionists need a state license?
It depends on the state, because there is no federal perfusion license and states split on whether they issue one. Where a license exists it generally wraps the national credential rather than replacing it. Texas is a clear example: the Texas Medical Board issues a Perfusionist license and a Provisional Perfusionist license, and the full license requires graduation from an accredited perfusion education program, the Certified Clinical Perfusionist credential held within the three years immediately preceding application, and a score of 75 or better on the Texas Medical Jurisprudence Examination, with the provisional license running one year and limited to five applications. In states with no perfusion license, the requirement is enforced through hospital credentialing and privileging instead. Check your state medical or allied health board before you write the requirement into the posting.
How much does a cardiovascular perfusionist make?
There is no federal answer, and that is worth knowing before you set a range. The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey publishes no perfusionist occupation, so the role is absorbed into the residual category Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other, which had a national median of $50,290 a year in the May 2025 vintage. That number pools dozens of unrelated jobs and is not a usable perfusion benchmark. The nearest published classifications bracket the role instead: surgical technologists at $64,650, cardiovascular technologists and technicians at $74,310, respiratory therapists at $82,280, diagnostic medical sonographers at $96,590, and nurse anesthetists, the other master’s level operating room specialist, at $236,590. Benchmark to local market data and comparable programs, and publish a good faith range where pay transparency rules apply.
Are cardiovascular perfusionists exempt from overtime?
A staff perfusionist normally is, under the learned professional exemption. The primary duty is work requiring advanced knowledge in a field of science customarily acquired through a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction, which is a fair description of accredited perfusion education plus board certification. The exemption also requires payment on a salary or fee basis of at least $684 per week, and call pay, per case pay, and stipends on top of a genuine base salary do not defeat it. Two situations break the pattern. A per diem perfusionist paid a straight hourly rate generally fails the salary or fee basis test and is non-exempt, meaning tracked hours and overtime past forty in a week. A perfusion assistant or autotransfusion technician trained on the job does not meet the advanced knowledge test at all and is non-exempt. This is general information, not legal advice.
How do I write the call coverage section of a perfusionist job description?
State four things as numbers rather than adjectives: the call ratio, the response time, the sites covered, and the pay. A perfusionist reads one in four call very differently from one in three, and a thirty minute response time decides where they can live. Say whether call is taken from home or on site, whether weekends and holidays rotate evenly, and what happens when a case runs past a shift. On pay, spell out whether call carries a standby stipend, a per case rate, a callback minimum, or a shift differential, and be explicit about cancellation pay for a per diem whose case is called off. Vagueness in this section reads as a program that has not decided, and experienced perfusionists have seen enough understaffed rotations to skip those postings entirely.
What is the difference between a perfusionist and a cardiovascular technologist?
They are different occupations with different credentials, different training, and different work. A perfusionist runs the cardiopulmonary bypass circuit during open heart surgery and manages the patient’s circulation while the heart is stopped, which requires an accredited perfusion program and board certification. A cardiovascular technologist performs diagnostic and interventional cardiac work: echocardiography, vascular studies, electrocardiograms, and catheterization laboratory assistance, credentialed through different bodies and paid on a different scale, with a national median of $74,310 a year in the May 2025 wage survey. The two roles overlap only in the sense that both live in cardiac care. Hiring one when you need the other is a costly mistake, so use the posting that matches the equipment the person will actually operate.
