North Dakota is ranked the top state in the country for cardiologists to live and work by job market research company Zippia.
The 2021 ranking took into account median salary, cost of living and the Bureau of Labor Statistics' location quotient, which measures how concentrated an industry or occupation is in a single state compared to the nation as a whole.
A location quotient of 1.5, for example, means a state has 1.5 times the concentration of cardiologist jobs compared to the national average. A higher location quotient means more jobs are available in that state in a particular industry.
The top 25 states for cardiologists:
*Asterisk denotes states with certificate of need laws that do not regulate ASCs.
1. North Dakota
- Average annual salary: $221,066
- Location quotient: 1.77
- ASC per (100k) capita: 1.67
- CON law: No
2. Wisconsin
- Average annual salary: $205,911
- Location quotient: 2.4
- ASC per (100k) capita: 1.44
- CON law: No
3. Minnesota
- Average annual salary: $211,714
- Location quotient: 1.22
- ASC per (100k) capita: 1.42
- CON law: No
4. Maine
- Average annual salary: $201,409
- Location quotient: 3.71
- ASC per (100k) capita: 1.10
- CON law: Yes
5. Iowa
- Average annual salary: $205,973
- Location quotient: 1.03
- ASC per (100k) capita: 0.91
- CON law: Yes
6. Indiana
- Average annual salary: $211,105
- Location quotient: 0.87
- ASC per (100k) capita: 1.90
- CON law: Yes*
7. Ohio
- Average annual salary: $201,094
- Location quotient: 1.01
- ASC per (100k) capita: 1.65
- CON law: Yes*
8. Wyoming
- Average annual salary: $214,035
- Location quotient: 0.39
- ASC per (100k) capita: 3.12
- CON law: No
9. Alaska
- Average annual salary: $202,692
- Location quotient: 1.26
- ASC per (100k) capita: 2.45
- CON law: Yes
10. Missouri
- Average annual salary: $208,765
- Location quotient: 0.84
- ASC per (100k) capita: 1.66
- CON law: Yes*
11. Kentucky
- Average annual salary: $202,377
- Location quotient: 0.8
- ASC per (100k) capita: 0.78
- CON law: Yes
12. New Mexico
- Average annual salary: $196,886
- Location quotient: 1.73
- ASC per (100k) capita: 0.94
- CON law: No
13. Montana
- Average annual salary: $202,256
- Location quotient: 0.91
- ASC per (100k) capita: 1.75
- CON law: Yes*
14. Pennsylvania
- Average annual salary: $194,569
- Location quotient: 1.24
- ASC per (100k) capita: 1.91
- CON law: No
15. Colorado
- Average annual salary: $210,980
- Location quotient: 0.69
- ASC per (100k) capita: 2.32
- CON law: No
16. Tennessee
- Average annual salary: $196,769
- Location quotient: 0.92
- ASC per (100k) capita: 2.00
- CON law: Yes
17. Utah
- Average annual salary: $198,156
- Location quotient: 0.92
- ASC per (100k) capita: 1.38
- CON law: No
18. Washington
- Average annual salary: $197,077
- Location quotient: 1.49
- ASC per (100k) capita: 2.43
- CON law: Yes
19. North Carolina
- Average annual salary: $191,295
- Location quotient: 1.2
- ASC per (100k) capita: 1.24
- CON law: Yes
20. Kansas
- Average annual salary: $201,199
- Location quotient: 0.31
- ASC per (100k) capita: 2.28
- CON law: No
21. West Virginia
- Average annual salary: $187,887
- Location quotient: 1.31
- ASC per (100k) capita: 0.45
- CON law: Yes
22. South Dakota
- Average annual salary: $197,486
- Location quotient: 0.55
- ASC per (100k) capita: 1.69
- CON law: No
23. New Hampshire
- Average annual salary: $190,464
- Location quotient: 1.34
- ASC per (100k) capita: 1.96
- CON law: No
24. Idaho
- Average annual salary: $191,632
- Location quotient: 0.93
- ASC per (100k) capita: 2.99
- CON law: No
25. Georgia
- Average annual salary: $191,821
- Location quotient: 0.97
- ASC per (100k) capita: 3.44
- CON law: Yes