Cardiologist Salary in Nigeria (2023)

A cardiologist is a specialist medical doctor that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases associated with the heart and blood vessels. Presently, the number of cardiologists in Nigeria is little compared to other medical professions which is one of the reasons you should consider becoming one

Like most professional jobs in Nigeria, cardiologists are paid monthly and from what we gathered, the amount they are paid per month in Nigeria is 300,000 Naira and can get as high as 1,100,000 Naira.

What is Cardiologist’s Salary in Nigeria?

Level	Salary (Naira)
Entry Level	300,000
Experienced	1,100,000

Also, cardiologists are well paid mouthwatering salaries. So, if you are interested to become a cardiologist and you are concerned to know how much they are paid in Nigeria, you have come to the right place.

Cardiologists like their medical professional counterparts are highly regarded and paid. However, they rank higher than medical officers.

Cardiologists are important medical professionals who work as part of the healthcare team to care for patients. Aside from diagnosing and treating patients’ conditions, they also perform procedures such as electrocardiography (ECG), echocardiography, intervention cardiography, and so on.

Aside from the interesting job description of these professionals. We are interested in their monthly salary which will be discussed in-depth in this informative piece.

So, if this is the reason why you are here, you should continue reading to get all the information you need.

Cardiologist Salary in Nigeria

Cardiologists work hard to ensure their patients are well cared for and as well they are paid handsomely for their jobs. Like most professional jobs in Nigeria, cardiologists are paid monthly and from what we gathered, the amount they are paid per month in Nigeria is 300,000 Naira and can get as high as 1,100,000 Naira

To further breakdown the salary structure, below you will see that

• Junior resident cardiologist earns around 350,000 Naira per month;
• Senior registrar cardiology earns around 480,000 Naira per month; and
• Consultant cardiologist (specialist) earns around 800,000 Naira per month

More so, the salary stated above is not the same for everyone because there are differences. The factors that affect the salary of these professionals include years of work experience, job level, and the organization they are employed.

Also, note that the salary structure of cardiologists like other medical doctor specialists is regulated by two bodies:

1. Consolidated medical salary structure (CONMESS) for medical doctors working in hospitals.
2. Consolidated university academic structure (CONAUSS) for medical doctors who are tutors in the academic institutions.

These structures imply only to cardiologists working in government healthcare facilities.

Also, the salary includes allowances such as hazard, call duty, etc. along with other benefits that they are entitled to.

Average Salary

The average salary of cardiologists is 600,000 Naira. This means that there are cardiologists that earn more than the stated amount and there are others that earn slightly lower than the average salary.

Note, that there is a cardiologist, that earns more than the average salary, especially the consultants, and there are those that earn less than the stated average salary especially the junior resident and senior registrar.

Above all, the location of the healthcare facility, and the healthcare facility where you work are the major factors that affect the amount paid.

Entry Level Salary

The entry-level salary is the amount paid to a cardiologist who just gains employment just like in other professions.

Under this category, you will find especially the junior resident consultants. The amount paid to consultants who are newly employed and receiving entry-level salaries begins from 300,000 Naira to 350,000 Naira.

However, payment can differ from the stated amount above depending on which factors that we earlier stated are in play. As such, the salary can be higher or it can be lesser.

Senior Level Salary

Senior-level salary is the amount paid to senior employees who have gained high years of work experience with at least 10 years and above.

Consultant cardiologists are most likely to be in this category because they earn the highest. As such, the senior-level salary paid to cardiologists per month begins from 700,000 Naira and above.

Senior-level employees can earn more than the stated above salary especially those who work in a teaching hospital at the federal or state level and are also involved in private practice.

Where can they Work?

The essence of studying a course is to be absorbed into an organization where you can put your knowledge and skills to use. That is why it is important that before you pursue to study a course, make your findings of where you can work.

This will help you know whether upon graduation you can easily gain employment or not.

So, having discussed the cardiologist salary in Nigeria, we also include the places where cardiologists can work in Nigeria.

Interestingly, due to the job description of cardiologists, they are confined to work by and large in the hospitals, clinics, and family practices.

Also, they can work in private practice meaning they can opt to establish a private clinic where they can work.

Outside the hospital arena, the cardiologist can work in academic institutions, especially at the university. Also, they can work in health maintenance organizations and medical agencies.

Types of Jobs available for Cardiologists

Cardiology is a medical profession under the internal medicine department. Cardiologists or heart specialists as they are fondly called are the professionals in this discipline.

Their primary job is to treat irregularities and diseases of the heart and cardiovascular system. There are several subspecialties from which a cardiologist can choose.

The types of jobs available for these professionals include:

• Interventional Cardiologists

These cardiologists perform invasive testing and treatments are used to identify and treat heart illness

• Cardiovascular Surgeons

The job done by these professionals is to operate on the heart, veins, and arteries. Some of the heart surgeries performed include coronary bypass surgery (common surgery), angioplasty and endarterectomy, and heart transplant.

• Invasive Non-Interventional Cardiologist

These professionals perform cardiac catheterisations by inserting a tube through a blood artery to obtain an image of the affected region of the heart If a pacemaker is required, it will be implanted.

With this, you can decide to choose which specialization you want to do base on your strength in the profession.

Roles / Duties of Cardiologist

Going forward in our discourse, it is time to outline the role of cardiologists. It is not enough to only acquire the knowledge and skill of the profession without knowing what to do or how to discharge your responsibilities.

With that being said, highlighted below are the roles/duties of a cardiologist.

• Meet with patients to learn about their medical histories and symptoms
• Cardiologists explain the tests and procedures to their patients
• Conduct diagnostic tests to determine the cause and nature of the disease
• Discuss possible treatment methods with the patients
• Examine and interpret the test results and explain them to the patients
• Prescribe medication, conduct non-invasive procedures or perform surgery
• Coordinate medical staff for tests and procedure
• Recommend postoperative care, and educate the patients about how to lead healthier lives
• Educate patients about how to live a healthier life thereby promoting good health.
• Give prescriptions and medication reviews for patients

How to Become a Cardiologist

Wishing and dreaming do not make you a cardiologist. There are basic steps that you must take to become one. The important step to becoming a cardiologist is to get formal training.

So, to become a cardiologist in Nigeria, you must

1. You must obtain O’level certification with a minimum of 5 credit pass in subjects combination of mathematics, English language, chemistry, physics, biology
2. Apply to study medicine in an accredited university in Nigeria by sitting for UTME and Post UTME. The training usually takes 5-6 years to complete.
3. After graduating with your MBBS, you will be required to do a compulsory 1-year internship program known as a “house job”.
4. You will have to go for a residency programme in any accredited university teaching hospital in Nigeria or abroad where you can choose to specialize as a cardiologist. The residency programme can take up to 4-5 years.

Additional requirement before you can begin your residency program to specialize as a cardiologist is to be registered as a medical doctor with the Nigeria Medical Doctors and Dentist Association.

Required Skill to become a Cardiologist

Cardiologists work with a wide range of patients, from children to seniors. They are expected to perform their duties excellently using the right skill as expected.

Furthering our discourse, below are the required skill you need to become a cardiologist.

• Should be able to perform well under pressure
• Ability to work well as part of a team
• Should be accurate and meticulous during patient care
• Show concern and empathy towards the patient
• Should be patient, calm and emotionally balanced
• Need to be tactful, and able to put patients at ease
• Ability to make quick, sound decisions during an emergency
• Should be responsible and ethical
• Ability to lead or head a team
• Must be well organized
• Should be able to manage time

These are the required skills a cardiologist should possess to optimally discharge their duties beyond expectation. Note that the list is not exhaustive and the more you practice, the more skills you will learn and acquire.

Also, it is expected that you continue to educate yourself by attending conferences, seminars, and workshops as well as reading medical publications.

Related:

• Civil Engineering Salary in Nigeria
• Agricultural Engineering Salary in Nigeria
• Cyber Security Salary in Nigeria
• Computer Scientist Salary in Nigeria
• Biochemist Salary in Nigeria

Closing

I believe that you must have learnt all that you need to know about cardiologist salary in Nigeria by now. You can see that the monthly take-home of a cardiologist is very lucrative even though the pay is low compared to what cardiologists in other countries are paid. Nonetheless, it is still one of the highly paid medical specialties in Nigeria and you can also become one if you are ready to go through the rigours.