Base, call, overtime, bonus.
We ask about total compensation signals, not just a single salary number.
Salary & work-life survey
Help build a clearer pay picture for perfusion and cardiac OR careers.
Compensation posts can be confusing because base pay, call, overtime, ECMO coverage, travel work, and experience level all change the story. This survey collects structured, anonymous information so future guides can be more useful.
Why collect this
Salary alone does not explain the job.
A staff perfusion role with heavy call can look very different from a new-grad role, a chief perfusion role, a pediatric center, an ECMO-heavy position, or a travel contract. The goal is to collect enough context that pay data becomes useful instead of misleading.
Hours, call, cases, ECMO.
Call burden, adult/peds mix, and coverage expectations can change how a job feels.
New grad through chief.
Years of experience and role level help prevent bad comparisons.
State and metro, not exposure.
We ask for general location so trends can be grouped without identifying people.
What we ask
Enough detail to make the data useful. Not enough to expose people.
The survey is designed to support anonymous, aggregate insights like pay ranges by experience level, call burden patterns, staff vs travel differences, and how ECMO coverage relates to work-life.
| Category | Examples | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Role and credential | Staff perfusionist, chief perfusionist, ECMO specialist, student, cardiac device clinical specialist; CCP/RN/RT/other. | Different roles should not be blended into one number. |
| Experience | 0–1, 2–4, 5–9, 10+ years. | New-grad pay and senior compensation are not the same market. |
| Work setting | Academic center, community hospital, children’s hospital, staffing/travel, device company. | Setting changes pay, schedule, and responsibility. |
| Compensation | Base salary or hourly rate, estimated total annual comp, bonus, call pay, overtime/extra shift. | Total compensation is often more informative than base salary alone. |
| Schedule | Weekly hours, call burden, nights/weekends, travel/contract status. | Work-life context prevents misleading salary comparisons. |
| Location | State and optional metro/region. | Regional context matters, but exact personal identification is avoided. |
Anonymous aggregate survey
Share your compensation and work-life data.
Use your best estimate if you do not know the exact number. Leave employer name blank if you prefer. If a question feels too identifying, skip it.
Results will only be published in grouped/aggregate form. Small samples may be combined by region, role, or experience level to reduce identifiability.
How results will be used
Aggregate trends, not individual exposure.
The Pump Room may publish future summaries like “new-grad staff perfusion pay ranges,” “call burden patterns,” or “staff vs travel compensation notes.” We will not publish names, emails, or employer-specific responses without permission.
Small sample rule
If a category has too few responses, we combine it with a broader category or do not publish it.
No patient information
Responses should never include patient information, case details, protected health information, or private workplace documents.
Corrections welcome
If a published range looks wrong or misleading, readers can submit corrections or context for review.