<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2012-12-14</periodOfReport>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000064803</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>CVS CAREMARK CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>CVS</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001192152</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>PICCOLO C A</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>ONE CVS DRIVE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>WOONSOCKET</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>RI</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>02895-</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2012-12-14</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness></transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>48555</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>49.38</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>231461</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2012-12-14</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness></transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>50000</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>48.96</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>181461</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Represents weighted average sale price for this trading day.  Multiple sales were executed, with sales prices ranging from $48.95 and $49.69 per share.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Represents weighted average sale price for this trading day.  Multiple sales were executed, with sales prices ranging from $48.85 and $49.04 per share.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Includes 48,555 shares received in 2008 in an exempt distribution from Issuer's 401(k) plan that were inadvertently omitted from insider's subsequent Form 4 filings.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ C.A. LancePiccolo</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2012-12-17</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
