Medical imaging is important in diagnosing many health problems. While x-ray and magnetic resonance machines were once the most popular forms of medical imaging, today sonography is growing in popularity. Sonography has traditionally been used to check the baby during pregnancy, but it can also be used to produce images of organs, muscles, and other parts of the body. As this becomes more widely used in the medical world, the demand for diagnostic medical sonography professionals will only continue to rise. Could this be the right job for you?

Diagnostic medical sonographers typically choose one of several specialties to help focus their talents. The most common sonographer careers include obstetric and gynecologic sonographers, abdominal sonographers, neurosonographers, and breast sonographers. Obstetric and gynecologic (OB-GYN) sonographers are among the most popular in this career field, as they use sonography to monitor pregnancies, which is the safest imaging option for the fetus. Abdominal sonographers, on the other hand, specialize in diagnosing conditions of the liver, kidneys, gallbladder, stomach, pancreas, and spleen. Occasionally, abdominal sonographers also use sonographic technology to span the chest, though other machines are often more popular for diagnosing conditions in this area.

One growing area of diagnostic medical sonography is neurosonography. Professionals who work in this area of medical imagining use sonographic equipment to scan the brain and other parts of the nervous system. The machines used by neurosonographers use different frequencies and beams to create images. Another type of sonography that uses different frequencies and beams is the breast sonographer, which studies tissue through high-frequency beams. Breast sonographers diagnose breast cancer, which affects millions of women — and some men — every year.

To work as a diagnostic medical sonographer, no matter what specialty you choose, you need a solid education to help you find a job. Some employers hire and train those with just a high school diploma, but this is becoming increasingly rare. There are also 1-year training programs, which provide you with a certificate for sonography, but these programs are not accredited with the Commission on Accreditation for Allied Health Education Programs. However, there are nearly 150 two-year and four-year programs that are accredited, and most employers like to see one of these programs on your resume. As a sonographer, you don’t need any special license, but some registry programs are available, which can help you land a job after graduation.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, there were 46,000 sonographers in the United States as of 2006, mostly working in hospitals and earning, on average, $57,160 per year as of May 2006. By 2016, job availability is expected to rise about 19 percent, which is faster than average expected job growth across all industry. That means that today is the perfect time to consider a diagnostic medical sonographer career.