Diagnostic Medical Sonography Technician Average Salary

As of 2011, there were about 54,760 diagnostic medical sonographers in the United States, according to The United States Department of Labor. Employment in this field continues to rise each year, as more and more hospitals and other medical facilitates embrace this form of diagnostic imaging. Once used almost exclusively by OB-GYNs to monitor the fetus during pregnancy, sonography today is used in a number of areas of medicine. As the field grows, more colleges are beginning programs to help potential sonographers learn more about the field with an intense medical education. There are both two-year and four-year programs available, and although the cost of education can be high, the diagnostic medical sonography technician salary you can expect may make you forget all about what you’re paying in tuition and fees.

The average annual salary of a diagnostic medical sonography technician as of 2011 was $65,800, and on the rise, giving sonographers an average wage of over $30 per hour. The middle 50 percent of people in this career made on average $65.210 per year, and the top sonographers have salaries that approach six digits. Considering that this career field can start with just a two-year education, that’s a lot of money.

Factors That Influence Your Salary

Of course, location plays a huge role in the amount of money you can expect to make. Salary can vary depending on if you choose to live in an urban area as opposed to a rural area, as well as the type of facility where you work. If you are flexible with the location where you end up, then you can take a look at areas where professionals in this field pull the highest salaries. The states with the highest average incomes in 2011 were:

California: $81,750
Oregon: $80,190
Massachusetts: $79,650
Colorado: $79,540
Connecticut: $79,060

You may have to go where the jobs are, however. As of 2011, the highest employment concentration was in California, with other high concentrations found in Florida, New York, Texas, and Pennsylvania. In all of these states, annual salary was between $58,260 and $81,750. If you want to make the most money possible in this career, check out opportunities in the metropolitan California area, where diagnostic medical sonography technicians averaged between $100,000 and $105,000.

Work Environment and Your Salary

The average salary you can expect also depends on where you work. By far, the largest employers of diagnostic medical sonography technicians were in general medical and surgical hospitals, but you can also find work through other sources. This all depends on what type of work you are interested in doing and where you can find available positions. Other facilities where sonographers can find work include:

Physicians’ offices
Medical and diagnostic laboratories
Outpatient care centers
Colleges, universities, and professional schools

Some of the top-paying industries for medical sonographers are:

Colleges, universities, and professional schools: $74,540
Outpatient care centers: $72,470
Specialty hospitals (except psychiatric and substance abuse): $$71,970
Management of companies and enterprises: $71,630
Management and consulting services: $70,130

You’ll also be rewarded with a higher salary for staying with a company for a long time, staying registered as a sonographer by taking annual classes, and becoming a specialist by focusing on one type of sonography. Continuing to further your education and pursue additional certifications can only help you progress in the field and command a higher salary. No matter what career decisions you make, though, this is one job you can expect to be high-paying well into the future. And the demand for qualified sonographers continues to grow, so job outlook is positive for this industry.

Earn a Healthcare Service Degree Online

If you already have a job and don't have time for rigid class schedules, earning a degree online is the way to go. With the degree programs listed below, you can earn your health services degree in as little as one or two years. Although there aren't any specific sonography degrees online, a related health services degree is just what you need to jump start your career as an ultrasound tech.

	Select a subject, degree level, and click the "Find My Degree" button to be matched with 100+ accredited online and local campus-based colleges offering relevant degree programs...
AS in Health IT	DeVry University — The associate's degree program in health information technology from DeVry University, while not an ultrasound technologist degree program, is a related healthcare service program which prepares its students to manage electronic health information systems and work with healthcare applications. HIT professionals work with nurses, physicians, diagnostic medical sonography techs, and more in myriad health organizations.
AAS in Medical Assisting	Kaplan University — The Associate of Applied Science degree in medical assisting from Kaplan University is not a sonography program, but might make a good background for the field . It provides an entry-level education perfectly suited for those wishing to go into a career in diagnostic medical sonography. Students of this program will learn all the basic skills required of any medical assistant.
AS in Medical Assisting	Herzing University — Herzing University has an associate's degree in medical assisting program, which is not the same thing as an ultrasound technologist program, but is very similar, that is focused on preparing students to become the next generation of healthcare leaders with knowledge of advanced medical technologies, such as health systems databases, songraphy equipment, and more.
AS in Medical Assisting	Keiser University — The associate's degree in medical assisting offered by Keiser University is one of the quickest and most affordable ways to begin a sonography career. Students in this program will learn to handle advanced medical equipment, such as X-ray, ultrasound, and EKG machines. Note: This is not an ultrasound tech degree.
AS in Health IT	Hodges University — Hodges University's online Associate of Science in Health Information Technology program, while not an ultrasound technologist degree program, is a related healthcare service program which prepares its students to understand and support the information needs of the healthcare industry. Students who graduate with an HIT degree become proficient in managing patient health information and medical records, administering computer information systems, and coding the diagnoses and procedures for healthcare services provided to patients.
AAS in Health IT	Rasmussen College — Rasmussen college does not have a diagnostic sonography program, but does have related healthcare service programs such as an A.A.S. degree in health information technology. This Rasmussen College program provides students with an opportunity to have a handle on medical front office procedures such as managing patient accounts and records, word processing, and scheduling of patients.
BS in Health Services	Virginia College — Please note that this is not an ultrasound technologist degree. The BS degree in health services management offered by Virginia College Online offers a thorough teaching across a wide spectrum of healthcare topics. This program will prepare individuals for a career in healthcare management, a step above being a general sonographer.
AS in Medical Assisting	San Joaquin Valley College — The online AS in medical assisting program from San Joaquin Valley College teaches students key skills related to medical assisting, cultivating areas of expertise that will help a diagnostic medical sonographer in his/her job. Please note that this is not a diagnostic medical sonography degree.
AAS in Healthcare IT	Carrington College California — For individuals aspiring to begin their careers in medical assisting or sonography tech, the Carrington College California, formerly known as Wester Career College, offers an AAS in healthcare IT that will help anyone get a leg up on the competition. Students of this program will learn medical terminology, billing and coding practices, and the maintenance and updating of patient medical records. Please note that this is not an ultrasound technologist degree.
AS in Health Admin AS in Human Services	Iowa Central College — Iowa Central College is a community college that offers their degrees to a national student base through their online program. For the aspiring medical sonographer, ICC offfers two related degrees, though not specialized sonograph programs, in the healthcare field: an AS in health care administration and an AS in human services.