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Sonographer

Overview and Key Facts

smiling doctor performing ultrasound
Education
Education
Associate's degree
Median Pay
Median Pay
$89,340
Job Growth
Job Growth
13.00%
(Above US Average)
Jobs in 2034
Jobs in 2034
101,700

What Do They Do?

A sonographer could...

 
ultrasound of an expecting mother
Conduct ultrasound for expecting mother during pregnancy.
soccer player knee injury
Scan a soccer player's knee to help diagnose if the pain is from an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury.
monitoring heart with sonogram
Help diagnose heart issues by looking at blood flow, valve function, and chamber size to determine overall condition of the heart.
ultrasound machine
Operate ultrasound machine to prepare images for a physician, noting differences between healthy and abnormal areas.
 
ultrasound of an expecting mother soccer player knee injury monitoring heart with sonogram ultrasound machine

Overview Listen to this section

Did you know you can use a machine that uses soundwaves to form images inside the body that you can't normally see? Sonographers are trained to use imaging machines to take these images. They use the images to help doctors find and treat medical issues. They use their skills in a hospital or medical clinic to help a variety of patients, from babies to older adults. Sonographers can look at a baby's heart in the womb to make sure the baby's heart is developing correctly. They could also use ultrasound on a patient with pain to identify the source of the pain.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYLfPP0UQWw

Do You Have the Skills and Characteristics of a Sonographer?


  1. Active Listening: ?
  2. Social Perceptiveness: ?
  3. Speaking: ?
  4. Reading Comprehension: ?
  5. Monitoring: ?
More skills...

Core Tasks

Think about if you'd like the typical tasks a Sonographer might do:
  • Observe screen during scan to ensure that image produced is satisfactory for diagnostic purposes, making adjustments to equipment as required.
  • Observe and care for patients throughout examinations to ensure their safety and comfort.
  • Provide sonogram and oral or written summary of technical findings to physician for use in medical diagnosis.
  • Operate ultrasound equipment to produce and record images of the motion, shape, and composition of blood, organs, tissues, or bodily masses, such as fluid accumulations.
  • Select appropriate equipment settings and adjust patient positions to obtain the best sites and angles.
  • Decide which images to include, looking for differences between healthy and pathological areas.
  • Prepare patient for exam by explaining procedure, transferring patient to ultrasound table, scrubbing skin and applying gel, and positioning patient properly.
  • Determine whether scope of exam should be extended, based on findings.
  • Obtain and record accurate patient history, including prior test results or information from physical examinations.
  • Maintain records that include patient information, sonographs and interpretations, files of correspondence, publications and regulations, or quality assurance records, such as pathology, biopsy, or post-operative reports.
  • Record and store suitable images, using camera unit connected to the ultrasound equipment.
  • Coordinate work with physicians or other healthcare team members, including providing assistance during invasive procedures.
  • Clean, check, and maintain sonographic equipment, submitting maintenance requests or performing minor repairs as necessary.
  • Perform clerical duties, such as scheduling exams or special procedures, keeping records, or archiving computerized images.
  • Perform legal and ethical duties, including preparing safety or accident reports, obtaining written consent from patient to perform invasive procedures, or reporting symptoms of abuse or neglect.
  • Supervise or train students or other medical sonographers.
  • Perform medical procedures, such as administering oxygen, inserting and removing airways, taking vital signs, or giving emergency treatment, such as first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
  • Maintain stock and supplies, preparing supplies for special examinations and ordering supplies when necessary.

Salary & Job Openings

Median Salary (Yearly Pay)

Tap or scroll over map to see median salaries for each state

Future Jobs

Blast-Off:

How Will Sonographer Jobs Grow by 2034?
Projected % Growth
Rapid growth
(10% or higher)
Much faster than average
(7% - 10%)
Faster than average
(5% - 7%)
About as fast as average
(3% - 5%)
Slower than average
(0% - 3%)
Decreasing
Average of all U.S. jobs (5.3%)
Sonographer jobs (13.00%)
Source: https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm

Steps to Get There: Becoming a Sonographer

High School Subjects to Study

Aim to study the yellow-shaded subjects.
Math
Algebra 1
Geometry
Algebra 2
Pre-Calculus
Calculus
Statistics
Science
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Environmental Science
Physiology
Bio-Medical / Biotech
IT &
Engineering
Computer Science
Applied Technology
Drafting & CAD Training
Core
English
Foreign Language
Business
Psychology / Sociology

Career Pathway Listen to this section

Programs typically include a clinical component in which students earn credit while working under the direction of an experienced technologist in a hospital, a physician's office, or an imaging laboratory.

Education- Typical Degree Needed After High School Listen to this section

Degree
Post
high school credential
AA
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctoral or Professional Degree

Typical degree for an entry-level position: Associate's degree ? Types of Degrees and Credentials

Colleges and universities offer both associate's and bachelor's degree programs in sonography. One-year certification programs also are available from colleges and some hospitals.

Sonography programs usually include courses in anatomy, medical terminology, and applied sciences. Instruction in sonography programs generally correspond to the relevant certification field, such as abdominal sonography or breast sonography.

Companies That Hire Sonographers

  • Kaiser Permanente
  • Dignity Health
  • Veteran's Affairs, Veterans Health Administration
  • UnitedHealth Group
  • Hospital Corporation of America (HCA)
  • Children's Hospital

Try it Out with an Activity or Project

STEM Activities

STEM activities are fun hands-on explorations that usually take from 10 minutes to one hour and use readily available household or classroom materials while introducing you to STEM concepts common in this career.

Science Project Ideas

Project Ideas are in-depth STEM explorations that have a strong focus on controlling variables, taking accurate measurements, and analyzing data suitable for investigating the scientific method or the engineering design process.

On the Job

Role Models

"My favorite thing about my job is the patient interaction. So what is special about ultrasound is we are with our patients for a longer period of time. As someone who took x-rays and now I'm a diagnostic medical sonographer, that's my title, you spend a lot longer with patients. Between thirty minutes to an hour. So I love that patient interaction, you get to know them really well. I also love just the field of ultrasound itself. It's very different from other imaging modalities, in that if my eyes don't see it, then the radiologist is never aware that there is pathology. So it's a very challenging and difficult job, but that's what makes it so great. You're always learning and you never stop learning." - Megan Lyons, Abdominal Ultrasound, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wjWZEMEmTA
"Ultrasound is a non-invasive technology within radiology that uses sound waves to make an image. We are able to do quite a few different organs for imaging. We can look at anything in the abdomen for general imaging, the liver, the gallbladder, kidneys, spleen. It's very easy for the patient, there's no radiation involved with ultrasound. When you perform an ultrasound it's very important to have interaction with your patient. You want to know what their symptomology is. Making sure they are comfortable. Making sure they understand the examination that is going to be done." - Laurie Troxclair, Sonographer Transplant Supervisor, Ochsner Health
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTfSOx7Is4A
"In this profession, it's all about the patients. And it's being able to be involved with their care, being a part of the family unit because we really become quite close to these people as they come back for multiple different entries into the cardiac imaging we do here. But it's mainly about the patients. And the imaging. So, if there is one thing I've loved since I started this job is doing cardiac imaging and being able to find or not find something that impacts the patient." - Dal Disler, Cardiac Sonography Supervisor, Alberta Children's Hospital
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_MfJRrbnlY

Nature of the Work

Sonographers use special machines to perform tests and create images. These images are called sonograms or ultrasounds. The images depict the body's organs and tissues. They work closely with physicians and surgeons. The doctor uses the images to diagnose medical conditions. Sonography is often the first imaging performed when disease is suspected.

Sonography uses high-energy sound waves to produce images of the inside of the body. The sonographer uses an instrument called a transducer. The transducer scans the parts of a patient's body that are being examined. The transducer makes pulses of sound that bounce back, making an echo. The echo forms an image on a computer that a doctor can examine. The doctor can use this image for diagnosis.

There are different types of medical sonographers. If a patient comes in with stomach pain, an abdominal sonographer will look at their stomach and nearby organs. If a doctor or patient feels lumps in a patient's breasts, a breast sonographer can confirm the presence of cysts or tumors. Sometimes breast sonographers help track tumors in the breast to help doctors decide on a treatment option. Cardiac sonographers image a patient's heart. They can look at the heart's chambers, valves and vessels. Sonographers can image a patient's heart while they're resting. They can also image a patient's heart after they have been physically active. Cardiac sonographers may also look at fetal hearts to help diagnose heart conditions during pregnancy. If a patient hurts their knee, a musculoskeletal sonographer will image muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints. They may perform an ultrasound while a doctor gives injections or does surgical procedures. This helps the doctor deliver medication or treatment directly to the hurt tissue. Pediatric sonographers image children and infants. This is common for medical conditions associated with premature births or birth defects. When a women is pregnant, they would see a obstetric and gynecologic sonographers. They specialize in imaging the female reproductive system. Many pregnant women receive sonograms to track the baby's growth and health. Vascular technologists create images of blood vessels and collect data to help physicians diagnose disorders affecting blood flow. Vascular technologists often evaluate blood flow and identify blocked arteries or blood clots.

Work Environment

Diagnostic medical sonographers are typically employed in hospitals, offices of physicians or medical and diagnostic laboratories. Sonographers complete most of their work at diagnostic imaging machines in dimly lit rooms. They may need to stand for long periods and to lift or turn patients who are ill or disabled.

Diagnostic medical sonographers work as part of a healthcare team that includes physicians and surgeons, registered nurses, and respiratory therapists.

Most diagnostic medical sonographers are full time, although part-time work is common. Because they may work in medical facilities that are always open, they may work in medical facilities that are always open, they may have shifts that include evenings, weekends, or overnights.

More Information

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