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| What is Ultrasound? | ||
| Ultrasound is a form of non-invasive medical imaging, which uses transducers and high-frequency sound to image a patient's internal organs, tissues, and blood flow for the purpose of diagnosis. Diagnostic ultrasound is also referred to as sonography or ultrasonography. | ||
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Don’t wait another day to take the next step forward in your career. Kaplan College can give you the real-world knowledge and skills you need to succeed in your chosen field.
DeVry University
DeVry University offers flexible scheduling and the convenience to study at any of 80+ locations, online or a combination of both. Earn a respected associate degree, bachelor's degree or master's degree from an accredited university. A career-oriented education from DeVry University will put you in a great place to begin or advance in the workplace when you graduate.
Penn Foster
Penn Foster offers affordable, self-paced career-focused distance education programs in fields like business, criminal justice, health services, technology, engineering, paralegal studies and more.
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Sonographer Salary Levels
A sonographer technician salary can be as high at $72,230 and the field of employment for sonography technicians will increase by as much as 27 percent through 2014.
Below is a list of Frequently Asked Questions –– and our Frequently Provided Answers about diagnostic ultrasound technicians and graduates of sonography tech schools.
Q. What is a typical annual sonographer technician salary?
A. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in May 2004, the median annual earnings for a sonographer technician was $52,490, though the highest 10 percent of ultrasound diagnostic technicians (also called sonography technicians) earned more than $72,230.
Where you work can effect what you are paid. For example, in May 2004, median earnings of diagnostic medical sonographers who graduated from sonagraphy tech schools was $53,790 in physicians’ offices and $51,860 in general medical and surgical hospitals.
Q. How many sonographer technicians are there across the U.S.?
A. Again, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, sonographer tech school alumni held about 42,000 jobs in 2004. About 60 percent of these ultrasound technician jobs were in public and private hospitals, while the majority of the balance were in physicians offices, or in medical and diagnostic laboratories, including diagnostic imaging centers.
Q. What is the job outlook for sonographer technicians?
A. Employment of diagnostic medical sonographers is expected to grow much faster than the average –– as high as a 27 percent increase for all occupations through 2014. Factors for this amazing expansion include a growing, aging population, plus increased demand for diagnostic imaging and therapeutic technology.
Sonography technicians will be in demand because ultrasound technology is rapidly becoming a popular, safer alternative to radiologic procedures. Because it does not involve radiation, there are no harmful side effects or complications from repeated use. Sonographic technology used by sonagraphy tech schools graduates is expected to evolve rapidly and spawn many new procedures, such as 3D- and 4D-sonography for obstetric and ophthalmologic diagnosis.
Q. How will experience affect my sonographer technician salary?
A. You can’t expect to make top dollar when you first become a sonography technician. So typically, sonography technician salaries will be lower for entry-level workers and higher for senior positions. In fact, the annual technician salary for a chief ultrasound technologist ranges from $56,627 to $68,690.
The median hourly wage for sonagraphy tech schools graduates with different experience levels are as follows:
- Less than 1 year, $19;
- 1 to 3 years, $20.75;
- 4 to 6 years, $22.73;
- 7 to 9, $24.33;
- 10 to 14 years, $25;
- 15 to 20, $25;
- More than 20, $26.05.
Q. What other salary considerations for sonagraphy tech schools should I know about?
A. According to UltrasoundJobs.com, there are three factors that affect your salary:
- If you’re not registered with the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS), an ultrasound or sonography technician can expect lower pay.
- The more types of specialties (abdomen, breast, OB/GYN, etc.) that a sonagraphy tech schools graduate has learned, the higher your pay.
- Your employer, background, level of education or certification, as well as your state of residence can all affect your ultrasound salary, according to a recent Ultrasound Jobs.com survey.