Ask a Nurse

Type your question here:

As sonography becomes increasingly more popular than traditional radiology, demand for health care professionals working as sonographers, who are formally known as diagnostic medical sonographers, is expected to continue growing. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts an 18 percent increase in employment for sonographers in the decade from 2008 and 2018, which is substantially faster than the growth average for all professions. A two-year degree in sonography can qualify you to enter this lucrative career.

Sonographer Salaries: High Return on a Two-Year Degree

As of 2009, the median sonographer salary amounted to $63,010 or $30.30 per hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The highest-paid sonographers in the country, the top 10 percent statistically, earned a salary of over $85,950. The highest-paying states for this profession are Massachusetts, Oregon, Colorado, and Washington. Roughly 60 percent of sonographers nationwide work in hospitals. The states of Florida, Connecticut, New Mexico, and Alabama have the highest concentration of health care workers in this field.

Traditionally, the minimum educational requirement to work in the profession is successful completion of an associate's degree, although some one-year degree programs, usually administered by vocational schools, are also acceptable for entry-level positions. As of 2008, more than 150 programs held accreditation in the U.S., including colleges, universities, and vocational schools. There is no license needed to work as a sonographer in any state, but employers prefer applicants who have been credentialed as Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (RDMS) by the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS). To receive and maintain this certification, applicants must pass exams and comply with continuing education requirements.