A diagnostic medical Sonographer or an ultrasound technician uses a specialized equipment emitting sound waves to capture the images of patient’s body part under investigation and reports them to the concerned physician, acting as a link between the patient & the physician. A diagnostic ultrasound technician provides crucial information for the correct diagnoses & treatment of the patient. Medical sonography is a highly regarded and also amongst the highest paid professions in the healthcare field.
Diagnostic medical sonography salary
Various factors affect the salary of an ultrasound technician like educational background, experience, geographical location, type of industry. Depending on the above factors, a diagnostic medical sonographer may earn anywhere from $25,955 to $72,900. In the year 2011, the median annual salary of an ultrasound technician was calculated to be $65,200 and the median hourly earnings was $31.35.
The salary variation according to Experience, location, industry type, employer type has been discussed below.
- Experience - A fresh graduate may earn within the range of$19,505 to $40,505 as annual salary while ultrasound sonographers with 5-10 years of experience are expected to receive an annual salary of$29,735 to$70,520.
- State wise salary- Highest paying state is DC with salary range of $92,200 to$ 88,900 a year, followed by Alaska, Maryland, Nevada, and Washington. The lower end paying states are Alabama, Mississippi, and Arkansas where annual salaries of medical sonographers were recorded to be $53,400 in the year 2012.
- Industry type-Hospitals have been found to pay higher to ultrasound technicians, that is, up to $85,150 than Medical offices that pay around $30,000 to$ 50,000 annually.
Conclusion
The projected job outlook for the 2010-2020 for ultrasound technician is 44% according to Bureau of Labor Statistics. Thus, choosing Diagnostic sonography as a career option is an extremely lucrative option for students.