Sonography is a noninvasive technology, which means it's much more comfortable for the patient.
Medical ultrasound technology shoots sound waves at pitches higher than human hearing toward a part of the body and reads the echoes to create an image of the structure. A sonographer is the technologist who operates the ultrasound machinery. Her salary reflects her level of skill and may vary according to a number of factors.
Average Income
Figures published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2009 placed the mean yearly salary for sonographers in the U.S. at $63,640. Benefits and bonuses (such as pension contributions and profit-sharing) may add to this salary.
Location
Where a sonographer practices her profession may well influence the money she makes each year. The May 2009 survey by the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that Massachusetts offered the highest mean salary -- $78,460. While Florida was the state that employed the most sonographers, its mean wage level was just $56,030.
Employer
Analysis conducted by PayScale.com in January 2011 illustrated how salary levels for sonographers can differ depending on the nature of their employers. Private companies and federal government agencies offered similar average salaries -- $40,452 to $61,745 and $40,000 to $63,173, respectively -- while private practice offered the greatest rewards -- between $48,215 and $69,158.
Experience
As a sonographer spends more time in her chosen profession, her salary expectations should rise incrementally in response. PayScale.com listed the average salary for individuals with less than 12 months in diagnostic sonography as between $35,608 and $50,694. Those who have worked for between five and nine years can expect $46,614 to $62,262, while the salary range for sonographers with between 10 and 19 years under their belts is listed as $55,106 to $72,876.
Outlook
Employment projections published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2008 suggest that prospects are good for sonographers. The BLS estimates that there will be a rise in demand for the services of sonographers of 18 percent through 2018. Primarily this will be due to the baby boomer generation reaching retirement age, fueling an expansion of the medical sector as a whole. Sonographer salaries should, therefore, remain extremely competitive, particularly as their specialism is one of the more cost-effective technologies and is thus favored by healthcare providers.
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