How Much Does An Ultrasound Tech Make?
If you've found yourself on a page about how much diagnostic medical sonographers, or ultrasound techs, make, you may be entertaining the thought of becoming one in the future. This article takes an in-depth look at what job growth and salaries of these healthcare professionals will look like for the coming years.
Ultrasound technologists play a critical role in patient care by taking images (sonograms) of particular areas of the body in need of diagnosis.
If you’re considering a career in healthcare, medical sonography can be a very attractive option due to the very high salaries and above-average growth rate over the coming decade.
How Much Do Ultrasound Techs Make?
How much an ultrasound tech can make via salary can vary depending on the location of the job, corporate vs. private practice, experience of the individual, and demand for diagnostic medical sonographers. Use the table at the end of this article to find out whether your state, or the state you eventually want to work in, pays its ultrasound techs above or below the national average.
As represented in the graph below, psychiatrists can expect to earn a median hourly wage of $99.55, or $207,067 per year:
Return on Investment
Diagnostic medical sonographers and ultrasound techs have one of the best cost-benefit ratios in the healthcare industry. Most CAAHEP certified sonography programs are 2-year programs resulting in earning an associate degree.
Most of these are offered can be found at your local community colleges, and can be very cost-effective. Compared to physicians who may have to pay up to $480,000 over the course of their lives for their education, diagnostic medical sonographers will have to take out very little in student loans.
Best States for Ultrasound Tech Salaries
A major factor in determining what your salary may look like is the location in which you plan to work. However, this principle applies to nearly all occupations largely due to the varying cost-of-living rates across the country.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics collects salary and employment data for nearly all positions, nationwide. The following table includes all data compiled from the BLS from each state including total number of jobs and wages as of May 2016.
Search or sort the table to find out what you can expect to make if sonography is in your future:
*Location quotients serve as a statistical representation of the concentration of a resource, like jobs, with a broader base area.