Welcome to Ultrasound Technician News, our USA specific online-portal, built to provide comprehensive and useful ultrasound technician data, statistics, and resources for people like you: Motivated high ultrasound technician salary seekers in the USA. You will find information about specific sonographers programs, sonographer salaries, current job outlooks, best ultrasound tech schools, new scholarships, online courses, bachelors or masters-level program and sonogram technician career information in the United States of America.

Source: BLS

An Ultrasound technician, also known as sonogram technician or diagnostic medical sonographer, has the important job of diagnosing medical conditions in patients. They use an ultrasound machine to examine a patient’s inner body to locate any abnormalities, record the findings, and report them to the treating physician. Unlike X-Ray, radiation is not involved here. Instead, ultrasound shows the inside of the body using hi-frequency sound waves. These technicians can provide images that give the physician a better sense of what is needed for the course of medical treatment.

If you wish to be trained as an ultrasound tech, the timing couldn’t be better. You should get yourself enrolled in an university that offers a study path for sonographers. You can check a few local colleges to get to know the different programs being offered in order to help you deciding what university you want to attend, or if you want to start with an online-course first. Inform yourself, visit a few schools and inspect the training facilities offered. Schools tie up with hospitals to provide training to students, so you can opt for a school that is tied up with a hospital you wish to work with in the near future.

Ultrasound Technician Schools

There are huge possibilities of career growth and employment and possibilities are growing for years to come, according to the US BLS (Bureau of Labor and Statistics). The number of technologists is expected to increase by 48% at the current ratio, which would be more than 56,000 Registered and Certified Ultrasound Technologists in the USA alone.

As a result, many high school graduates want to pursue a career in the medical field. Quite interestingly though, not only students are interested in this field, but even people already working in the healthcare department are looking to shift their career into the Ultrasound Technology field. If you are interested as well (ok, you wouldn’t be reading this, if you weren’t, so.. point taken), there are quite a few pieces of information that are very important for you on your journey to become an ultrasound technician.

Ultrasound Tech Education

Those interested in becoming an ultrasound technician / ultrasound technologist need to work through a formal education program first. An associate’s degree program is the most popular path, but some decide on a bachelor degree or a certification program. Most of the programs are found at community colleges, technical/vocation schools, and universities. Those in the military can receive training via their unit, if it provides it. (some do)

During training, students will learn about human anatomy to understand what to look for during testing. They must become knowledgeable in areas like pathophysiology and obstetrics. In addition, they need to be trained on how to use the ultrasound equipment. After completing coursework, students must go through training in a hospital for hands-on experience, a requirement of the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS).

While certification isn’t required, it is recommended. Obviously, many employers prefer technicians to be certified, because it shows how knowledgeable and skilled they are in ultrasound sonography. To receive the certification, they need to pass the ARDMS certification exam. Re-certification is also required and involves taking continuing education courses.

Minimum requirements:

Like other programs or courses, this program needs students to have a high school diploma or higher education.As an exception, career shifters already working in the health care department can get direct admission to ultrasound technician schools based on their previous experience in the medical field.

Various training and courses:

There are more than 150 CAAHEP affiliated programs and courses, but there are a few basic courses in order to become an ultrasound technologist.

Basically, these are the 3 major types of programs available for sonographers:

• Four Year Program: This is a bachelor degree which helps to get into those sonogram technician jobs requiring more experience / education.
• Two Year Program: This is an associate degree which can be beneficial for candidates who do not want to spend their time studying.
• One Year Program: Now this is a “fast track option” for career shifters, mainly for people who are already in the health care department and/or looking to get into the master’s degree or prepare for other advanced opportunities in the field.

Difference Between Accredited and Non-Accredited Ultrasound Technician Schools

Employers are usually very strict in their requirements for certified or registered ultrasound technicians. Most of the time they give preference to technicians accredited by CAAHEP (Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs).

Students that graduate from affiliated schools have therefore a “higher marketing value” simply because affiliated schools have higher standards than others. Most universities offer CAAHEP affiliated courses.

Here are the Top 10 Ultrasound Technician Schools in the US

S. No.	Website	Admission Info	School Name
1.		Free Admission Info	The College of Health Care Professions
2.		Free Admission Info	Platt College
3.		Free Admission Info	American Institute College of Health Professions
4.		Free Admission Info	Kaplan College
5.		Free Admission Info	Sanford-Brown
6.		Free Admission Info	Sanford-Brown College
7.		Free Admission Info	Keiser Career College
8.		Free Admission Info	Keiser University
9.		Free Admission Info	Daymar College
10.		Free Admission Info	Sanford-Brown Institute

Alternatives for students

Students who don’t have the time and money to pay attention in a classroom on a daily basis doing full-time studies have ultrasound technician online programs available to them, which suits them and the professional teachers involved as well. They provide videos, forums and discussion boards, help via email and answers to any queries students have related to their Sonography course. Students basically study the same course online that they would in a classroom, with the same depth of sonography knowledge being taught.

Subjects offered by Ultrasound Tech Schools:

• Physics
• Patient care
• Introduction to sonography
• Use of instruments
• Work ethics
• Human physiology and anatomy
• Business ethics
• Medical laws

The best time to start towards a career as Ultrasound technologist is really now! And yes, if you want to have a career in this medical field, you are “spot on”, because this really is one of the fastest growing fields!

Job Outlook

The career prospects for a diagnostic medical sonographer are pretty outstanding! If you have a good background and degree, you can almost certainly get a job that will pay you well. Technological advancements in this field are “normal”. People come up with newer technology and technicians get the opportunity to get trained to use those technologies on a daily basis. Career options are even better for those who are interested in specializing in a particular branch. If you do this, your wages will also increase.

This is just a basic introductory job description, designed to cover the initial, day-to-day expectations and the additional factors that may have been overlooked. Being an ultrasound technician is a job that requires lots of skills and dedication, but also has the potential to be highly rewarding, because of the technician’s role in the bigger picture and the potential for further advancement.

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the field of ultrasound technology will grow 48 percent until 2022. With the baby boomers getting older, the need for this type of testing is increasing, which is fueling the demand for sonographers. These technicians are often misunderstood in terms of the amount of detailed work they have to undertake and their role within the hospital; some people form the idea that it is all about babies and monitoring pregnancies and overlook the other demands for ultrasound technology, such as internal injuries or vascular problems. This brief guide aims to show that there is more to the job than people realize and give you a sense of what to expect if you consider entering the profession. For more details though, you can always use the search function on the top of this page to find very specific information on our site and get into details.

What does an Ultrasound Technician actually do?

In short, checking the internal organs of the patient’s body is what she/he does, it summarizes the job of an ultrasound technician quite well. His tool? The Transducer! Basically, the transducer is a device that releases high frequency sound waves into the patient’s body. These sounds echo off the area that is targeted and present an image onto the computer. This helps technicians understand whether the person is suffering from any problem or not, as it gives an insight into what is happening inside the body of the patient. This technique is widely used to examine pregnant women. It helps to evaluate growth and health of the baby.

Sonographers must be knowledgeable in anatomy and physiology since they must interpret the images ultrasound machines produce. They must also know how to operate the machine correctly. With experience comes a great deal of skill to be able to position the patient and machine to record the best images. Ultrasound technicians must consider their patients’ history and be skilled at asking the right questions in order to identify some of the risk factors for diseases and illness, so they know what to look for during the examination process.

They also need to have good communication skills. These techs meet different people on a daily basis. Some have serious injuries that need to be checked. There are multiple reasons why a person meets up with an ultrasound tech and most of them sound scary. The job of the technician includes calming the person down. He or she should carry on their tests in a way that the patient “holds it together” so to speak.

Where do Ultrasound Technicians Work?

Most technicians work in hospitals, and due to the advancement in ultrasound machine technology, they will go to patient rooms to conduct the examination. Some technicians work in an obstetrics or outpatient physician office where patients need ultrasound imaging. Most employers require technicians to work full time for 40 hours a week. Positions with flexible hours and even as part time worker are available in some areas. Those that love to travel and want to experience what it’s like living and working in different places, may be interested in becoming a traveling tech. Hospitals often bring in technicians from different locations when they need fill ins.

There are also opportunities for mobile sonographers. These techs visit people in their home who are unable to get to the hospital or doctor’s office.

Ultrasound Technician Salary

While it depends on the location of where you work as ultrasound technician, the average salary in 2017 is $70,900. Those working in metropolitan areas are often paid more than those in rural ones, with sonographer salaries in hospitals often being higher compared to those in a doctor’s office, too.

Looking at the positives, the future does seem to be full of potential for ultrasound technicians because of the abnormally high projected growth of sonogram technician salaries in the industry until 2022 – particularly if you plan to work in California, where an ultrasound technician salaries have been highest over the past year and demand is still growing rapidly. Elsewhere, it seems that graduates may have to make a choice between states that have a high demand for technicians and those that will pay them the most. The variables between salaries and possibilities across the country are vast, and those interested should carry out plenty of research before making any definite career decisions, but overall it seems like ultrasound technicians are currently on a very prosperous path.

Becoming an ultrasound tech can be a very rewarding career choice, particularly when it comes to the work carried out and the ability to help the sick and injured, but just how rewarding is it for the technicians themselves given the current climate and state of the industry? This brief ultrasound tech guide will look at the outlook in terms of employment and demand across the United States, as well as the potential differences in possible salary rewards.

It appears that ultrasound technicians have a bright future, because demand for their expertise is growing. There is an expected increase of 48% in the USA from now until 2022, which should mean more jobs and better job security. The main reason is to believed an increased demand for these skills in hospitals and similar environments due to the potential for a quick diagnosis and the needs of an ageing population. In 2016, the Top 5 USA states for ultrasound technician salaries (highest to lowest) were California, Florida, Texas, New York and Pennsylvania. This is not that surprising, given the high population density and wealth of the areas, which would equate to a larger number of patients requiring the facilities
and a greater demand for specialists. Interestingly, but also not too surprising, Alabama is bottom of the list, closely followed by more rural areas like Delaware and Wyoming.

Ultrasound Technician Salary in the US (by State)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the average Ultrasound technician salary is $29 hourly right now in 2017 and the national average is $70,900 yearly, with a range of $44,000-$88,500 throughout the USA. Most of the people move to other jobs, if they got more than 20 years of experience in the health care field. The potential growth opportunity for an ultrasound technician is good and of course even better for the skilled, determined by individual knowledge.

Ultrasound Technician Salary in other Countries

Based on many factors that come into play when it comes to calculating and judging average salaries for ultrasound technicians in different countries, the income may vary a lot. For example, in the United Kingdom, the average ultrasound technician salary is between £21,050 and £61,050 per year. Most experts working as ultrasound techs in this field will make a good living, bringing home between £22,050 and £49,050 salary. A few of the factors having a significant effect on the salary in this job in the United Kingdom are the type of facility you work in, the education and level of knowledge achieved through schools or online courses and, of course, past experience as well.

In Canada, imagining you work full time as ultrasound technologist, you will get an average salary of CAD$66,110 to CAD$75,150. The hourly sonographer salary, with Calgary, Alberta being on top of the list, can reach CAD$43.16, with the lowest salary been seen in Quebec, Montreal at only CAD$19.25 average hourly income.

In Australia, hourly wages for ultrasound technicians are also influenced by numerous factors, that can be considered as important. Some of them include competition by immigrants, location, government funding and again, experience and knowledge level, obviously. The hourly ultrasound tech salary in Australia is between AU$29.33 and AU$58.71, once again depending on the type of medical facility and the region in which you are working in Australia.

Ultrasound Technician Salary Expectations in 2017

The statistics above would suggest that California, Florida and Texas are the areas that newly qualified sonographer technicians should be aiming for as a result of having high demand; however, the actual salary offered must play an important part in a technician’s decision of where to work. There is a vast difference in wages across the United States, because of variations in demand, cost of living and other factors, and the highest ultrasound technician salary does not necessarily correlate with those areas that have the biggest demand. California is the exception to the rule, paying the most with an average of $84,750 a year in 2017, but the next two highest are Florida and Texas. On the other end of the scale, the average annual salary in Alabama was just $49,910 and these types of lower wages were more commonly seen in rural states with a lower cost of living, such as South Dakota and West Virginia.

With this information, you can make a well informed decision on whether or not becoming an ultrasound technician or ultrasound technologist is the right career path for you. If possible, ask the sonography department at your nearest hospital, or a local doctor’s office, if you can shadow a sonogram technician for a day, so you can see exactly what it’s like to work as an ultrasound technician.

Good luck and all the very best on your journey!!