Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology

Types of Degrees Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many diagnostic medical sonography/sonographer and ultrasound technician graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Associate Degree	3,198
Undergraduate Certificate	1,191
Bachelor’s Degree	885
Basic Certificate	104
Master’s Degree	10
Graduate Certificate	8

What Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, diagnostic medical sonography/sonographer and ultrasound technician majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in diagnostic medical sonography/sonographer and ultrasound technician should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

Skills for Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to diagnostic medical sonography/sonographer and ultrasound technician:

• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Abilities for Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a diagnostic medical sonography/sonographer and ultrasound technician student include the following:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

What Can You Do With a Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with diagnostic medical sonography/sonographer and ultrasound technician:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers	23.2%	$72,510
Health Specialties Professors	25.9%	$97,370

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology?

This major is dominated by women with about 89% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of diagnostic medical sonography/sonographer and ultrasound technician majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	47
Black or African American	40
Hispanic or Latino	198
White	528
International Students	6
Other Races/Ethnicities	66

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician. About 0.7% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $73,860 to $122,320 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to diagnostic medical sonography/sonographer and ultrasound technician. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology

Some careers associated with diagnostic medical sonography/sonographer and ultrasound technician require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for diagnostic medical sonography/sonographer and ultrasound technician careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	13.0%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	30.7%
Bachelor’s Degree	15.0%
Master’s Degree	13.4%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	10.3%
Doctoral Degree	9.3%
Post-Doctoral Training	7.1%

Online Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology Programs

In 2020-2021, 319 schools offered a diagnostic medical sonography/sonographer and ultrasound technician program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	56	2
Certificate (2-4 Years)	42	1
Associate’s Degree	213	2
Bachelor’s Degree	3	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	2	1
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology Worth It?

The median salary for a diagnostic medical sonography/sonographer and ultrasound technician grad is $73,860 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 85% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $679,200 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to diagnostic medical sonography/sonographer and ultrasound technician.

Major	Number of Grads
Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic)	26,641
Physician Assistant	11,351
Radiologic Technology	9,790
Surgical Technology	7,583
Respiratory Care Therapy	6,845
Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapy	4,850
Athletic Training	3,767
Other Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions	1,911
Cardiovascular Technology/Technologist	1,405
Nuclear Medical Technology/Technologist	619
Electrocardiograph Technology/Technician	568
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Technology	525
Electroneurodiagnostic/Electroencephalographic Technology/Technologist	379
Polysomnography	302
Perfusion Technology/Perfusionist	138
Mammography Technician/Technology	69
Radiation Protection/Health Physics Technician	51
Cardiopulmonary Technology	40
Hearing Instrument Specialist	32
Gene/Genetic Therapy	31
Orthopedic Technology	15

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.