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Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology

What Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology Majors Need to Know

Studies in Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	3.9 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.8 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Medical procedure coding software	Medical software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
MEDITECH software	Medical software	—
Database software	Data base user interface and query software	—
eClinicalWorks EHR software	Medical software	—
Patient medical record software	Medical software	—
Spreadsheet software	Spreadsheet software	—
Sakai CLE	Computer based training software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology graduates include:

• Echo Sonographer (Echocardiograph Sonographer)
• Sonographer
• Ultrasound Technologist (Ultrasound Tech)
• Echocardiogram Technician
• Sonogram Technician
• Echocardiology Technologist
• Echocardiographic Technologist
• Vascular Ultrasound Technologist
• Cardiac Sonographer
• Travel OB Ultrasound Tech (Travel Obstetrics Ultrasound Technician)
• Travel Ultrasound Technologist
• Cardiovascular Sonographer
• Ultrasonic Tester
• Sonography Technologist
• Vascular Sonographer

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

Graduates with a degree in Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary	10.7%	$46,663	$40,304–$53,022

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	35.7%
Bachelor’s degree	15.7%
Postsecondary certificate	14.9%
First professional degree	12.2%
Master’s degree	9.7%
Doctoral degree	6.7%
Post-doctoral training	5.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

How Much Do Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$67,845
4 years	$61,295
5 years	$69,015

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $69,015 — roughly 2% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	1	11
Bachelor’s	8	4
Master’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology graduates earn a median of $61,295 four years after completion — roughly 61% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions	90,379
Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic)	29,337
Physician Associate/Assistant	13,046
Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiographer	11,777
Surgical Technology/Technologist	7,626
Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist	6,686
Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapist	4,111
Athletic Training/Trainer	3,132
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions, Other	2,445
Cardiovascular Technology/Technologist	1,540
Electrocardiograph Technology/Technician	677
Nuclear Medical Technology/Technologist	596

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.