Cardiac sonographers
use sophisticated medical equipment to monitor the cardiovascular system.
Diagnostic medical sonographers use sophisticated medical equipment to produce images of internal parts of the patient's body. These images are interpreted by trained physicians and aid in the diagnosis and treatment of the patient. Cardiac sonographers are a specialized branch of diagnostic medical sonographers who are trained in non-invasive diagnostic techniques involving the heart and vascular system. Cardiac sonographers are typically well compensated for their skills, but their income levels may be affected by such factors as geographic location, certification and type of employer.
Wages
Annual wages for a diagnostic medical sonographer ranged from less than $43,990 to more than $85,950 as of May 2009. The median annual wage for this employment category was $48,300 with a mean hourly wage of $30.60. Wages for cardiovascular technologists and technicians who practiced non-invasive cardiac sonography ranged from less than $25,940 to more than $76,220 with an median annual wage of $48,300, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Geographic Location
The geographic location where a cardiac sonographer practices can play a significant role in determining her level of income. Sonographers who practiced in major metropolitan areas tended to earn higher rates of pay than those who worked in small towns and rural communities. The Santa Cruz-Watsonville, California, metropolitan area offered sonographers the highest mean wages in the country at $97,530 per year. Sonographers working in Massachusetts, Alaska, Washington state, Oregon and Colorado all earned mean annual wages in excess of $75,000 as of May 2009.
Certification
Cardiac sonographers who have additional training and can demonstrate proficiency may be credentialed by an independent, non-governmental certifying organization such as the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography or the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists. Cardiac sonographers who held the Registered Vascular Technologist (RVT) credential earned between $44,219 and $61,042 per year, while those who held the Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer (RDCS) earned up to $69,555 per year as of March 2011, according to PayScale.com.
Employer
Most sonographers work in general medical hospitals, surgical hospitals or doctors' offices. The mean annual wages for sonographers in these employment environments was between approximately $63,000 and $64,000. Employment services, management companies and specialty hospitals offered far fewer job opportunities, but paid significantly higher wages at more than $67,000 per year as of May 2009, according to the BLS.
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