If you are thinking about a career change and are interested in the medical profession, the field of diagnostic medical sonographers is growing rapidly. Trained to perform medical imaging procedures that can detect a number of life-threatening diseases such as heart disease, stroke and cancer, sonographers are well respected in their field and command an above-average income.
What Does a Sonographer Do?
Licensed sonographers are trained medical professionals skilled in the use of an ultrasound, a high frequency machine that operates by use of sound waves. The device gives doctors and other medical professionals a look into the patient's body without going the traditional route of a painful and expensive exploratory surgery. The sonograms also provide a means of diagnosing diseases without any harmful effects often found in traditional X-rays.
Sonographer Income
According to a July 2009 survey by Payscale.com, the median starting income for a first-year sonographer ranges from $17.69 an hour to about $25. A sonographer who has been on the job for more than a year can expect to earn more than $31 an hour and with at least 10 years or more of job experience up to $34 an hour, or more than $70,000 annually if employed full-time.
Specialization Areas and Income
As a registered sonographer, you will have the opportunity to specialize in a number of medical areas. Some of those may include mammography, radiology, neurosonology (imaging of the brain and spinal cord), obstetrics and gynecology, opthalmology and blood flow. Different areas of specialization come with different incomes. Sonographers specializing in radiology for instance earn a median income in the United States of up to $30.87 an hour, and their counterparts specializing in diagnostic cardiac sonography earn a median wage of up to $39.28 an hour.
Types of Employers
The type of employer can also have an effect on how much you will make as a registered sonographer. Federal government agencies that employ sonographers generally pay a median income of up to $27.90 an hour or $58,032 annually. Sonographers working in hospitals fare a little better, with a reported median income for those positions at up to $30.85 an hour. Registered sonographers who are self employed are earning the highest wages in the United States, making a median hourly income up to $40.69 an hour or $84,635 a year.
Education and Income
Education programs for sonographers are available at most two-year junior colleges and lead to an associate's degree. For those desiring to further their education and job opportunities, some four-year universities also offer the program as a bachelor's degree. Some technical schools and allied health schools may also offer a nine-month training program, which leads to certification as a diagnostic sonographer. Those with a bachelor's degree report making a median of up to $37.77 an hour, and candidates holding an associate degree are topping out at about $31.64 an hour. Sonographers holding only a certification make slightly less at a median hourly rate of up to $31.10.
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