A medical sonographer is a health care professional who performs diagnostic imaging to take pictures of internal organs and developing babies. In May 2008, the average annual salary of a medical sonographer was $62,660, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Work Experience
With four years of experience or less sonographers earned average annual salaries between $39,906 and $55,637 in October 2009, reports Payscale.com. Those with more than twenty years of experience earned average maximum salaries of as much as $79,625.
Employer Type
Colleges and universities were the highest paying employers of medical sonographers at average rates of between $43,000 and $76,500 in October 2009 as reported by Payscale.com. Those who worked in hospitals averaged between $40,498 and $60,733.
Education
In October 2009, sonographers with a bachelors of science degree had a salary much higher than their peers with only associates degrees or certificates of completion from a medical training program with average maximum annual salaries of $100,000, $55,855, $68,467, respectively reported by Payscale.com.
Geography
The states with highest average salaries for sonographers in May 2008 were Alaska, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Washington and Oregon, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average annual salaries in these states was between $73,290 and $76,570.
Benefits
Medical sonographers also frequently receive benefits that contribute to their overall compensation, including profit sharing, paid holidays and sick leave, 401k retirement plans, life or disability insurance, education and tuition assistance programs, malpractice insurance and between 1.5 and 3.2 weeks of paid vacation, according to Payscale.com.
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