SOC 29-2032.00Bright outlook

    Diagnostic Medical Sonographers

    Produce ultrasonic recordings of internal organs for use by physicians.

    Median pay
    $96,590
    Growth
    +13.9%
    Much faster than average
    Openings a year
    6,000
    Typical education
    Associate's degree

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $67,820
    Median
    $96,590
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $129,370
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    90,160 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Diagnostic medical sonographers use ultrasound equipment to create images of internal organs for medical diagnosis. The career offers a median annual pay of $96,590, with opportunities in a rapidly expanding field.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What diagnostic medical sonographers do

    Job Zone 3: Medium preparation

    Produce ultrasonic recordings of internal organs for use by physicians. Includes vascular technologists.

    Usually vocational training, an associate degree or related experience.

    What the work is like

    People in this career, also known as medical sonographers or echo techs, use specialized machines to produce ultrasonic recordings of internal organs and blood vessels. Their daily activities center on getting information through imaging, controlling machines, and identifying physical structures or medical events. They spend significant time assisting and caring for patients, which requires strong social perceptiveness, active listening, and empathy.

    To perform this work safely, sonographers must possess a solid understanding of medicine, physics, biology, and customer service. They need to be highly detail-oriented, dependable, and cautious when operating equipment. Strong communication skills are essential for documenting information and discussing findings with supervisors and peers. This role fits well for individuals with realistic interests who enjoy hands-on, practical work.

    How to get there

    To enter this field, candidates typically need an associate's degree. The occupation falls under a medium preparation level, meaning most professionals complete vocational training, earn an associate degree, or acquire equivalent on-the-job experience. Relevant college majors include allied health diagnostic, intervention, and treatment professions.

    While preparing for the field, individuals can pursue professional credentials such as the Registered Technologist - Sonography certification from the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists. Additionally, some states list a license for this work, so requirements can vary depending on the location of employment.

    Pay and outlook explained

    The median annual pay for diagnostic medical sonographers is $96,590. Earnings can vary based on experience and location, with the lowest 10% earning less than $67,820 and the highest 10% earning more than $129,370.

    This field is experiencing rapid growth. Employment is projected to increase by 13.9% from 2025 to 2035, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. This growth, combined with staff turnover, is expected to generate approximately 6,000 job openings each year. There are currently 90,160 people employed in this profession.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R) · strongest
    81 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    63 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    5 / 100
    Social (S)
    52 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    9 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    68 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code RCI. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Assisting and Caring for Others
    92
    Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
    92
    Getting Information
    87
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    84
    Controlling Machines and Processes
    80
    Documenting/Recording Information
    80
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    75
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    72
    Handling and Moving Objects
    71
    Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
    70
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Active Listening
    • Speaking
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Critical Thinking
    • Social Perceptiveness
    • Operation and Control
    • Coordination
    • Monitoring
    • Operations Monitoring
    • Writing

    Knowledge

    • Medicine and Dentistry
    • Physics
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Biology
    • English Language
    • Computers and Electronics
    • Education and Training
    • Administrative
    • Mathematics
    • Personnel and Human Resources

    Abilities

    • Inductive Reasoning
    • Near Vision
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Written Comprehension
    • Oral Expression
    • Speech Clarity
    • Written Expression
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Control Precision

    Work styles

    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Cautiousness
    • Cooperation
    • Integrity
    • Empathy
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Self-Control
    • Sincerity
    • Achievement Orientation

    Also called

    Cardiovascular Sonographer · Echo Sonographer (Echocardiograph Sonographer) · Echo Tech (Echocardiogram Technician) · Echo Tech (Echocardiographic Technician) · Echocardiographer · Echocardiographic Technologist · Echocardiography Technician (Echocardiography Tech) · Echocardiology Technologist · Echosonographer Technologist (Echo Technologist) · Medical Sonographer

    Career pathway

    From your interests to diagnostic medical sonographers

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$96,590 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1Wagner College logo
      Wagner College

      Staten Island, NY · Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $156,982
      Median debt
      $27,000
    2. 2St. John's University-New York logo
      St. John's University-New York

      Queens, NY · Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $102,500
      4 yrs after
      $142,774
      Median debt
      $23,325
    3. 3John Patrick University of Health and Applied Sciences logo
      John Patrick University of Health and Applied Sciences

      South Bend, IN · Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $112,673
      4 yrs after
      $122,061
      Median debt
      $23,437
    4. 4Saint Francis University logo
      Saint Francis University

      Loretto, PA · Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $115,813
      Median debt
      $28,000
    5. 5D'Youville University logo
      D'Youville University

      Buffalo, NY · Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $113,290
      4 yrs after
      $114,737
      Median debt
      $30,703
    6. 6Molloy College logo
      Molloy College

      Rockville Centre, NY · Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $90,567
      4 yrs after
      $111,267
      Median debt
      Not reported
    7. 7Salisbury University logo
      Salisbury University

      Salisbury, MD · Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $75,312
      4 yrs after
      $109,739
      Median debt
      $23,250
    8. 8Long Island University logo
      Long Island University

      Brookville, NY · Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $90,526
      4 yrs after
      $107,539
      Median debt
      $22,000

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What diagnostic medical sonographers may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    6 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about diagnostic medical sonographers

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What are some alternative job titles for this career?

    Professionals in this field are also known as cardiovascular sonographers, echo techs, echocardiographers, and medical sonographers. The role also includes vascular technologists.

    What is the job outlook for diagnostic medical sonographers?

    The field is projected to grow by 13.9% between 2025 and 2035, which is much faster than average. This expansion is expected to result in 6,000 job openings each year.

    Do I need a license or certification to work in this field?

    Some states list a license for this work, and professionals can earn the Registered Technologist - Sonography certification. Requirements vary depending on where you plan to practice.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.