Career Profile: Sonographer

Also Called: Ultrasonographer, Ultrasound Technologist, Diagnostic Medical Sonographer

Job Description: Sonography, also called ultrasonography, is the use of sound waves to generate an image for the assessment and diagnosis of various medical conditions. While this technology has many uses in the medical field, its primary use and most common association is with obstetrics, and the viewing of a fetus in the womb.

Sonographers use special equipment to direct sound waves into areas of a patient's body. Ultrasonographers properly operate the ultrasound equipment, which forms an image that may be videotaped, transmitted, or photographed for diagnosis and/or interpretation by a physician.

Sonographers may specialize in obstetric and gynecologic sonography (the most common, the study of the female reproductive system, and examining a pregnant patient's fetus to track it's growth), abdominal sonography (the liver, kidneys, gall bladder, spleen, and pancreas), neurosonography (the brain) or opthalmologic sonography (the eyes.)

Work Environment: Many full-time sonographers work about 40 hours a week. Sonographers who work in hospitals may have evening or weekend shifts in addition to times when they are on-call and must be able to report to work on short notice. The facilities that ultrasonographers work in are clean and well-lit.

In addition to working directly with patients, diagnostic medical sonographers keep patient records and adjust and maintain equipment.

Education and Training Requirements: There are several paths for starting a career in sonography. Colleges and universities offer formal training, in two and four-year programs (the two-year programs are the most common). Other potential sonographers may receive training in hospitals, vocational or technical schools, and in the Armed Forces.

Currently, no state requires licensure to work in medical sonography, although there is an independently-run registration/certification (The American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers, or ARDMS) that many employers use as a guide, as being a registered sonographer certifies a certain level of training. Health workers in other fields sometimes take a one-year certificate program to train in sonography to increase their marketability or to switch careers.

Salary Range: Sonographers earned a median income of $48,660 in 2002, with the average salary falling between $41,420 and $56,020 per annum. Median earnings were higher for sonographers who worked in physicians' offices ($50,390 average) than those employed by hospitals ($47,530).

Job Outlook: Generally good. Sonography is becoming increasingly attractive as patients seek safer treatment options, and sonography provides an alternative to radiologic procedures. The employment of sonographers is expected to grow faster than the average for all populations through 2012. This is due primarily to the aging of the population (and the increased demand for sonographic procedures), as well as the need to replace sonographers who leave the occupation.

Sonographic technology is also expected to evolve rapidly, and implementing new sonographic procedures when they become economically viable will further the demand for well-trained sonographers.

To begin your career as a sonographer, check out one of our featured schools on the right. Request complementary information from these schools and start your training today!

Featured Sonographer Schools:

Online Schools
Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences - Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Sciences

Alabama Schools
Virginia College (Birmingham) - Diagnostic Medical Sonography

California Schools
West Coast College (Victorville) - Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ultrasound)
Newbridge College (Glen Dale, Long Beach, Monterey Park, Santa Ana) - Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Western Career College (Citrus Heights) - Ultrasound Technology

Florida Schools
Sanford-Brown Institute(Tampa) - Associate - Diagnostic Medical Sonography
ATI (Miami - College of Health) - Diagnostic Ultrasound Technician
Keiser University (Daytona Beach, Fort Lauderdale) - Diagnostic Medical Sonography
National Institute of Technology (Hialeah) - Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer

Georgia Schools
Sanford-Brown Institute (Atlanta) - Certificate - Diagnostic Medical Sonography

Maryland Schools
Sanford-Brown Institute (Landover) - Certificate - Diagnostic Medical Sonography

Minnesota Schools
Argosy University (Twin Cities) - Diagnostic Medical Sonography (Ultrasound)

New Jersey Schools
Sanford-Brown Institute (Iselin) - Certificate - Diagnostic Medical Sonography

New York Schools
Sanford-Brown Institute (New York) - Certificate - Diagnostic Medical Ultrasound
New York University - School of Continuing and Professional Studies - McGhee (New York) - Associate's Degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography

Ohio Schools
Sanford-Brown College (Cleveland) - Diploma - Diagnostic Medical Sonography

Pennsylvania Schools
Sanford-Brown Institute (Philadelphia) - Certificate - Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Western School of Health and Business (Philadelphia)- Associate - Diagnostic Medical Sonographer

Texas Schools
Academy of Health Care Professions (Austin, Houston, San Antonio) - Diagnostic Medical Ultrasound, Limited Medical Radiologic Technologist
Sanford-Brown Institute (Houston) - Certificate - Diagnostic Medical Sonography