How to Become an Ultrasound Technician

If you see a bruise or a gash, it’s easy to assess the problem and find a solution. But what about the things we can’t see?

Ultrasound technicians are healthcare specialists who can look beneath the surface. Using special equipment, they create noninvasive images of the insides of bodies to detect medical conditions, such as blood clots, pregnancies, and enlarged spleens.

Ultrasound technicians, also called sonographers, are generally paid well. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), they’re among the highest-paid healthcare jobs that don’t require med school, earning a median annual salary of $82,570 as of May 2024.

Most students need anywhere from 1-6 years to complete their ultrasound technician education, depending on their level of education before beginning the process and how extensive an educational pathway they choose.

For professionals who are educated and trained in another healthcare field, one-year certificate programs in sonography are available.

Earning a high school diploma or GED certificate is an important step toward gainful employment in almost any field. A high school education is your gateway to college and creating a career, and you absolutely need one in order to become an ultrasound technician.

An associate degree in sonography covers important subjects like anatomy, physiology, and math. Degrees from accredited institutions improve potential transfer opportunities and continuing education paths, and can be more appealing to employers.

Use the U.S. Department of Education’s accreditation database to see if your school is accredited and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation database to check the validity of any accrediting organization.

Once you choose a school, it’s time to apply.

The ultrasound technician certification proves you’ve met all education requirements and mastered the necessary skills to be successful.

Once you graduate, you can sit for the certification exam administered by ARDMS or ARRT. Later, you can seek additional specialized cardiac-related certifications from CCI.

There are many sonography certifications you can earn depending on what specialization you want to work in. These certifications include:

Available sonography-related cardiac certifications from CCI include:

If you’re in New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Oregon you’ll also be required to hold a license as a medical sonographer.

You’ll be able to work in lots of different settings in the medical field and work with different people depending on the job. If you enjoy working with parents and newborns, Obstetric and gynecologic sonographers and Pediatric sonographers may be for you.

There are also other positions like Diagnostic cardiovascular sonographer, Musculoskeletal sonographer, and Neurosonology sonographer if you prefer to work with patients with neurological, skeletal, and muscular injuries and conditions.

An ultrasound technician performs noninvasive imaging tests (sonograms or ultrasounds) to create pictures of a patient’s organs and tissues. Doctors, surgeons, radiologists, and other healthcare workers then view these images to assess and diagnose medical conditions.

Ultrasound technicians often work in hospitals, doctor offices, medical laboratories, outpatient centers (e.g., ambulatory surgical centers and women’s health practices), and university and college health centers.

So what does an ultrasound technician do exactly? Basic duties include:

The American Society of Radiologic Technologies (ASRT) publishes the “ASRT Practice Standards for Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy” on its website. This document is a helpful resource for students and professionals in related fields.

According to the BLS, ultrasound technicians earn a competitive median annual salary of $82,570, or a median hourly wage of $39.70.

The bottom 10% of ultrasound technicians earn less than $64,760 per year, while the top 10% earn over $123,170.

The BLS reports that the top-paying states in terms of average salaries for diagnostic medical sonographers are:

Take time to weigh your options before deciding whether becoming an ultrasound technician is the right choice. As you think about your professional goals and interests, consider the following pros and cons.