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Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology

Types of Degrees Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology Majors Are Earning

Those studying Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	1,351
Associate’s Degree	4,813
Bachelor’s Degree	959
Master’s Degree	128

What Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology Majors Need to Know

Programs in Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	3.9 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.8 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Medical procedure coding software	Medical software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Database software	Data base user interface and query software	—
eClinicalWorks EHR software	Medical software	—
Patient medical record software	Medical software	—
MEDITECH software	Medical software	—
Spreadsheet software	Spreadsheet software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Collaborative editing software	Word processing software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology graduates include:

• Sonography Technologist
• Diagnostic Medical Sonographer
• Travel Ultrasound Sonographer
• Ultra Sound Technician
• Ultrasound Tester
• Staff Sonographer
• Sonography Technician
• Ultrasound Technician (Ultrasound Tech)
• Echocardiographer
• Sonographer
• Sonogram Technician
• Ultrasonic Tester
• Travel OB Ultrasound Tech (Travel Obstetrics Ultrasound Technician)
• Cardiovascular Sonographer
• Vascular Ultrasound Technologist

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	35.7%
Bachelor’s degree	15.7%
Postsecondary certificate	14.9%
First professional degree	12.2%
Master’s degree	9.7%
Doctoral degree	6.7%
Post-doctoral training	5.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 93.2% of Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	6,774	93.2%
Men	498	6.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	3,325	45.7%
Asian	510	7.0%
Hispanic or Latino	2,223	30.6%
Black or African American	572	7.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	33	0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	20	0.3%
Two or More Races	252	3.5%
Race Unknown	302	4.2%
International Students	35	0.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$67,845
4 years	$61,295
5 years	$69,015

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $69,015 — roughly 2% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	1	11
Bachelor’s	8	4
Master’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Sonographer/Ultrasound Technology graduates earn a median of $61,295 four years after completion — roughly 61% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions	51.09
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions, Other	51.0999
Athletic Training/Trainer	51.0913
Cardiopulmonary Technology/Technologist	51.0915
Cardiovascular Technology/Technologist	51.0901
Electrocardiograph Technology/Technician	51.0902
Electroneurodiagnostic/Electroencephalographic Technology/Technologist	51.0903
Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic)	51.0904
Gene/Genetic Therapy	51.0914
Hearing Instrument Specialist	51.0918
Hyperbaric Medicine Technology/Technician	51.0921
Intraoperative Neuromonitoring Technology/Technician	51.0922

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.