Ultrasound technicians make between $82,570 and $89,340 per year according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data from May 2024. Entry-level techs start around $64,760 annually, while experienced professionals in the top 10% earn over $123,000. Actual earnings vary significantly based on location, work setting, experience level, and specialization.
Average Ultrasound Tech Salary: Understanding the Data
National Average Salary Figures
Different data sources report different averages for ultrasound tech salaries:
- BLS (May 2024): $82,570/year average, $89,340/year median
- Payscale: $70,366/year or $32.53/hour
- Indeed: $131,115/year or $2,399/week
- ZipRecruiter: $92,142-$98,273 depending on location
That’s a $60,000 spread between the lowest and highest reported averages. Confusing? Yes. But there’s a reason for it.
Why Salary Data Varies Between Sources
The BLS collects data directly from employers across all employment types—full-time, part-time, hospitals, clinics, everything. It’s the most comprehensive baseline.
Indeed and ZipRecruiter pull from active job postings. These often skew higher because they include travel positions and contract work, which pay premium rates but offer fewer benefits. Someone browsing job boards sees inflated numbers compared to what most staff positions actually pay.
Payscale relies on self-reported data. People who feel underpaid are more likely to report their salary, which can drag the average down.
For realistic expectations, the BLS figures ($82,570-$89,340) represent the most reliable baseline for standard full-time employment.
Entry-Level vs. Experienced Tech Salaries
The BLS breaks down earnings by percentile:
- Entry-level/Bottom 10%: $64,760/year or $31.13/hour
- National median: $89,340/year or $42.95/hour
- Top 10%: $123,170/year or $59.22/hour
New graduates typically start around $64,000. That’s the realistic figure for someone fresh out of school with minimal clinical experience. The median represents mid-career professionals with several years under their belt. Top earners usually have a decade-plus of experience, specialized certifications, and work in high-paying settings like outpatient centers.
Ultrasound Tech Salary by Experience Level
How Experience Affects Pay
Payscale data shows clear salary progression over time:
- Less than 1 year: $27.25/hour
- 1-4 years: $30.85/hour
- 5-9 years: $31.80/hour
- 10-19 years: $38.70/hour
- 20+ years: $38.36/hour
The biggest jump happens after crossing the 10-year mark. You’re looking at a 42% increase from entry-level to experienced professional rates. Interestingly, the 20+ year figure dips slightly from the 10-19 year range, possibly because some senior techs reduce hours or shift to less demanding positions later in their careers.
Salary Progression Timeline
Reaching the national median ($89,340 annually) typically requires mid-career status—somewhere in the 5-10 year range with appropriate certifications and possibly some specialization.
The path isn’t automatic though. Progression depends heavily on obtaining professional credentials through ARDMS, building expertise in specialized areas, and potentially changing employers or work settings to capture higher pay rates.
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Ultrasound Tech Salary by State
Highest-Paying States
Some states consistently pay ultrasound techs significantly more:
- California: $120,840 (BLS)
- Hawaii: $122,030 (BLS)
- Oregon: $108,230 (BLS)
- Washington: $107,360 (BLS)
- District of Columbia: $106,130 (BLS)
California and Hawaii top the list, but both also have substantially higher costs of living. A $120,000 salary in California doesn’t stretch as far as $80,000 in Alabama when you account for housing, taxes, and general expenses.
Lowest-Paying States
At the other end:
- Alabama: $66,340 (BLS)
- West Virginia: $73,410 (BLS)
- Mississippi: $73,440 (BLS)
- South Dakota: $74,880 (BLS)
- Louisiana: $76,400 (BLS)
That’s an 84% difference between Alabama and Hawaii. Geography matters more than almost any other single factor.
Regional Salary Patterns
West Coast and Northeast states generally pay more. Southern and some Midwest states pay less. This pattern holds across most healthcare professions, driven by cost of living, population density, healthcare system funding models, and regional demand for services.
Salary by Work Setting and Employer Type
Outpatient Care Centers
These facilities pay the most, though reported figures vary:
- $93,100 (one BLS interpretation)
- $123,610 (another BLS interpretation)
Even at the lower figure, outpatient centers pay substantially more than other settings. Why? They typically handle high volumes of specialized procedures, often operate on private pay or insurance billing that generates higher revenue per scan, and compete for experienced techs by offering premium wages.
Hospitals (State, Local, and Private)
Hospital-based ultrasound techs earn:
- $65,270 to $90,070 depending on the data interpretation
Hospitals are the largest employer of ultrasound technicians, but they don’t pay the highest rates. What they do offer is better benefits packages, more stable schedules, and comprehensive health insurance that can offset the lower hourly wage.
Physician Offices
Mid-range pay at $70,980 to $89,450. These positions often involve more predictable hours—standard Monday through Friday schedules—which some techs value over higher pay with irregular shifts.
Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories
These specialized facilities pay $79,730 to $83,200. The work tends to be more focused on specific types of diagnostic imaging rather than the broad range you’d encounter in a hospital setting.
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Salary by Specialization
Highest-Paying Specialties
Multiple sources list these as the highest-paying specializations:
- Vascular sonography
- Cardiac sonography
- OB/GYN sonography
- Pediatric cardiac sonography
- Neuro sonography
Here’s the problem: None of the available sources actually provide specific salary figures for these specialties. They’re mentioned as higher-paying, but by how much? That information isn’t publicly available in any of the major salary databases.
Impact of Dual Concentrations
Some ultrasound programs allow students to pursue dual concentrations—training in two specialty areas simultaneously. This can make you more marketable to employers since you can cover multiple types of scans. Whether it actually translates to higher pay isn’t documented with hard numbers, though the logic suggests increased versatility should command some premium.
Specialized certifications through ARDMS are required to officially practice in these areas, but the specific salary bump from obtaining additional certifications beyond the basic RDMS credential isn’t quantified in available data.
How to Increase Your Earning Potential
Obtain Professional Certification
The American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) provides the industry standard certification. Most employers require it or strongly prefer it, even in states that don’t legally mandate certification. It’s not optional if you want to be competitive in the job market.
How much does certification increase your salary specifically? That figure isn’t available, but nearly universal employer preference suggests it’s substantial enough that working without it isn’t realistic.
Gain Experience
The clearest salary progression path. Going from less than one year of experience ($27.25/hour) to 10-19 years ($38.70/hour) represents a 42% pay increase. Time alone won’t get you there—you need to develop skills, take on more complex cases, and potentially obtain additional certifications—but experience is the foundation.
Negotiate Your Salary
Research what other facilities in your area pay for your qualifications before accepting a position. Your first job’s salary somewhat sets your earning trajectory because future employers often base offers on your current or previous pay.
Consider the total compensation package. A hospital offering $75,000 with full benefits, pension contributions, and generous PTO might be more valuable than a diagnostic center offering $85,000 with minimal benefits and no retirement plan.
Work Overtime Hours
Federal law requires time-and-a-half pay for non-exempt employees working over 40 hours weekly. If you’re willing to pick up extra shifts, overtime can significantly boost annual earnings. Some techs deliberately work 50-60 hour weeks to maximize income.
Consider Per Diem or Contract Work
Per diem and contract positions pay premium hourly rates—sometimes 20-40% more than staff positions. The trade-off is less job security, minimal benefits, and the possibility of canceled shifts. Travel ultrasound techs can earn even more, but they’re essentially temporary workers moving between facilities for weeks or months at a time.
This explains why Indeed’s average ($131,115) is so much higher than BLS figures. Their data likely includes a significant proportion of contract and travel positions that pay well above standard staff rates.
Earn Shift Differential Pay
Working nights, weekends, or holidays typically adds 4-7% to your base hourly rate. One source provided a specific example: day shift at $38.40/hour versus night shift at $40-41/hour. That’s about $3,000-5,000 extra annually just for working less desirable hours.
On-call compensation varies by facility but generally includes your base wage when called in plus an additional incentive payment.
Pursue Additional Education
A bachelor’s degree may allow you to negotiate a higher starting salary, though specific figures aren’t documented. More importantly, a master’s degree opens doors to positions in management, consulting, and education—roles that can pay significantly more than clinical scanning but take you away from direct patient care.
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Education Requirements and Cost vs. Salary Return
Minimum Education Required
An associate degree in diagnostic medical sonography is the entry point. Community colleges offer these programs, and one source claims they can cost less than $5,000 for the full degree. That figure seems optimistic and probably doesn’t account for all fees, books, equipment, and living expenses during the program, but even at double or triple that cost, the return on investment is solid.
Programs must be CAAHEP-accredited for graduates to be eligible for ARDMS certification, which is essentially mandatory for employment.
Clinical Training Requirements
Expect to complete 960 hours of clinical training—equivalent to six months of full-time work. This happens through internships and externships at medical facilities affiliated with your program. You’re not getting paid for these hours. You’re learning, observing, and gradually taking on supervised scanning duties.
Return on Investment
Even taking the conservative BLS average of $82,570 against an education cost of $10,000-15,000, you’re looking at a payback period of less than three months of working. Compared to four-year degrees that cost $50,000-100,000 or more, ultrasound technology offers one of the better education ROI calculations in healthcare.
Job Outlook and Employment Growth
Employment Growth Projections
The BLS projects 11-13% growth for diagnostic medical sonographers between 2024 and 2034. That’s classified as “much faster than average” compared to all other occupations. Different sources cite slightly different growth rates (11% versus 13%) depending on when the data was pulled and how the projection model was run, but both figures indicate strong demand.
Number of Annual Job Openings
Approximately 5,800 openings per year. These come from both new positions created by growth and existing positions that open up when techs retire, change careers, or leave the workforce for other reasons.
Why Demand is Growing
The aging U.S. population requires more diagnostic imaging services. Older adults need more medical care, and ultrasound is often the first imaging test performed when disease is suspected because it’s non-invasive and doesn’t use radiation.
Ultrasound technology continues expanding into new medical specialties beyond traditional applications. What used to be primarily obstetrics and basic abdominal scanning now includes vascular studies, cardiac imaging, musculoskeletal evaluation, and even ultrasound-guided procedures during surgery.
How Ultrasound Tech Salaries Compare to Similar Careers
Here’s how ultrasound tech pay stacks up against related healthcare imaging professions:
| Profession | Median Salary (BLS) |
| Nuclear Medicine Technologist | $97,020 |
| Ultrasound Tech/Sonographer | $89,340 |
| MRI Technologist | $88,180 |
| Radiologic Technologist | $77,660 |
| Cardiovascular Technologist | $67,260 |
Ultrasound techs earn more than radiologic and cardiovascular techs but less than nuclear medicine technologists. All these careers require roughly the same education level (associate degree), so the salary differences reflect demand, working conditions, and the complexity of the work.
Compared to registered nurses—who also earn around $80,000-90,000 median salary—ultrasound techs need only two years of education versus the two-to-four years required for most nursing programs. That makes sonography attractive for people who want decent healthcare wages without committing to a four-year degree.
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Factors That Affect Ultrasound Tech Salary
Geographic Location
We covered this earlier, but it’s worth repeating: state-level variation ranges from $66,340 in Alabama to $122,030 in Hawaii. That’s an 84% difference. Your location matters more than almost anything else.
Type of Employer
Work setting creates a 90% salary difference between the lowest-paying (some hospital positions at $65,270) and highest-paying (outpatient centers at $123,610) environments. Where you work matters nearly as much as where you live.
Years of Experience
Entry-level at $27.25/hour to experienced at $38.70/hour represents a 42% increase. Time doesn’t automatically give you raises, but it does provide opportunities to develop expertise, obtain certifications, and move into better-paying positions.
Shift Schedule
Day versus night shifts can mean 4-7% more pay. Weekend and holiday shifts typically carry additional premiums. If you’re willing to work less desirable hours, you can increase earnings without changing employers.
Full-Time vs. Contract Employment
Standard full-time staff positions provide stability and benefits but pay less per hour. Contract and travel positions pay 20-40% more per hour but offer minimal benefits and less job security. This employment type distinction likely explains why Indeed’s average is so much higher than BLS figures.
Total Compensation Beyond Base Salary
Salary numbers tell only part of the story. Full-time positions typically include:
- Health insurance (medical, dental, vision)
- Paid time off (vacation, sick days, personal days)
- Retirement contributions (401k matching, pension)
- Student loan forgiveness programs at some employers
- Continuing education allowances for maintaining certifications
A hospital offering $75,000 with a comprehensive benefits package worth $15,000-20,000 annually might actually provide better total compensation than an outpatient center offering $85,000 with minimal benefits.
This is why comparing salary numbers alone can be misleading.Part-time positions sacrifice these benefits for higher hourly rates. Contract positions sacrifice them for even higher rates. You’re making a trade-off between income now and long-term financial security.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average starting salary for an ultrasound tech?
Entry-level ultrasound technicians earn approximately $64,760 per year or $31.13 per hour according to BLS data. New graduates typically start around $64,000, varying by state and employer.
Do ultrasound techs make good money?
The median salary of $89,340 exceeds many associate degree careers. Top earners make over $123,000 annually. Compared to education costs (potentially under $10,000-15,000), the return on investment is strong.
What is the highest-paid ultrasound tech specialty?
Vascular, cardiac, OB/GYN, pediatric cardiac, and neuro sonography are listed as highest-paying specialties, but specific salary figures aren’t publicly available.
How much do ultrasound techs make per hour?
The national median is $42.95/hour. Entry-level techs earn $31.13/hour, while top earners make $59.22/hour. Experience significantly impacts hourly rates.
Do ultrasound techs need certification to earn higher salaries?
Nearly all employers require or strongly prefer ARDMS certification. While specific salary premiums aren’t documented, certification is effectively mandatory for competitive employment.
Conclusion
Ultrasound technicians earn $82,570-$89,340 annually on average, with significant variation based on location, work setting, experience, and employment type. Entry-level positions start around $64,760, while top earners exceed $123,000. Strong job growth projections (11-13% through 2034) and solid education ROI make this a financially viable healthcare career path.