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Employment and Advancement Opportunities for Medical Sonographers
Advance your diagnostic medical sonography career potential with quality training.
Find Schools with Sonography Programs
Near You
Click here for a list of schools that offer sonographer training programs.
Sonographic diagnostic imaging is an amazing technology that has helped replace many techniques (such as x-rays) that were far too invasive for certain procedures. An ultrasound technician uses sound waves in order to develop diagnostic imaging that can then be used to locate problem areas, provide comprehensive treatment, and get a better understanding of how the human anatomy works.
Launching a Diagnostic Medical Sonographer Career
In order to become an ultrasound technician, there are several different paths you can follow. Some receive on-the-job training, but career advancement thereafter can be difficult. Others receive training at vocational schools or through the armed services. And still others specialize in diagnostic imaging at standard four schools, thus, earning a bachelors degree in the field. If you're serious about pursuing a diagnostic medical sonographer career, formal training from a vocational school or four year program is ideal. The training that you'll receive will help you go much farther than on-the-job training ever could.
Salary and Career Prospects for Ultrasound Technicians
Ultrasound technicians earned a median salary of just over $52,000 in 2004, according to the US Department of Labor. And that's just average. Some sonographers made as much says $72,000 in 2004. With these salaries, it's easy to understand the benefits of formal training versus on-the-job training.
Equally promising are the career prospects for this particular field. Job opportunities for sonographers are expected to grow much faster than the national average for other careers. That's because more and more patients are beginning to appreciate the noninvasive, non-obtrusive benefits of ultrasound technology over more traditional methods of internal diagnoses.