Ultrasound technicians make roughly around $68,900 a year, depending on their years of service.  However, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor, the highest ten percent earn more than $80,000, even earning up to nearly $90,000 a year.  Therefore, this presents the question to students as to what can they do to elevate their salary up to this level. 

First of all, as with any career, higher salaries come with experience.  Most careers offer a raise for every few years that you remain with the company, thereby nearly doubling your starting salary after twenty years of commitment. 

However, if you do not want to wait that long, and simply want to earn more than the lowest ten percent ($43,800), you need to take drastic steps with your education and career choices to ensure you have all the requirements of a top-notch ultrasound technician.  A degree or certificate for an ultrasound technician (or sonographer) can take from one to four years to complete, depending on what type of expertise you wish to attain from your schooling.

Choosing the school you want to attend (and what type of school)is half the battle in preparing for a high-paying salary.  Ultrasound technician degrees are now offered online, although you must be prepared to investigate the school to determine whether it is accredited.  Reputable programs are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, the organization which accredits diagnostic medical sonography programs within the country.  Their website is: www.caahep.org and presents a comprehensive list of accredited programs.  The school you attend for a sonography degree or certificate is important to securing your future success within the field, as better-rated schools typically yield better career options. 

Additionally, making high grades while you are in school is another thing potential employers look at when hiring the “best of the best”. 

After completing your education, you are not done with the process yet, as you still have to take the national credentialing/certification exams.  These are typical in nearly every type of “certified” field: medicine, law, science.  These fields all require their graduates to take (and pass) a comprehensive exam relating to all the course material they learned and studied throughout the years. 

Securing a passing grade on this exam is an important step to achieving a higher salary as well.  Therefore, it becomes obvious that you as a student are responsible for your career options upon graduation.  Simply making your way through the courses is not enough; you need to push yourself to succeed and make those high grades in order to succeed within the ultrasound technician world.  Without high grades, your salary will remain mediocre at best. 

However, once a potential employer views outstanding grades on your transcript, they will understand that you are a hard-worker and capable of earning such a salary.

Due to the technological advancements in the medical field, there is rising employment opportunities in a variety of medical subsections, especially the technical oriented. In reality, technical jobs in the medical arena are some of the fastest growing in all employment fields.

Essentially, technicians are some of the most skilled workers in an organization. They provide all the technical support that is needed for the smooth running of an organization’s operation. For instance, an engineering technician has certain skills and technical support knowledge in a specific subsection of engineering. An ultrasound technician provides physicians and other medical professionals in need with some much-needed support in sonography. Being this important, well-qualified and reliable ultrasound technicians are some of most well compensated professionals in the medical arena.

Typically, their salaries vary from one state to another, as do most of the salaries paid in the US. Apart from this, there are other deciding factors that are considered when fixing ultrasound technician salaries in the country. Some of these deciding factors include the geographical location, educational background, related skills and specific medical subsection being entered to name but a few. Speaking generally, ultrasound techs can expect to earn salaries in the ranges of $40,000 to $95,000 on an annual basis.

The growing and ever expanding medical industry promises that these salaries will go on increasing on an annual basis as more and more patients demand well qualified ultrasound technicians. In fact, the demand for all medical professionals continues to be on an upward trend in all states of the US. All the same, talking about an hourly rate, the ultrasound technician salary starts from an average of $22 to $35 by the hour, depending on such factors as the employer and the location.

Obviously, those employed in towns and in private medical organizations earn more than those in public or upcountry medical institutions, as is true of all other employment in the country. However, as you continue to become more experienced, obviously your annual salary goes on rising. As such, it isn’t surprising to note that in some states an experienced ultrasound technician takes home a princely sum of $95,000 per year.

Salary Overview

The states that pay the highest ultrasound technician salary in America include, Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, Connecticut, California and Oregon, to name but a few. The best tech’s salaries in these states range from $70,000 to $95,000 annually. The lowest paying states include, Arkansas, Wyoming, West Virginia, Alabama and Mississippi. If you want to practice in these states you should expect to take home salaries in the range of $30,000 to $70,000 depending on your experience, skills and educational qualifications. In addition to the normal salaries, you can also expect to get some other attractive side perks while practicing as an ultrasound tech in all American states, well paying or not.

Although the above figures are what you can expect to earn while practicing in these so-called low paying states, you can note that the figures are not so bad after all. To help you decide if you want to get into this profession, researching on the salary expectations in other medical professions can be a good idea. This is especially so if salaries on offer are what is motivating your decision.

The ultrasound technician salary has been increasing over the last few years. This is due to the rapidly expanding health care industry in the United States. It is no secret that the US government spends the vast majority of it’s budget on medical care. With the aging population and rise in medical awareness, the ultrasound technician salary and benefits will continue to grow. This guide will give you a better understanding on the field of ultrasound.

Ultrasound technicians are professionals who use x-rays, radiation and high sound frequencies in order to create detailed visuals of bones, tissues and blood and in return are payed an ultrasound technician salary. The ultrasound technician and the patient are required to wear protective clothing in order to prevent harmful radiation and particles from piercing through the body. Once the images have been created, they can then be used to treat patients. Doctors and the technicians themselves will go over them and make a diagnoses. It is a detail oriented job, but it comes with very good benefits. Not only is the ultrasound technician salary great, but this is also a career that requires less education than a lot of the other health care careers. The high ultrasound technician salary range is only one of the many reasons to consider this career choice.

Ultrasound Technician Salary

The ultrasound technician salary will vary based on the amount of job experience and where you live in the county. The average ultrasound technician salary today earns $65,000 a year. The ultrasound technician salary is over $20,000 of what the average American worker makes putting the ultrasound technician in a high status position. This also includes a solid benefits plan which should include full health and dental coverage for the technician and their family and a strong retirement program such as penchant or dollar matching 401k plan. Vacation time and sick days are negotiated between you and your employer.

Ultrasound Technician Education Requirements

Educational institutions and colleges offer courses, degrees, programs, and certificates in Diagnostic Medical Ultrasound Programs to help fill the increasing need for more trained professionals. Technicians can expect to graduate in a twenty-four month period or even sooner and can expect a lucrative ultrasound technician salary, if you have extra time and can double up on courses. According to the US Labor Department statistics, employment of diagnostic medical sonogram technicians as well as the ultrasound technician salary is expected to increase in demand and grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2013 and will rapidly begin expanding after the year 2016 when the Health Care Bill comes into full effect.

Ultrasound Technician Work Environment

Generally, the work environment of an ultrasound tech is not stressful. Most will end up working in hospitals or large clinics while some of the more veteran techs will work in private medical practices. Technicians work a usual 40 hour work-week with the option of different shifts to earn your ultrasound technician salary. You may have to work overtime but this is not a common practice. Ultrasound technicians tend to work alone and must be able to deal with patients one on one. They are required to instruct the patients through the procedures and keep them feeling at ease. This can be stressful if they have just come from the trauma unit and need to check for broken bones. The need for good interpersonal skills is greatest here if this is your specialization. However, there are many different specializations to choose from.

Becoming an ultrasound technician is a career endeavor and should not be entered into without serious thought and a mentality that you intend to do this for the rest of your life. You will have to pay for school with your own money and make the time to study for exams. However, once you graduate you are almost guaranteed to land a good job and a great ultrasound technician salary as the need for good ultrasound techs is out-pacing current graduating classes. Remember that with a little hard work and commitment upfront will lead to lifetime of happiness in a career.