Diagnostic Medical Sonographers: salary, outlook & degrees
Produce ultrasonic recordings of internal organs for use by physicians. Includes vascular technologists.
Middle half $80,430–$106,930. 90,160 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
56% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $71,594.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 6,000 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Medium preparation.
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Degrees that lead to this career
What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.
| Field of bachelor's degree | Share | Degree pages |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Technologies Technicians | 24% | Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) · Medical Laboratory Science |
| Biology | 7% | Biology |
| Physical Fitness Parks Recreation And Leisure | 4% | Kinesiology / Exercise Science · Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies |
| General Medical And Health Services | 4% | Health Sciences |
| Nursing | 3% | Nursing |
| Psychology | 3% | Psychology |
| Business Management And Administration | 3% | Business Administration |
| Multi-Disciplinary Or General Science | 3% | Biological and Physical Sciences |
| Medical Assisting Services | 2% | Dental Support Services and Allied Professions |
| Health And Medical Administrative Services | 2% | Health Administration |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| California | $128,530 |
| Hawaii | $124,430 |
| Washington | $121,340 |
| Oregon | $120,220 |
| District of Columbia | $112,020 |
| Colorado | $108,410 |
| Massachusetts | $107,480 |
| Alaska | $105,670 |
| Vermont | $104,100 |
| New York | $103,920 |
| New Hampshire | $103,760 |
| Connecticut | $103,230 |
| New Jersey | $103,150 |
| Minnesota | $102,850 |
| Wisconsin | $102,090 |
| Montana | $101,000 |
| Illinois | $100,660 |
| Wyoming | $100,650 |
| Missouri | $100,130 |
| Utah | $100,100 |
| Arizona | $100,040 |
| Idaho | $99,920 |
| Maryland | $99,210 |
| Delaware | $98,530 |
| Kansas | $96,310 |
| Nevada | $95,980 |
| Virginia | $95,660 |
| Maine | $95,230 |
| Rhode Island | $92,820 |
| Texas | $92,580 |
| Kentucky | $91,230 |
| New Mexico | $87,210 |
| Iowa | $86,480 |
| North Carolina | $86,010 |
| Indiana | $85,040 |
| North Dakota | $84,340 |
| Oklahoma | $83,670 |
| South Carolina | $83,290 |
| Georgia | $83,250 |
| Florida | $82,940 |
| Ohio | $82,870 |
| Pennsylvania | $82,710 |
| Nebraska | $82,670 |
| Michigan | $82,490 |
| Arkansas | $81,500 |
| South Dakota | $80,820 |
| Louisiana | $80,710 |
| Tennessee | $80,640 |
| West Virginia | $76,820 |
| Mississippi | $76,520 |
| Alabama | $68,180 |
| PR | $38,090 |
Florida metro areas
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach$86,250
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$82,120
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$83,310
- Jacksonville$84,470
- Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville$82,940
- North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota$86,940
- Cape Coral-Fort Myers$80,790
- Lakeland-Winter Haven$84,120
Virginia metro areas
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$105,290
- Richmond$95,660
- Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk$86,630
- Kingsport-Bristol$75,440
- Roanoke$83,140
- Charlottesville$88,700
- Lynchburg$95,130
- Winchester$83,470
California metro areas
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim$119,430
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$160,270
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario$105,860
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad$129,630
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom$163,220
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$173,150
- Fresno$107,750
- Modesto$141,210
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
Knowledge used
- Physics
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Customer and Personal Service
- Biology
- English Language
Work styles
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Cooperation
- Integrity
People in this job tend to have Realistic (hands-on), Conventional (organizing), Investigative (analytical) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers: questions
How much do diagnostic Medical Sonographers make?
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers earn a U.S. median $96,590 a year; the middle half earn $80,430 to $106,930 (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $68,022 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is diagnostic Medical Sonographers a growing field?
BLS projects growth of 13.9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 6,000 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be a diagnostic Medical Sonographer?
BLS lists the typical entry education as associate's degree. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is medical Technologies Technicians (24%).
How much do diagnostic Medical Sonographers make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $82,940 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $96,590 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 29-2032. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “Diagnostic Medical Sonographers: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/diagnostic-medical-sonographers.