Ultrasound Technician Schools and Certification

To pursue a career as an ultrasound technician, one need not have a specific path of entry. Ultrasound technician education, certification and training can be acquired from hospitals, vocational and technical schools, colleges, university, and even in the Armed Forces. Although there is a preference for technicians who had education from accredited ultrasound technician schools, a formal education, actual training program, or a combination of both can land an individual a job as a diagnostic medical sonographer.

Educational institutions offer Associate and Bachelors degree for the field that covers subjects in anatomy, basic physics, instrumentation, physiology, patient care, and medical ethics. Individuals who take formal education have preference for the two year course.

Most employers prefer sonographers who are certified because it provides a valid scholastic standing for the profession however there are no state requirement for licensure is needed to pursue a career as a medical diagnostic sonographer.

Job Prospects

In 2008, the demand for ultrasound technician jobs reached 50, 300 having about 59% of them employed in hospitals. The rest were employed by private clinics, diagnostic laboratories, and outpatient care centers.

It is expected to have an 18% increase in job demands by 2018 with hospitals being the primary employer. However, it is projected that there will also be a steady increase in the demand coming from health care facilities primarily driven by a shift towards outpatient care. This will also be driven by the availability of ultrasound machines that are less expensive resulting to more procedures being done outside the hospitals.

Diagnostic Medical Sonographers who can provide multiple specialties and credentials will have higher opportunities for employment.

The truth is that as the population ages, there will also be an increase in the demand for digital imagery. This demand will spawn the growth of job opportunities of an ultrasound technician among healthcare providers who prefer to use ultrasound imagery as a safe and cost efficient option against that of radiological procedures. This growth will be further enhanced with technological advancements that will give birth for new sonography procedures that will allow diagnostic medical sonographers to scan and create image from areas that initially is not available for present day users of the ultrasound.

Ultrasound Technician Salary

As in all technical professions, there are many factors to consider when you are trying to find out ultrasound technician salary information. The most important of the factors is the education level. Depending on your school, you might get a better salary and work in better places as a ultrasound technician or a sonographer.
Without doubt, another big impact on ultrasound technician salary is the location. Local economical conditions will effect how much you are going to make. Not only by state, but most of the time different cities in the same state have different levels. 

If you are just starting in the professions, as a ultrasound technician salary you can expect an hourly rate of around $19. It can reach as high as $26 as your level of experience increases within your career. Annual salaries tend to fluctuate more but an average is around 45K to 52K (Source), with more experienced techs making 69K per year as they advance their career.

Money has always been one of the most important aspects of our life. Although we always research how much money we can make if we attain a certain career. But it should not be the only factor while we are deciding on what education we like to pursue. It is always very important to find a career you love, nothing is better than making good money while doing what you like to do. Working in the health field is a recession proof career, so if you think you like to work on ultrasound machines, it is a great job to start getting into. Hope our ultrasound technician salary post was helpful to you.