Ultrasound Technician Salaries and Benefits
According the the US Government Bureau of Labor Statistics, ultrasound technicians or medical sonographers as they are also called make an average of $61,980 annually. The hourly wage made by ultrasound technicians is $30.60. Like with most other jobs, pay is based on seniority and can vary quite a bit, depending upon where a person happens to work. For instance, an ultrasound technician working in an animal clinic most likely will earn less per year than an ultrasound technician working in a large, metropolitan hospital.
Salaries Based on Location
Ultrasound technicians working in some states will earn more than others. States with larger populations are those in which ultrasound technicians tend to make the most money. California ranks highest when it comes to salaries of ultrasound technicians in the United States. Cost of living also plays a part in how much an ultrasound tech will earn in any given location.
Benefits
There are many benefits associated with being an ultrasound technician. For one, there is a high demand for ultrasound technicians and that demand is expected to remain in place at least through the year 2018. This means that a person entering this field has good job security. The good rate of pay an ultrasound technician earns is also a clear benefit as this career compensates one well in terms of money earned.
An ultrasound technician has many choices concerning where he/she can find employment. Since the demand for ultrasound technicians is high, a professional has the opportunity to relocate to virtually anywhere as hospitals, clinics and doctor’s offices everywhere employ ultrasound techs.
The personal satisfaction one receives from working as an ultrasound technician is great. Having the opportunity to meet new people on a daily basis is nice as is being part of a medical team that is working to help patients beat illnesses and various medical conditions.
Where Ultrasound Technicians Work
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than half of all ultrasound technicians work in hospitals. Others are employed in doctors offices, medical laboratories, diagnostic laboratories, mobile imaging units and in veterinary clinics.
Where an ultrasound tech works can relate directly to his or her field of specialty. For instance, an ultrasound technician that specializes in neurology will most likely be working in a hospital or medical lab because only the most complex medical conditions require neurological ultrasound readings. An ultrasound tech specializing in obstetrics may be working in a hospital, doctor’s office or mobile imagine unit as these are places pregnant women go to check on the development and health of their growing fetuses.
Ultrasound Technician Job Description
An ultrasound technician is responsible for using diagnostic imaging in order to help a physician diagnosis ailments or to monitor the development of growing fetuses. A sonography machine is used by an ultrasound technician to capture diagnostic images using sound waves rather than radiation. The ultrasound technician aims the sound waves toward the area on the body that is in need of examination. The sonogram collects the echoes that are reflected back to create the image.