Most people don’t normally decide to become ultrasound technicians or diagnostic medical sonographers because the job comes with a well above average ultrasound salary. More commonly, they choose this career because the profession is challenging, rewarding and involves helping people.
Better still, as increasingly more patients need advanced diagnostic medical sonography procedures, the job is in high demand and many new ultrasound technician positions will be needed over the coming years.
Recent research from the US Bureau of Labor highlights the fact that ultrasonography is one of the few medical areas which continues to expand, even despite the poor economy. Due to this continued demand, ultrasound technicians are paid a really competitive ultrasound salary package and are considered as highly valued members of the healthcare community.
You may be surprised to discover there are a number of key factors which can actually help to improve any ultrasound technician or sonographers pay. We’ll take a look at some of these key factors and explain how they impact on ultrasound salary levels. In addition, we’ll take a look at the average ultrasound technician salary range in both the US and UK healthcare sectors.
What Factors Can Affect Your Ultrasound Salary?
When comparing ultrasound technician income, there are some major factors which all play a part in determining the specific ultrasound salary a sonographer will earn:
- Geographical Location. The part of the Country you decide to work in will affect the pay you receive. As a guide, ultrasound technicians working in larger cities will usually earn a higher ultrasound salary when compared to those working in more rural areas.
- Level of Qualifications. The higher your qualifications from ultrasound technician schools, the more you’ll earn.
- Amount of Experience. More experience usually means that you can command a better ultrasound salary.
- Working Environment. The environment you choose to work in will influence your pay grade. For the highest salaries, consider working in specialist hospitals or for a private specialist healthcare provider. If you work in a general hospital or a community medical practice, your level of pay may be slightly lower.
- Specialization. If you elect to specialize in a particular field of ultrasound (for example Obstetrics or Gynecology) you will usually earn more than you would working as a general ultrasound technician.
- Management Responsibility. As a result of job promotion, some sonographers end up spending far more of their time involved in managing and supervisory roles. By moving into management, a sonographer can easily find that their ultrasound salary increases by up to 50% or more.
As with most jobs, the more flexible you can be, then the greater the ultrasound salary you’ll be able to earn.
What Is The Average Ultrasound Salary In The US?
The most up to date information about ultrasound technicians salaries in the US is issued by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to their national 2010 research, for ultrasound technicians the average salary range was between $52,000 and $84,000 per year. The typical ultrasound salary for most technicians is around $64,000.
In addition, employment possibilities for ultrasound technicians are forecast to continue to grow strongly – making it an excellent career choice. Given the current trends, it is expected that an additional 10,000 ultrasound technician jobs will be created over the next ten years. Given this sustained demand, ultrasound salary packages will almost certainly continue to rise above those offered to similar professionals in the allied healthcare sector.
Typical Ultrasound Technician Income Levels In The UK
Within the UK, ultrasound technicians can work in either the National Health Service (NHS) or the private healthcare sector. Most ultrasound technicians working in the NHS will usually earn between £23,000 to £29,000. In the private sector, the average ultrasound salary level is slightly higher at around £27,000 to £33,000.
Looking at both the UK and US markets, diagnostic medical sonographers and ultrasound technicians are enjoying annual ultrasound salary increases of around 9% which outpaces inflation.