What Can I Do with a Bachelor's Degree in Sonography?

<p>If you hold or want to pursue a bachelor's degree in sonography, there are several career fields open to you. In addition to the option of working as a diagnostic medical sonographer, you could alternatively find employment in research or equipment sales. Read on for more detail about jobs associated with 4-year degrees in sonography. </p> <h3 id="section---ImportantFactsAboutThePotentialOfASonographyDegree"> Important Facts About the Potential of a Sonography Degree</h3> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><td> On-the-Job Training </td><td> No standard training period; CPR and Basic Life Saving certification required by many employers</td></tr> <tr><td> Key Skills </td><td> Social perceptiveness, reading comprehension, excellent written and verbal communication, critical thinking, active listening, time management</td></tr> <tr><td> Professional Certification </td><td> Sonography exam administered by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT)</td></tr> <tr><td> Similar Occupations </td><td> Nuclear medicine technologists, radiologic and MRI technologists, medical and clinical laboratory technologists and technicians</td></tr> </table><h3 id="section---DiagnosticMedicalSonographer"> Diagnostic Medical Sonographer</h3> <p>Diagnostic medical sonographers use technology that emits soundwaves to perform scans of internal organs and regions. As a professional in this area, you would ensure the technology is active and working prior to each use and help prepare patients for sonographic procedures, including answering any questions they may have. After the scan is completed, your job is to decide which sonograms are the best and present them to the physician. </p> <p>Various specializations are available in sonography. As an abdominal sonographer, for example, you would concentrate on the abdominal cavity, including blood vessels and soft tissues. You may take sonograms of organs such as the liver, gallbladder and kidneys, along with the pancreas and bile ducts. The heart and associated blood vessels are the focus of cardiac sonography, which monitors muscle status, valve function and chamber size, while gynecologic and obstetric sonographers examine a woman's reproductive system, including monitoring a fetus if she is pregnant. </p> <h4 id="section---SalaryAndCareerOutlook"> Salary and Career Outlook</h4> <p>Sonographers may find employment at a doctor's offices, clinics, schools or hospitals. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) listed a mean annual wage of $80,680 for diagnostic medical sonographers in 2021. The highest-paying states for this profession at that time were California, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Washington and Oregon, where average salaries were $95,000 or more per year. The BLS anticipates a job growth rate of 15% for diagnostic medical sonographers between 2021 and 2031, a rate much far faster than the average for all jobs. </p> <h3 id="section---SalesAndMarketingRepresentative"> Sales and Marketing Representative</h3> <p>With an educational background in sonography, you may take a position to market and sell sonography equipment. You would visit hospitals and other medical settings in order to target your clients' sonography technology needs. You would use your expertise in the field to make suggestions and sell sonography equipment. </p> <h4 id="section---SalaryAndCareerOutlook-2"> Salary and Career Outlook</h4> <p>The BLS states that in 2021, the mean yearly income of wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives marketing technical or scientific products was $102,750, with most earning between $44,460 and $168,320 annually. The field is expected to see a 5% increase in employment from 2021 to 2031, according to BLS projections. </p> <h3 id="section---ResearchScientists"> Research Scientists</h3> <p>You may decide to work in research at a university to help develop new sonography equipment and uses for the technology. Other graduates may seek employment with sonography businesses to create new and effective sonography machines for marketing. </p> <h4 id="section---SalaryInformationForResearchScientists"> Salary Information for Research Scientists</h4> <p>In January 2023, <i>PayScale.com</i> indicated an average annual salary of $66,368 for research scientists in the medical field. Medical research assistants made an annual income of $68,000 per year at that time, the site reported. </p> <h3 id="section---CareerAdvancementOptions"> Career Advancement Options</h3> <p>You might choose to continue your education after obtaining your bachelor's degree and earn a master's or a doctorate degree. Additional education may help you obtain administrative or teaching positions. With work experience, you may become lead sonographer or director of an ultrasound department in a hospital or clinic.</p>