How To Become an Ultrasound Technician in Missouri 2025

Becoming a medical sonographer, also known as an ultrasound technician or ultrasound tech, can be a lucrative and rewarding career choice in Missouri. Diagnostic medical sonographers are valuable members of the healthcare profession, providing physicians with information about the body's internal organs and systems, which in turn amplifies patient care.

Ultrasound tech requirements don't include medical school, but they do require completion of an intensive two-year or four-year (and sometimes six-year) program at an accredited college, university, or technical school.

Below, we'll discuss how to become an ultrasound tech, including educational requirements and potential career paths.

What Is an Ultrasound Technician?

Ultrasound technicians are healthcare professionals who provide information about the body that physicians can't see with the naked eye. Diagnostic medical sonography (DMS) uses highly technical ultrasound equipment to generate soundwave-based images of the body's internal organs and systems, which physicians then use to diagnose and treat a plethora of medical conditions, from broken bones to abdominal pain.

Ultrasound techs often interact closely with patients, providing knowledge and even comfort during procedures. Other duties include prepping patients for the ultrasound procedure, properly operating ultrasound and other equipment, and updating, maintaining, and cleaning the equipment and surrounding area.

The state of Missouri does not issue or require a state license for this position, but schooling to become an ultrasound tech and certification by the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) are usually required by employers nationwide.

How To Become an Ultrasound Tech in Missouri

The steps to become an ultrasound tech involve getting your high school diploma, followed by earning your degree in ultrasound technology and gaining training and certification. We'll look closer at each of these requirements below.

Step 1: Finish Your Education

To be accepted into a program to become an ultrasound technician or diagnostic medical sonographer, you'll need to have first earned a high school diploma or a GED. With one of those in hand, future ultrasound technicians can explore accredited ultrasound technology programs in Missouri. The vast majority of these programs result in associate degrees, but there are also bachelor's degrees in diagnostic medical sonography and even graduate programs available if you meet the prerequisite courses required by the specific program.

Most employers prefer programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). CAAHEP provides DMS Accreditation Standards and Guidelines that these schools must abide by.

CAAHEP-accredited programs in Missouri include Cox College in Springfield, St. Louis Community College in St. Louis, and Concorde Career College in St. Louis. Specific program requirements may vary.

Step 2: Complete Clinical Diagnostic Medical Sonography Training

Hands-on clinical training is an important part of most accredited ultrasound technician programs. Working in actual clinics, hospitals, and private practices provides real-world experience that can't be replicated in classrooms and laboratories.

Missouri doesn't offer guidelines or requirements for clinical hours as part of an ultrasound technician education, but most accredited programs have their own requirements. Concorde Career College in Kansas City requires students to complete nearly 1,000 clinical hours to graduate with a diagnostic medical sonography degree.

Step 3: Complete ARDMS Certification

Most CAAHEP-accredited diagnostic medical sonography programs result in certification from the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS). Most employers for ultrasound technicians require this as well, even though the state of Missouri doesn't require any sort of certificate program.

To be ARDMS-certified, an ultrasound technology student must pass the Sonography Principles and Instrumentation (SPI) exam, as well as any specialty exams like obstetrics or vascular technology. Future diagnostic medical sonographers can also opt to take the ADMS exams independently online within five years of graduating from a program. More information and practice exams are available at ardms.org.

Step 4: Get Continuing Medical Education Credits

To maintain an ARDMS certification, you must complete 30 additional continuing medical education (CME) credits every three years. This is to ensure that an ultrasound technician stays up to date on advancements in their field of medicine, knowledgeable about new relevant technology, and in touch with the ultrasound industry as a whole.

CME credits can be earned online or in person by taking actual courses through an accredited program or attending approved seminars. Check the ARDMS website for specific CME credits needed for your ultrasound tech specialty.

Types of Ultrasound Technician Careers in Missouri

Most ultrasound techs choose a specific path of interest, or specialty, during their schooling. Training for a specialty like OB/GYN or echocardiography can open employment opportunities and higher salaries for an ultrasound tech.

Here are just some of the areas of concentration your career as an ultrasound tech can focus on.

Obstetrics and Gynecology

Choosing to focus on OB/GYN and become an ultrasound tech for pregnancy is a common track. To complete your training as an ultrasound tech for babies, you must pass an exam in addition to the standard SPI exam. This specialty OB/GYN exam must be passed within five years of certification.

Vascular Sonography

A vascular ultrasound tech takes detailed internal images of veins, arteries, and blood vessels, which physicians use to save patients' lives. Issues like clogs, clots, compression, and weak veins would be impossible to diagnose without diagnostic medical sonographers.

ARDMS-certified studies on vascular sonography must be completed within five years of certification.

Abdominal Sonography

An abdominal sonographer checks the stomach and surrounding organs for issues like kidney stones, gallstones, clots, cysts, and other irregularities that can cause stomach pain or other health concerns.

An abdominal sonographer must be knowledgeable about the stomach, liver, kidneys, and spleen, as well as their relationship to each other and inherent functions. An abdominal sonographer can complete this ultrasound specialty as CME or within their initial studies, as long as the abdominal specialty SPI exam is passed within five years of certification, per the ARDMS.

FAQs About How To Become an Ultrasound Technician in Missouri

You may still have questions about Missouri's ultrasound tech requirements, and we're here to help. Here are a few answers to common questions about the schooling to become an ultrasound tech or medical sonographer.

How Long Does It Take To Become an Ultrasound Tech in Missouri?

An associate degree in ultrasound tech training generally takes two years to complete, including coursework and clinical experience. A diagnostic medical sonography program that results in a bachelor's degree takes four years, while a master's program can add two years to that total.

How Long Does It Take To Become an Ultrasound Tech After High School?

After acquiring a high school diploma or GED, it takes two to four years to become an ultrasound tech in Missouri. If taken as a graduate program, it can take six years to get your credential.

How Much Does It Cost To Become an Ultrasound Technician in Missouri?

Tuition costs vary depending a number of variables, from your choice of school to the specific type of degree you persue. An ultrasound technician degree in Missouri can cost anywhere from $12,600 (North Central Missouri College) to $51,714 (Concorde Career College-Kansas City). Fortunately, many programs offer financial aid to help offset this cost.

How Much Does an Ultrasound Tech Make in Missouri?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean sonography tech salary is $85,910 while the mean hourly rate is $41.30. Actual salaries, however, can differ based on your level of education, experience, and the healthcare provider offering the employment.

Become an Ultrasound Technician

Missouri is a wealth of opportunity for ultrasound technicians or diagnostic medical sonographers. With just two years of diagnostic medical sonography training, education, and clinical experience, an ultrasound technician in Missouri can build a lucrative and rewarding career.

If you're looking to start your career in ultrasound technology, we're here to help. You can start your journey by exploring the extensive collection of schools and degree programs featured on Learn.org.