Diagnostic Medical Sonographer Hourly Pay (2026 Data)
Advertised pay, starting pay, skills and experience from 4,989 US job postings by 858 employers. Data as of October 2026.
What US employers post for diagnostic medical sonographers: advertised pay, the skills and experience they ask for, and the job titles they use, from 4,989 open job postings (October 2026).
- The median advertised pay for diagnostic medical sonographers in US job postings is $47.00 an hour (1,054 postings from 245 employers, October 2026).
- The middle half of those postings offer $42.00 to $52.52 an hour.
- Postings that ask for up to 1 year of experience advertise a median of $45.17 an hour (316 postings).
- The skills that most set diagnostic medical sonographer postings apart are ultrasound equipment, physiology, pacs.
- Postings that state a minimum ask for a median of 1 year of experience.
Diagnostic Medical Sonographer job postings in the US, October 2026
- $47.00/hr
- Median advertised pay (1,054 postings)
- $42.00–$52.52
- Middle 50% of postings
- $45.17/hr
- Starting pay (postings asking up to 1 year)
- 4,989
- US job postings from 858 employers
How much does a diagnostic medical sonographer make an hour?
The median advertised pay is $47.00 an hour, from 1,054 US job postings by 245 employers that state pay. That is about $97,000 a year at 2,080 hours.
Advertised pay in 1,054 US diagnostic medical sonographer job postings: median $97,000 a year ($47.00 an hour), middle half $87,000 to $109,000.
- Median: $97,000 ($47.00/hr)
- 25th percentile: $87,000
- 75th percentile: $109,000
The figures as a table
| Annual pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| $10K–$20K | 0.1% |
| $20K–$30K | 0.5% |
| $30K–$40K | 0.1% |
| $40K–$50K | 0.1% |
| $50K–$60K | 1.2% |
| $60K–$70K | 2.6% |
| $70K–$80K | 7.4% |
| $80K–$90K | 21.0% |
| $90K–$100K | 24.1% |
| $100K–$110K | 19.0% |
| $110K–$120K | 8.9% |
| $120K–$130K | 6.2% |
| $130K–$140K | 3.3% |
| $140K–$150K | 2.0% |
| $150K–$160K | 1.4% |
| $160K–$170K | 0.2% |
| $170K–$180K | 0.6% |
| $180K–$190K | 0.6% |
Midpoint of each posting's pay range, hourly pay × 2,080 hours; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
| Median | Middle 50% | Postings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Postings that state an hourly rate | $47.00 | $42.00–$52.52 | 875 |
| All pay postings, annualised | $97,000 | $87K–$109K | 1,054 |
For comparison, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the national median annual wage of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (29-2032) at $97,000 (May 2025). Postings advertise pay; the BLS measures what people earn, across all employers and levels.
What is the starting salary for a diagnostic medical sonographer?
Postings that ask for up to 1 year of experience advertise a median of $45.17 an hour (316 postings).
| Experience asked | Median advertised pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1 years | $45.17/hr | 316 |
| 2-4 years | withheld | 239 |
| 5+ years | withheld | 38 |
Highest-paying diagnostic medical sonographer jobs
Specializations with at least 250 postings that state pay.
| Specialization | Median pay | Postings with pay | Employers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiac Sonographer | $49.05/hr | 256 | 95 |
| Ultrasound Technologist | $46.51/hr | 690 | 199 |
Diagnostic medical sonographer pay by state
Single-location US postings; states with at least 100 postings that state pay. States with pay-transparency laws (such as California, Colorado, New York and Washington) are over-represented among postings that state pay.
| State | Median pay | Middle 50% | Postings with pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $49.00/hr | $41.20–$56.23 | 143 | 6.6% |
Skills employers ask for in diagnostic medical sonographer job postings
| Skill | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| Communication | 19% |
| Interpersonal skills | 14% |
| Work independently | 9% |
| Independent judgment | 7% |
| Physiology | 7% |
| Attention to detail | 7% |
| Customer service | 6% |
| Organizational skills | 6% |
| Ultrasound equipment | 6% |
| Pacs | 5% |
Skills named in the posting text; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026. Methodology.
Skills that set diagnostic medical sonographers apart
- Ultrasound equipment313.2× as often as in all postings · 6%
- Physiology43.1× as often as in all postings · 7%
- Pacs64.5× as often as in all postings · 5%
- Independent judgment13.2× as often as in all postings · 7%
Skills named in at least 5% of these postings and at least 3 times as often as in job postings overall.
Have a diagnostic medical sonographer job posting in front of you? See which of its skills your resume is missing.
What does a diagnostic medical sonographer do?
Employers post these jobs as Ultrasound Technologist, Sonographer, Ultrasound Tech, Cardiac Sonographer, Vascular Sonographer and other titles. The largest specializations are Ultrasound Technologist (66%), Cardiac Sonographer (26%), Vascular Sonographer (6%).
The closest official occupation is Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (29-2032.00). Its most important tasks:
- Observe screen during scan to ensure that image produced is satisfactory for diagnostic purposes, making adjustments to equipment as required.
- Decide which images to include, looking for differences between healthy and pathological areas.
- Operate ultrasound equipment to produce and record images of the motion, shape, and composition of blood, organs, tissues, or bodily masses, such as fluid accumulations.
- Observe and care for patients throughout examinations to ensure their safety and comfort.
- Provide sonogram and oral or written summary of technical findings to physician for use in medical diagnosis.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
How much experience do you need to be a diagnostic medical sonographer?
Among 1,662 postings that state a minimum, the median is 1 year. 4% say 0 years and 54% ask for 1 year or less.
Minimum experience asked in 1,662 US diagnostic medical sonographer job postings: median 1 year, and 54% ask for 1 year or less.
The figures as a table
| Minimum experience asked | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| 0 yr | 6% |
| 1 yr | 48% |
| 2 yrs | 30% |
| 3-4 yrs | 11% |
| 5-7 yrs | 4% |
| 8-9 yrs | under 1% |
| 10+ yrs | under 1% |
Postings that state a minimum (required or preferred); at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
We do not show a degree figure: in our checks, degree requirements in posting text were found too rarely to publish one. Why.
Full-time 77%, Part-time 23% of the 741 postings that state working hours.
Other names for a diagnostic medical sonographer: job titles employers use
| Job title | Employers using it |
|---|---|
| Ultrasound Technologist | 258 (30.1%) |
| Sonographer | 182 (21.2%) |
| Ultrasound Tech | 160 (18.6%) |
| Cardiac Sonographer | 134 (15.6%) |
| Vascular Sonographer | 65 (7.6%) |
| Ultrasound Technician | 65 (7.6%) |
| Echo Tech | 50 (5.8%) |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographer | 49 (5.7%) |
| Echo Technologist | 34 (4.0%) |
| Echocardiographer | 25 (2.9%) |
| Ultrasonographer | 24 (2.8%) |
| Cardiovascular Sonographer | 24 (2.8%) |
| Sonographer I | 23 (2.7%) |
| Registered Vascular Technologist | 22 (2.6%) |
| Ultrasound Sonographer | 20 (2.3%) |
| Echo Sonographer | 19 (2.2%) |
| Echocardiography Technologist | 19 (2.2%) |
| Echo Technician | 18 (2.1%) |
| Vascular Ultrasound Technologist | 17 (2.0%) |
| Ultrasound Technologist PRN | 17 (2.0%) |
Titles read in our audit and used by at least 3 employers.
Diagnostic medical sonographer job titles compared
The titles people search for most, from the US job postings that use each exact title (October 2026).
| Job title | Open postings | Employers | Median pay | Median experience | Skills named most |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonographer | 643 | 182 | – | 2 years | communication, interpersonal skills, independent judgment |
| Cardiac Sonographer | 338 | 134 | – | – | communication, work independently, cardiac anatomy |
| Ultrasound Technologist | 930 | 258 | – | 1 year | communication, interpersonal skills, pacs |
| Ultrasound Technician | 155 | 65 | – | – | – |
| Ultrasound Tech | 468 | 160 | – | – | communication, interpersonal skills, work independently |
Sonographer vs Ultrasound Tech
| Sonographer | Ultrasound Tech | |
|---|---|---|
| Open US postings | 643 | 468 |
| Employers | 182 | 160 |
| Median advertised pay | – | – |
| Median experience asked | 2 years | – |
| Skills that stand out | – | – |
Diagnostic Medical Sonographer compared with similar careers
| Career | Median pay | Median experience | Postings | Shares N of top 25 skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographer | $47.00/hr | 1 year | 4,989 | – |
| Radiologic Technologist | $42.58/hr | 1 year | 22,330 | 18 |
| Nuclear Medicine Technologist | $52.73/hr | 1 year | 1,707 | 15 |
| Radiation Therapist | $110K | 1 year | 1,147 | 15 |
| Perfusionist | – | – | 202 | 13 |
Similar careers
| Career | Shares N of the top 25 skills | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Radiologic Technologist | 18 | $42.58/hr |
| Nuclear Medicine Technologist | 15 | $52.73/hr |
| Radiation Therapist | 15 | $110K |
| Perfusionist | 13 | – |
| Massage Therapist | 11 | $30.00/hr |
| Athletic Trainer | 16 | $31.28/hr |
Applying for diagnostic medical sonographer jobs?
- Diagnostic medical sonographer resume examples: one-page examples for these roles
- Match your resume to a job: paste a posting and see the skills your resume is missing
- Check your resume: see how an applicant tracking system reads it
- Find diagnostic medical sonographer jobs: search open postings
Source and method
Open US job postings collected from employers' applicant tracking systems, de-duplicated, counted only when their job title was read in our audit. Shares count at most 20 postings per employer, and franchise locations of one brand count as one employer. Pay uses hourly and annual figures only; a figure is shown when leaving out the largest employer moves it by 10% or less. Every figure states its number of postings. Methodology and measured accuracy.
Accuracy check: we read 20 randomly chosen postings counted on this page in full; 20 of them were this career or a closely related one (October 2026).
Download the figures on this page (CSV): every number above with its count of postings. Aggregate figures are licensed CC BY 4.0; cite the page when you reuse them.