Careers / Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$96,590
United States, 2025
Employment
90,160
United States, 2025
Typical education
Not recorded
Job Zone 3
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Produce ultrasonic recordings of internal organs for use by physicians. Includes vascular technologists.
- O*NET code
- 29-2032.00
- Job zone
- 3
- Experience required
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
Typical 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.
- Select appropriate equipment settings and adjust patient positions to obtain the best sites and angles.
- Determine whether scope of exam should be extended, based on findings.
- Obtain and record accurate patient history, including prior test results or information from physical examinations.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$67,820
25th percentile
$80,430
75th percentile
$106,930
90th percentile
$129,370
Most important skills
- Active Listening4.0
- Speaking3.9
- Reading Comprehension3.8
- Critical Thinking3.6
- Social Perceptiveness3.6
- Operation and Control3.4
- Monitoring3.3
- Writing3.3
- Coordination3.3
- Operations Monitoring3.3
- Active Learning3.1
- Service Orientation3.1
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 17 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
17
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.0 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 3.9 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.8 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.6 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Writing | 3.3 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.6 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Operation and Control | 3.4 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.3 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Active Learning | 3.1 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Service Orientation | 3.1 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Coordination | 3.3 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Instructing | 3.0 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Time Management | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
Supplemental
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Compare with Diagnostic Medical SonographersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $173,150 | 500 | 2025 |
| Vallejo, CA | $171,170 | 140 | 2025 |
| Sacramento, CA | $163,220 | 610 | 2025 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $161,570 | 90 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $160,270 | 1,300 | 2025 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $142,150 | 40 | 2025 |
| Modesto, CA | $141,210 | 200 | 2025 |
| Redding, CA | $133,340 | 40 | 2025 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $132,490 | 100 | 2025 |
| Stockton, CA | $130,210 | 140 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $129,960 | 1,190 | 2025 |
| San Diego, CA | $129,630 | 720 | 2025 |
| CA | $128,530 | 10,110 | 2025 |
| Portland, OR | $128,420 | 690 | 2025 |
| Salem, OR | $127,680 | 110 | 2025 |
| Oxnard, CA | $125,750 | 140 | 2025 |
| Kahului, HI | $125,670 | 30 | 2025 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $125,090 | 40 | 2025 |
| HI | $124,430 | 210 | 2025 |
| Chico, CA | $123,880 | 80 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Diagnostic Medical Sonographers to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.