Is Medical Sonography a Good Career?

Great Careers Start Here

  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Medical sonography—taking images inside the human body using soundwaves—is an important medical practice that is expected to be in high demand throughout the decade. The career path of a Medical Sonographer offers several rewards. As a member of the thriving healthcare industry, you provide a critical service to patients and the physicians who diagnose them while building a career that provides you with salary, stability, and security. 

Medical Sonographers Have a Positive Impact on Patient Care 

When a doctor suspects that a patient may have heart disease or breast cancer or a gallbladder issue, one of the first tests they order is an ultrasound, also known as a sonograph. Just as a detective relies on photographic evidence from crime scene investigators to solve a case, when you’re a Sonographer, doctors rely on your sonograms to make accurate diagnoses. Ultrasounds are critical to detecting all kinds of illnesses and diseases so treatment can begin soon enough to save lives. As a Sonographer, you are an important part of that lifesaving equation.   

Sonographers Are Important Members of Healthcare Teams 

Don’t you want a career you can be proud of, working alongside people you respect and knowing they respect you too? Being a Sonographer means you’re an important part of a healthcare team in a hospital or other medical facility. You do a job that really matters; one that ranks #6 on US News and World Reports under healthcare support jobs  

Medical Sonographers Are in Demand  

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that employment of medical sonographers will increase much faster than the average over the next 10 years. What does that mean for you? It indicates that your skills as an Ultrasound Technician will be in demand. As the large Baby Boomer population ages, they’ll need more medical care, including screenings of their heart, kidneys, and joints. In turn, doctors will continue to rely on the services of Medical Sonographers to capture the images they need to make an accurate diagnosis.  

Tangible Benefits of a Medical Sonography Career 

Where you live and work will determine your salary and benefits. But like many full-time employees at healthcare facilities, you can expect benefits like health, dental, and vision insurance and paid time off. Your employer may also offer 401K plans or tuition reimbursement if you choose to advance your skills further. California is the top-paying state for the profession and it employs the most Sonographers in the country. 

Medical Sonographers Can Specialize  

You’re probably familiar with the ultrasounds that pregnant women get to check on the health and growth of their baby. But obstetric sonography is only one specialty. You might also work in cardiac sonography, which focuses on the heart. The diagnostic images you take could help doctors identify signs of cardiovascular disease or heart failure. Or you could specialize in abdominal sonography, which covers the kidneys, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and spleen. You might also consider pediatric sonography, breast sonography, or musculoskeletal sonography.  

You Can Find Work in a Variety of Locations  

Medical sonographers are employed at all kinds of healthcare facilities. You might find a job at a private or state-funded hospital, where you work in the diagnostic unit or the emergency room. You could also find work at the office of an obstetrician-gynecologist or a heart specialist, or you could become employed at a diagnostic imaging center or an outpatient care center. If you prefer to work in a less traditional setting, you might choose to work at a diagnostic laboratory or a research institution.  

If medical sonography sounds like the right career path for you, contact Charter College today. We offer an Associate of Applied Science in Diagnostic Medical Sonography that can prepare you for entry-level work in the field. Our program is offered in a blended learning format for your convenience and can be completed in as few as 14 months. Call us at 888-200-9942 or fill out the form to learn more.