According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the salary of a diagnostic medical sonographer was noted to be $77,740 as a median annual pay.
Now, the concept of median annual pay is significant, because the median salary is the salary amount that is in the exact middle. That is, 50% of diagnostic medical sonographers earned above this amount while the other 50% of diagnostic medical sonographers earned below the amount.
There is a range for this payment and we can project this into 2023. According to the Bureau’s statistics, about 10% of diagnostic medical sonographers will likely earn less than $59,640 in the year 2023.
Another 10% will likely earn an annual salary of more than $101,650. This will be the year’s highest-earning 10% of diagnostic medical sonographers.
Salary of diagnostic medical sonographers by industry
There is a difference in salaries paid to diagnostic medical sonographers in the different top industries where they work. We will highlight four industries here.
The diagnostic medical sonographers working in laboratories earn a median annual salary of $76,430. This is the lowest of the four industries, as we will later come to see.
The diagnostic medical sonographers working in the offices of physicians earn a bit higher. Their median annual salary stands at $77,760.
The diagnostic medical sonographers working in private, local, and state hospitals earn higher than the above two. They earn a median annual salary of $77,770.
Those in outpatient facilities earn the highest median annual salary. They earn $100,990.
Thus the projected median annual salary earnings for diagnostic medical sonographers in the year 2022 by industry are:
- Diagnostic and medical laboratories: $76,430
- Physician offices: $77,760
- Private, state, and local hospitals: $77,770
- Outpatient care facilities: $100,990
Salary of diagnostic medical sonographers – best cities
Some city areas are particularly lucrative for diagnostic medical sonographers. We find that these cities are all located in California. They are San Jose, Santa Rosa, San Francisco, Sacramento, and Stockton.
The average salaries for diagnostic medical sonographers in these cities in 2023 are projected as below:
- San Jose: $119,980
- San Francisco: $121,210
The other three cities are as follows:
- Stockton: $121,710
- Santa Rosa: $126,610
- Sacramento: $138,130
Salary of diagnostic medical sonographers – best states
Five states are known to pay diagnostic medical sonographers very well. They pay diagnostic medical sonographers the highest mean salaries when we compare them to other states. They include:
- Rhode Island, where diagnostic medical sonographers earn about $92,460 annually.
- District of Columbia, where diagnostic medical sonographers are paid a salary of about $94,260 annually.
- In Alaska, the mean annual salary of diagnostic medical sonographers here is about $95,990
- Hawaii, with a mean annual salary of about $101,570 for diagnostic medical sonographers working there.
- California, with diagnostic medical sonographers taking home a mean annual salary of about $108,400
Salary of diagnostic medical sonographers per hour
What about the average salary of a diagnostic medical sonographer on an hourly basis in 2022? We project that it will be about $37.40 for every hour of work. Of course, it is good to bear in mind that many diagnostic medical sonographers do not work full-time. Many work on a part-time basis. You should factor this into your plans when searching and applying for jobs.
Factors that may affect the salary of diagnostic medical sonographers in 2023
Several factors may influence the salary of diagnostic medical sonographers in 2023. These include:
- Expertise: The more skilled a diagnostic medical sonographer is, the higher the salary that can be negotiated. For example, a diagnostic medical sonographer who can perform a wide array of imaging studies will likely be able to earn higher than one who has a more limited range of skills. So when considering avenues to increase salary earnings, diagnostic medical sonographers may consider increasing the range of imaging studies they can perform. This is likely to attract higher salaries in 2023.
Additionally, the specialties diagnostic medical sonographers choose matter. Certain specialties, such as pediatric cardiac sonographers and vascular sonographers, earn much higher than most other diagnostic medical sonographers. Others who specialize as breast and gynecology sonographers may also earn higher than the average diagnostic medical sonographer in 2023. We project that being a specialist in a sought-after specialty will boost a diagnostic medical sonographer’s pay in 2023.
- Location: The salary of a diagnostic medical sonographer can be influenced by the location of the workplace. Diagnostic medical sonographers in cities such as California and the District of Columbia may earn much higher salaries than those in states like Alabama. This is an important factor to consider. Diagnostic medical sonographers who wish to increase their salary earnings in 2023 may consider applying for work in other locations with better pay.
It is important to note as well that the salary earnings of diagnostic medical sonographers in the same state may also differ from city to city. So while applying to a state, care must be taken to ensure that the cities that pay more are prioritized.
- Industry and employer: Another major factor that affects the salary earnings of diagnostic medical sonographers is the employer they are working with and the industry that the employer is a part of. Research has suggested that, in 2023, outpatient care facilities are likely to pay diagnostic medical sonographers higher salaries than several other industries. These other industries, like laboratories and employment services, are projected to pay lower salaries to diagnostic medical sonographers in 2023. This factor should be carefully reviewed as well.
- Education: In some industries, notably those with academic inclinations such as university-affiliated hospitals, diagnostic medical sonographers may earn higher salaries if they have college degrees or similar. It is particularly true in centers where there are administrative and teaching roles for diagnostic medical sonographers. We can project that this will also be a major factor affecting salaries of diagnostic medical sonographers in 2023. For some administrative and teaching roles, degrees and other formal certifications are taken into consideration when determining the salary to pay.
