Ultrasound Technician Career Overview

What is the career outlook for an ultrasound technician?  The field is a fast growing one that is expanding faster than many other medical professions currently.  Why is this?  Because ultrasound technology is a safe and effective alternative to x-ray, and many people are beginning to prefer this sort of technology over x-ray because of the risk of radiation exposure that comes with the procedure.  Also this career is steadily growing because there is a greater need for more diagnostic imaging and also because of the aging population.

What sort of schooling is required for this career?  Many colleges offer a two year associates or four year bachelor degree in most medical fields including ultrasound fields, however to become an ultrasound technician one usually only needs to attend a vocational or technical school. Some online sites even offer internet courses for ultrasound technicians and even some hospitals offer training courses for ultrasound technology.

There is no certification required for this career however, which makes it a more accessible field to enter.  Although one does need to be a competent and helpful individual to be hired at a hospital or doctor’s office for this career.  What are the job prospects as an ultrasound technician in the united states?  As of 2002 there are more than 37,000 ultrasound technicians, about half of which work in hospitals and more and more are needed to meet the demand of a growing healthcare system. The other half work in doctor’s offices or diagnostic testing centers. More than 3/4 of these also work in urban environments or large cities with growing populations.

The salary of an ultrasound technician is around $50,000 a year. Usually an ultrasound technician is paid more when working in a privately owned doctor’s office than in a hospital, however the differnece is usually around $1500 to $2000 dollars. Other factors that can play a large role in the expected annual ultrasound technician salary is that of job experience, job location, geographic location, schooling background and of course the jobs demand for skilled employees. Fresh out of school you will most likely start at a lower income level and will have to climb your way up through promotions. With more job responsibility comes more pay.

What are some skills that a required in this field? A person must be patient and put the patient at ease when working. It is also a bonus in this career to have good people skills and be able to help the patient understand the process.  Also it is helpful to be able to meet the physical demands of this career as you are required to help individuals get up, or assist them as they have to turn over. You will also need to be able to operate sophisticated and complex diagnostic equipment which will require training.  other skills would be being able to look at a image and understand what is important to show the physician and accurately recording patient information.