Cardiac Sonographer Salary

By allied health world contributing writer
Published: February 12th, 2010

What kind of salary do cardiac sonographers made?

Sonography is a lucrative profession due to the high need and the training necessary to enter this field. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median yearly salary for sonographers in 2006 was $57,000. Cardiac sonographers, since they specialize, have the potential to make even greater salaries.

Learn more about cardiac sonographer schools.

Are jobs in this field in high demand?

As advances in sonography continue to reduce the need for expensive invasive procedures, the field of sonography will continue to Cardiac Sonographer Salary

grow. Also, as people look to ultrasounds as an alternative to x-rays due to the safety issues with radiation, there will be continued growth in the field. Currently there is a high demand for cardiac sonographers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be approximately a 19 percent growth in this field through the year 2016. This is a much more rapid growth rate than for the average of all professions.

What types of advancement opportunities exist for cardiac sonographers?

Advancement opportunities available to these professionals depends largely on the size of the hospital they work for. Some facilities employ upwards of 15 cardiac sonographers. In these cases there are shift leader and supervisor positions available.

What skills does one need in order to succeed in this field?

Computer skills are highly important in this field because all of the images are captured and downloaded digitally. A cardiac sonographer must be able to upload the ultrasound images into a cardiac information network where physicians located anywhere in the hospital can view the study.

Learn more about cardiac sonographer training.

What types of personality traits make someone a good fit for this profession?

Cardiac sonographers must have effective communication and “people” skills. They must be able to interact with a patient for a long period of time since some ultrasounds take 30-45 minutes. These professionals must also have a great deal of patience in trying to get a quality image. Some patients are babies or children who have a difficult time laying still for an extended period. Other patients are obese adults and quality images are more difficult to obtain. Attention to detail is also highly important in this field because the quality of images must be high since doctors are making important decisions based on those findings.

Are there currently any “hot topics” in this field?

In this field there is a constant push for legislation requiring credentials. The majority of sonographers are not credentialed, which means they have graduated with at least an associate’s degree but have not taken a registry exam. Some states require echo labs to become accredited and one of those requirements is credentialing the staff.