A career in sonography has been gaining a lot of attention from not only high school graduates, but also other allied health professionals. One of the biggest factors that influence people to start a career in sonography is the sonogram technician salary. When you compare the salary of sonographers with other health care workers, sonographers earn more. However, different factors affect salary, from geographical location to specialization.
The emphasis of skill in sonography
Sonography is largely skill-oriented, emphasizing the sonographer’s ability to use a sonogram. There are portable sonograms called hand-carried ultrasound devices (HCDs) and bigger sonograms that have to be wheeled in and out of a patient’s room or need to have the patient brought to the machine’s vicinity. It has become possible train other healthcare professionals to perform the basics of the procedure without needed to undergo intensive training in an undergraduate program. As sonographers become more and more specialized, there is also an increase in sonogram technician salary.
Salaries and nationwide outlook
By May 2013, more than 50,000 sonographers were employed in the US. Annual salary was high compared to other professions, at $67,150. Mean hourly salary was $32.29. The job of a sonographer is one of the most popular choices by high school graduates today, because of a predicted increase of as much as 46 percent in the ten years between 2012 and 2022.
Hand-held sonogram devices
HCDs are small, portable sonograms that are typically seen in the emergency room or when diagnostic exams have to be performed in a patient’s room. These machines were introduced as technology became more advanced and computers and cellular phones became smaller and smaller. However, even technology has its limitations as smaller sonograms can typically produce two-dimensional images only. However, color flow Doppler analysis can be done with small, hand-held devices. It is a part of a sonographer’s job description to handle different kinds of sonogram machines.
The utility of HCDs
Studies have been done on the actually usefulness of HCDs, particularly in patient outcomes. It has been reported that the use of hand-help ultrasound devices have improved the detection of cardiovascular diseases, giving a large leeway for future management of the disease. Sonography has long been proven to produce good assessment of cardiac anatomy and functionality, particularly in detecting ventricular hypertrophy and aortic dimensions. The simple ability of HCDs to assess CVDs greatly improves patient outcomes.
Cardiologists to sonogram techs
When sonography was introduced as a possible diagnostic procedure for the cardiovascular system, only cardiologists were allowed to perform the procedure. However, as the diagnostic medical sonography curriculum was updated to include different sonography specialties, sonogram technicians came to be in charge of cardiovascular sonography. Today, sonographers are training other healthcare professionals to use HCDs. More information can be found in Lisa’s articles.
Training non-cardiologists and non-sonographers
According to studies, training has to be individualized and tailored to the specific needs of the student. Allied health professionals such as nurses and medical technologists each have their own knowledge databases, meaning that the training curriculum has to base its lessons on what the professional already knows. Training programs are not confined to education institutions; most programs are actually hosted by hospitals and other medical facilities. They either offer the program to outsiders or facilitate it as in-house training for employees.
Becoming specialized is an important part of a sonographer’s career. More than increasing your sonogram technician salary, it should be part of the gradual steps that you take forward as you learn more and seek to better your profession. Learning how to use HCDs is just the beginning, whether or not you are a sonographer.
Becoming specialized is an important part of a sonographer’s career. More than increasing your sonogram technician salary, it should be part of the gradual steps that you take forward as you learn more and seek to better your profession. Learning how to use HCDs is just the beginning, whether or not you are a sonographer.