Diagnostic medical sonographers
Salary, job outlook, AI risk & career information
Diagnostic medical sonographers in the United States earn a median salary of $96,590 per year — about $46 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Roughly 90K people work in this occupation nationwide, with projected employment growth of +13%.
AI & Automation Risk
The occupation is a hybrid of physical and digital work; while AI is rapidly advancing in image analysis and diagnostic assistance, the role requires significant physical presence to position patients and manipulate transducers with high hand-eye coordination. Furthermore, the interpersonal aspect of patient care and the real-time physical adjustments needed during a scan provide a substantial barrier to full automation.
Salary by City — What You Actually Take Home
Real purchasing power = salary adjusted for cost of living. Higher = more money in your pocket.
| City | Local Salary | Cost of Living | Real Purchasing Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo, CABEST VALUE | $171,170 | Above avg (108.5) | $157,791 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $173,150 | Above avg (110.4) | $156,806 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $163,220 | Above avg (106.7) | $153,014 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $161,570 | Above avg (107.8) | $149,902 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $160,270 | Above avg (115.6) | $138,626 |
| Modesto, CA | $141,210 | Above avg (104.1) | $135,638 |
| Redding, CA | $133,340 | Average (100.7) | $132,434 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $142,150 | Above avg (109.9) | $129,350 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $130,210 | Above avg (105.1) | $123,904 |
| Salem, OR | $127,680 | Above avg (103.6) | $123,185 |
| Chico, CA | $123,880 | Average (101.2) | $122,415 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $128,420 | Above avg (105.4) | $121,816 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $132,490 | Above avg (108.8) | $121,776 |
| Bozeman, MT | $121,260 | Average (102.5) | $118,291 |
| Vineland, NJ | $113,140 | Below avg (96.0) | $117,893 |