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 (109.4) | $156,521 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $173,150 | Above avg (113.1) | $153,150 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $163,220 | Above avg (109.1) | $149,618 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $161,570 | Above avg (110.3) | $146,545 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $160,270 | Above avg (117.6) | $136,341 |
| Modesto, CA | $141,210 | Above avg (105.1) | $134,323 |
| Redding, CA | $133,340 | Above avg (103.0) | $129,455 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $142,150 | Above avg (112.8) | $126,049 |
| Salem, OR | $127,680 | Average (102.5) | $124,616 |
| Bozeman, MT | $121,260 | Average (99.0) | $122,476 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $130,210 | Above avg (107.6) | $121,049 |
| Vineland, NJ | $113,140 | Below avg (93.9) | $120,471 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $128,420 | Above avg (106.7) | $120,340 |
| Billings, MT | $107,340 | Below avg (90.3) | $118,805 |
| Chico, CA | $123,880 | Above avg (104.7) | $118,268 |