Becoming a sonography technician is the best way to seize control of your future. You’ll be able to work in a challenging and rewarding field and earn a great salary when you do so. If you’re trying to decide on a career path, knowing the facts behind the options out there is important. Here’s a general overview of becoming a sonography technician and working as one. Knowing the basics will ensure that you make the right career choice.
Sonography
Sonography first rose to prominence in the fifties and has since become the most frequently used diagnostic tool in medicine. It is a completely noninvasive procedure that utilizes sound waves and vibrations to create visual images that a physician can use to diagnose health issues and to look at organs, muscles, and much more. Those who perform ultrasounds are known as sonography technicians or ultrasound technicians.
Education
In order to become a sonography technician you will need to complete a two year program at a sonography school. Many universities and technical colleges offer courses, which include a combination of didactic courses and hands-on clinical duties in order to prepare you to enter the medical field.
Job Description
As a sonography technician you will perform ultrasounds and sonography scans of patients on a daily basis. A transducer is passed over the body which beams sound waves into it. The echoes that bounce back off of organs and tissue are received by the transducer which transforms them into visual images. Those images are displayed on a screen and the sonography technician captures them as photos or videos for the physician to review.
Job Outlook
The need for sonography technicians is expected to grow by eighteen percent or more over the next few years. Hospitals are the most common employers of ultrasound technicians but work is frequently found in private practices, clinics, and many other medical organizations. Job security and outlook is steady and well above the national average.
Salary
The salary for a sonography technician is also well above the national average. Hourly wages are between twenty five and thirty two dollars on average while annual salaries range from forty five thousand to over eighty thousand dollars. Your salary will depend on a number of different things, of course, including location, employer, and experience.
Summation
Put simply, few careers offer the same level of security, salary, and personal satisfaction with such a minimal time investment in education. Becoming a sonography technician is a great choice for anyone looking for a good way into the medical field.
