Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
Also called: RDMS (Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer), Staff Sonographer, Ultrasound Technician (Ultrasound Tech), Ultrasound Technologist (Ultrasound Tech)Produce ultrasonic recordings of internal organs for use by physicians. Includes vascular technologists.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 9 of its 19 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 13.9% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 1.1% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 5.0 hires for every 10 job openings in health care and social assistance, which employs about 97% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.5.0 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $68,180 | $61,760 to $78,320 | 1,510 |
| Alaska | $105,670 | $97,600 to $124,540 | 140 |
| Arizona | $100,040 | $83,690 to $108,610 | 2,070 |
| Arkansas | $81,500 | $73,510 to $96,970 | 640 |
| California | $128,530 | $99,510 to $160,580 | 10,110 |
| Colorado | $108,410 | $99,440 to $122,960 | 1,430 |
| Connecticut | $103,230 | $95,900 to $124,100 | 990 |
| Delaware | $98,530 | $86,380 to $110,570 | 220 |
| District of Columbia | $112,020 | $104,520 to $126,660 | 160 |
| Florida | $82,940 | $78,190 to $97,580 | 6,670 |
| Georgia | $83,250 | $75,790 to $98,140 | 2,700 |
| Hawaii | $124,430 | $112,280 to $129,650 | 210 |
| Idaho | $99,920 | $82,950 to $103,720 | 510 |
| Illinois | $100,660 | $85,230 to $107,330 | 3,270 |
| Indiana | $85,040 | $77,070 to $99,580 | 1,380 |
| Iowa | $86,480 | $80,490 to $97,570 | 740 |
| Kansas | $96,310 | $80,730 to $104,300 | 670 |
| Kentucky | $91,230 | $79,310 to $101,350 | 940 |
| Louisiana | $80,710 | $71,940 to $92,140 | 1,150 |
| Maine | $95,230 | $82,300 to $103,000 | 380 |
| Maryland | $99,210 | $84,680 to $105,290 | 1,760 |
| Massachusetts | $107,480 | $102,170 to $127,650 | 2,190 |
| Michigan | $82,490 | $76,640 to $91,510 | 3,100 |
| Minnesota | $102,850 | $94,530 to $108,950 | 1,710 |
| Mississippi | $76,520 | $65,030 to $81,310 | 700 |
| Missouri | $100,130 | $81,980 to $102,410 | 1,930 |
| Montana | $101,000 | $84,800 to $110,700 | 230 |
| Nebraska | $82,670 | $78,540 to $99,370 | 780 |
| Nevada | $95,980 | $78,410 to $115,870 | 640 |
| New Hampshire | $103,760 | $97,640 to $117,470 | 400 |
| New Jersey | $103,150 | $92,670 to $116,830 | 3,370 |
| New Mexico | $87,210 | $78,120 to $104,030 | 410 |
| New York | $103,920 | $93,140 to $119,850 | 6,880 |
| North Carolina | $86,010 | $77,620 to $100,130 | 2,970 |
| North Dakota | $84,340 | $80,310 to $94,160 | 240 |
| Ohio | $82,870 | $79,120 to $97,160 | 3,160 |
| Oklahoma | $83,670 | $75,800 to $98,490 | 1,060 |
| Oregon | $120,220 | $102,900 to $130,860 | 1,210 |
| Pennsylvania | $82,710 | $78,170 to $96,310 | 2,980 |
| Puerto Rico | $38,090 | $32,890 to $75,880 | 330 |
| Rhode Island | $92,820 | $85,630 to $104,620 | 380 |
| South Carolina | $83,290 | $77,380 to $96,320 | 1,340 |
| South Dakota | $80,820 | $66,060 to $89,150 | 370 |
| Tennessee | $80,640 | $72,320 to $94,390 | 1,880 |
| Texas | $92,580 | $78,610 to $100,700 | 6,960 |
| Utah | $100,100 | $83,710 to $107,220 | 740 |
| Vermont | $104,100 | $97,330 to $127,890 | 140 |
| Virginia | $95,660 | $82,510 to $103,010 | 2,160 |
| Washington | $121,340 | $100,430 to $134,810 | 2,190 |
| West Virginia | $76,820 | $67,500 to $84,100 | 780 |
| Wisconsin | $102,090 | $96,480 to $115,650 | 1,530 |
| Wyoming | $100,650 | $90,990 to $107,800 | 90 |
Nationally: $96,590. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 9 of its 19 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Observe screen during scan to ensure that image produced is satisfactory for diagnostic purposes, making adjustments to equipment as required. | Not published |
| Not much | Operate ultrasound equipment to produce and record images of the motion, shape, and composition of blood, organs, tissues, or bodily masses, such as fluid accumulations. | Not published |
| Not much | Decide which images to include, looking for differences between healthy and pathological areas. | Not published |
| Not much | Observe and care for patients throughout examinations to ensure their safety and comfort. | Not published |
| AI + software | Provide sonogram and oral or written summary of technical findings to physician for use in medical diagnosis. | Not published |
| Not much | Select appropriate equipment settings and adjust patient positions to obtain the best sites and angles. | Not published |
See all 19 tasks
| AI alone | Prepare patient for exam by explaining procedure, transferring patient to ultrasound table, scrubbing skin and applying gel, and positioning patient properly. | Not published |
| AI + software | Obtain and record accurate patient history, including prior test results or information from physical examinations. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Clean, check, and maintain sonographic equipment, submitting maintenance requests or performing minor repairs as necessary. | Not published |
| AI + software | Determine whether scope of exam should be extended, based on findings. | Not published |
| Not much | Supervise or train students or other medical sonographers. | Not published |
| Not much | Maintain stock and supplies, preparing supplies for special examinations and ordering supplies when necessary. | Not published |
| AI + software | Coordinate work with physicians or other healthcare team members, including providing assistance during invasive procedures. | Not published |
| AI + software | Perform clerical duties, such as scheduling exams or special procedures, keeping records, or archiving computerized images. | Not published |
| AI + software | Maintain records that include patient information, sonographs and interpretations, files of correspondence, publications and regulations, or quality assurance records, such as pathology, biopsy, or post-operative reports. | Not published |
| Not much | Record and store suitable images, using camera unit connected to the ultrasound equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Perform medical procedures, such as administering oxygen, inserting and removing airways, taking vital signs, or giving emergency treatment, such as first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). | Not published |
| AI alone | Process and code film from procedures and complete appropriate documentation. | Not published |
| AI alone | Perform legal and ethical duties, including preparing safety or accident reports, obtaining written consent from patient to perform invasive procedures, or reporting symptoms of abuse or neglect. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 1 of the 19 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 19 tasks fall under 24 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #30 Perform administrative or clerical activities
- #36 Purchase goods or services
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operate medical equipment | |||
| Maintain health or medical records | |||
| Assist healthcare practitioners during medical procedures | |||
| Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Confer with healthcare or other professionals about patient care | |||
| Perform administrative or clerical activities | |||
| Purchase goods or services | |||
| Obtain formal documentation or authorization |
Show all 24 activities
| Explain medical information to patients or family members | |||
| Analyze health or medical data | |||
| Schedule appointments | |||
| Prepare reports of operational or procedural activities | |||
| Monitor health conditions of humans or animals | |||
| Collect information about patients or clients | |||
| Monitor equipment operation | |||
| Prepare health or medical documents | |||
| Inspect commercial, industrial, or production systems or equipment | |||
| Supervise personnel activities | |||
| Train others on health or medical topics | |||
| Replenish inventories of materials, equipment, or products | |||
| Administer emergency medical treatment | |||
| Prepare medical equipment or work areas for use | |||
| Maintain medical equipment or instruments | |||
| Clean medical equipment or facilities |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- A document or report35%
- An analysis or summary19%
- Advice or a recommendation8%
- An explanation or answer8%
- An app or website4%
How they worked with Claude
31% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for diagnostic medical sonographers specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 5,386 moves out
- 1 Radiologic Technologists and Technicians Moderate +5.0% 7%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 3 Medical and Health Services Managers High +24.2% 5%
- 4 Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 5 Nursing Assistants Low +2.6% 4%
Where people moved in from
of 5,175 moves in
- 1 Nursing Assistants Low +2.6% 11%
- 2 Radiologic Technologists and Technicians Moderate +5.0% 7%
- 3 Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks Very high -5.6% 5%
- 4 Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 5 Medical Assistants Moderate +12.9% 4%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 1% less than high school
- 4% high school
- 12% some college
- 35% associate's
- 38% bachelor's
- 6% master's
- 3% professional degree
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 1,170 people surveyed.
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
1 program: Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
>95% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | not published | |
| a certification | not published | |
| an educational certificate | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 1 registered apprenticeship in this occupation (Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (NOF)). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Diagnostic Medical Sonographers” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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