Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician maps to BLS occupations averaging about $64,987, with roughly 1,596,050 workers nationwide in those roles. About 959 bachelor's completions in IPEDS 2023; median in-state published tuition is about $8,918.
Key Statistics
Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician: what the data shows
Common questions about diagnostic medical sonography/sonographer and ultrasound technician degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a diagnostic medical sonography/sonographer and ultrasound technician degree?
A Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician program is classified under NCES CIP 51.0910 in the Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions field family (51.09).
A program that prepares individuals, under the supervision of physicians, to utilize medical ultrasound techniques to gather sonographic data used to diagnose a variety of conditions and diseases. Includes instruction in obtaining, reviewing, and integrating patient histories and data; patient instruction and care; anatomic, physiologic and pathologic data recording; sonographic data processing; sonography equipment operation; and professional standards and ethics
IPEDS counted 253,795 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
Types of diagnostic medical sonography/sonographer and ultrasound technician degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 51.09 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Athletic Training/Trainer (CIP 51.0913)
- Cardiopulmonary Technology/Technologist (CIP 51.0915)
- Cardiovascular Technology/Technologist (CIP 51.0901)
- Electrocardiograph Technology/Technician (CIP 51.0902)
- Electroneurodiagnostic/Electroencephalographic Technology/Technologist (CIP 51.0903)
- Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic) (CIP 51.0904)
- Gene/Genetic Therapy (CIP 51.0914)
- Hearing Instrument Specialist (CIP 51.0918)
- Hyperbaric Medicine Technology/Technician (CIP 51.0921)
- Intraoperative Neuromonitoring Technology/Technician (CIP 51.0922)
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Technology/Technician (CIP 51.0920)
- Mammography Technology/Technician (CIP 51.0919)
- Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapist (CIP 51.0907)
- Nuclear Medical Technology/Technologist (CIP 51.0905)
- Orthopedic Technology/Technician (CIP 51.0923)
- Perfusion Technology/Perfusionist (CIP 51.0906)
- Physician Associate/Assistant (CIP 51.0912)
- Polysomnography (CIP 51.0917)
- Radiation Protection/Health Physics Technician (CIP 51.0916)
- Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiographer (CIP 51.0911)
- Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist (CIP 51.0908)
- Surgical Technology/Technologist (CIP 51.0909)
How long does it take to get a diagnostic medical sonography/sonographer and ultrasound technician degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 51.0910 in our file:
- 4,813 Associate (83.2% of IPEDS total)—about two years of full-time study
- 959 Bachelor's (16.6% of IPEDS total)—typically four years
- 11 Master's (0.2% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
What do you learn in diagnostic medical sonography/sonographer and ultrasound technician?
O*NET skill ratings for occupations mapped to this major emphasize Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, Writing, Critical Thinking, Service Orientation, and related competencies. See the Skills section for the full list in our extract.
What degree do you need?
For Teachers, Postsecondary (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a diagnostic medical sonography/sonographer and ultrasound technician degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,500,000 | — |
| Secondary School Teachers | 1,072,540 | $64,580 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a diagnostic medical sonography/sonographer and ultrasound technician degree worth it?
College Scorecard national medians for the Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions bachelor's program family: median debt $23,791, median earnings $70,786 four years after enrollment. Debt-to-earnings proxy: 0.39.
About 1.3% of graduates in this field family were not working and not enrolled one year after completion in Scorecard's national program medians.
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $8,918 and median net price is $21,238.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$8,918 Median In-State Public
$48,890 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician majors are, on average, $8,918 for in-state public colleges, and $48,890 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
253,795 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brigham Young University | UT | 32,221 |
| 2 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | MN | 30,469 |
| 3 | New York University | NY | 29,430 |
| 4 | DePaul University | IL | 14,283 |
| 5 | West Chester University of Pennsylvania | PA | 14,067 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northampton County Area Community College | PA | $5,310 |
| 2 | Clackamas Community College | OR | $6,210 |
| 3 | Brigham Young University | UT | $6,496 |
| 4 | CUNY City College | NY | $7,340 |
| 5 | Lewis-Clark State College | ID | $7,388 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CUNY Brooklyn College | NY | $2,943 |
| 2 | CUNY City College | NY | $3,486 |
| 3 | Clackamas Community College | OR | $8,236 |
| 4 | University of Houston-Victoria | TX | $8,624 |
| 5 | Northampton County Area Community College | PA | $10,666 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician programs.
Graduation Rates
53.13% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
52.58% Average Graduation Rate
965 Institutions Reporting
40.00% - 65.36% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician programs across institutions.
Where students complete this major (IPEDS)
Bachelor's-level completions (IPEDS Completions, award level 5) summed by institution state. State is taken from IPEDS Directory (HD2023) for each reporting institution.
Geographic concentration
The largest number of reported bachelor's completions for Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician is in CA (168 completions). That state represents about 17.5% of U.S. bachelor's completions reported for this CIP in the IPEDS file we use.
Among states, the highest concentration relative to all bachelor's degrees awarded in-state is OR (0.21% of that state's bachelor's completions).
Top states by count of bachelor's completions for this CIP (IPEDS).
| State | Bachelor's completions (this CIP) | % of U.S. total (this CIP) | % of state's all bachelor's |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA | 168 | 17.5% | 0.04% |
| OR | 94 | 9.8% | 0.21% |
| FL | 82 | 8.6% | 0.04% |
| MI | 71 | 7.4% | 0.06% |
| KS | 69 | 7.2% | 0.19% |
| NY | 46 | 4.8% | 0.02% |
| UT | 43 | 4.5% | 0.04% |
| OH | 39 | 4.1% | 0.03% |
| MA | 36 | 3.8% | 0.03% |
| PR | 35 | 3.6% | 0.12% |
| NJ | 30 | 3.1% | 0.04% |
| WI | 28 | 2.9% | 0.04% |
| MN | 25 | 2.6% | 0.03% |
| NE | 23 | 2.4% | 0.08% |
| PA | 21 | 2.2% | 0.01% |
| IN | 20 | 2.1% | 0.02% |
| TN | 20 | 2.1% | 0.03% |
| OK | 17 | 1.8% | 0.04% |
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 51.09 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Athletic Training/Trainer CIP 51.0913
- Cardiopulmonary Technology/Technologist CIP 51.0915
- Cardiovascular Technology/Technologist CIP 51.0901
- Electrocardiograph Technology/Technician CIP 51.0902
- Electroneurodiagnostic/Electroencephalographic Technology/Technologist CIP 51.0903
- Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic) CIP 51.0904
- Gene/Genetic Therapy CIP 51.0914
- Hearing Instrument Specialist CIP 51.0918
- Hyperbaric Medicine Technology/Technician CIP 51.0921
- Intraoperative Neuromonitoring Technology/Technician CIP 51.0922
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Technology/Technician CIP 51.0920
- Mammography Technology/Technician CIP 51.0919
- Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapist CIP 51.0907
- Nuclear Medical Technology/Technologist CIP 51.0905
- Orthopedic Technology/Technician CIP 51.0923
- Perfusion Technology/Perfusionist CIP 51.0906
- Physician Associate/Assistant CIP 51.0912
- Polysomnography CIP 51.0917
- Radiation Protection/Health Physics Technician CIP 51.0916
- Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiographer CIP 51.0911
- Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist CIP 51.0908
- Surgical Technology/Technologist CIP 51.0909
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 51.0910 in the survey year used in our extract (5,783 total across levels below).
- 4,813 Associate (83.2% of IPEDS total)
- 959 Bachelor's (16.6% of IPEDS total)
- 11 Master's (0.2% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $64,987. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Teachers, Postsecondary | $36,511 | 1,500,000 |
| Secondary School Teachers | $104,813 | 1,072,540 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Program outcomes (College Scorecard)
National medians across bachelor's programs in the Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions CIP family (46 programs reporting debt). Not specific to every Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician graduate.
- $23,791 median federal loan debt among completers
- $70,786 median earnings four years after enrollment (national program median)
- 0.39 debt-to-earnings ratio (Scorecard proxy)
- 1.3% of graduates not working and not enrolled one year out (program cohort)
Source: College Scorecard program-level outcomes aggregated by 4-digit CIP family.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$40,621 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician majors is $40,621.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician majors.
Occupations by Share
1,596,050 2023 Workforce
The number of Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician.
Age distribution for Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
959 Total Degrees Awarded
68 Male (7.09%)
891 Female (92.91%)
Gender distribution of Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
549 White (57.25%)
204 Hispanic or Latino (21.27%)
66 Black or African American (6.88%)
51 Asian (5.32%)
29 Two or More Races (3.02%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician majors.
About
A program that prepares individuals, under the supervision of physicians, to utilize medical ultrasound techniques to gather sonographic data used to diagnose a variety of conditions and diseases. Includes instruction in obtaining, reviewing, and integrating patient histories and data; patient instruction and care; anatomic, physiologic and pathologic data recording; sonographic data processing; sonography equipment operation; and professional standards and ethics
In 2023, 253,795 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician.
CIP Code
51.0910 - Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician
What the data shows
At the program-family level, College Scorecard reports median debt of $23,791 for bachelor's completers and median earnings near $70,786, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.39. Those figures describe national program cohorts in this CIP family—not every individual Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician graduate.
Women earned 93.2% of 7,272 Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician completions in the IPEDS file used here.
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $64,987. The largest mapped role by headcount is Teachers, Postsecondary (1,500,000 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $8,918 in-state at public colleges and $48,890 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.