Types

• Although the best-known use of ultrasound imaging is for viewing fetal development during pregnancy, health care providers also use ultrasound to view organs, arteries and veins. Of the approximately 50,300 sonographer positions in 2008, nearly 60 percent were in public and private hospitals, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Sonographers also find employment in offices of doctors, outpatient clinics and medical and diagnostic laboratories.
  
  

Hourly and Annual Rates

• The median annual salary of sonographers nationwide in January 2011 was $64,684, as determined by Salary.com. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the average hourly pay rate in May 2009 at $30.60, for a yearly income of $63,640.
  
  

Comparisons

• The median salary of sonographers in New Jersey varies by city. Those in Millville, for instance, had a median salary of about $68,100 as of January 2011, while sonographers in Piscataway were earning about $74,900 per year. Sonographers in Atlantic City were making a median annual salary of about $72,800, in Trenton $73,000 and in Paterson $74,700. The middle 50-percent range for this group of cities was $62,200 to $81,900. The top 10 percent had median salaries over $88,200, and only the bottom 10 percent were earning less than $56,900 per year.
  
  

Specifics

• The job search website Indeed.com lists about 50 job openings for sonographers in New Jersey in January 2011, with position titles such as ultrasonographer, diagnostic medical sonographer and ultrasound technologist. Jobs are available in hospitals, heart and lung centers and radiology centers. Posted hourly pay rates range from $24.19 to $32.
  
  

Outlook

• The occupation of sonography should experience fast job growth from 2008 through 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. An increasing elderly population will create more demand for diagnostic imaging services, and health care providers are replacing radiology with ultrasound when appropriate. Also, manufacturers are improving ultrasound technology, which should result in further diagnostic uses for ultrasound imaging.