Diagnostic Medical Sonographers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for diagnostic medical sonographerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $97,240 ≈ $47/hr
National median salary $96,590
Total employment 90,160 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +13%
Much faster than average
Annual openings 5,800 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 90,000 → 101,700 (+11,700)
Typical entry education Associate's degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- California$126,610
- Hawaii$118,090
- Oregon$115,390
- Washington$115,060
- District of Columbia$114,040
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Alabama$69,160
- Mississippi$74,770
- South Dakota$77,220
- West Virginia$80,040
- Louisiana$80,500
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $126,610 | $128,530 | $61 | +30.2% | 10,110 |
| 2 | Hawaii | $118,090 | $124,430 | $57 | +21.4% | 210 |
| 3 | Oregon | $115,390 | $120,220 | $55 | +18.7% | 1,210 |
| 4 | Washington | $115,060 | $121,340 | $55 | +18.3% | 2,190 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $114,040 | $112,020 | $55 | +17.3% | 160 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $113,410 | $107,480 | $55 | +16.6% | 2,190 |
| 7 | Colorado | $108,310 | $108,410 | $52 | +11.4% | 1,430 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $107,460 | $103,760 | $52 | +10.5% | 400 |
| 9 | Vermont | $106,860 | $104,100 | $51 | +9.9% | 140 |
| 10 | Alaska | $106,180 | $105,670 | $51 | +9.2% | 140 |
| 11 | New York | $104,990 | $103,920 | $50 | +8% | 6,880 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $104,380 | $103,230 | $50 | +7.3% | 990 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $103,800 | $103,150 | $50 | +6.7% | 3,370 |
| 14 | Wisconsin | $103,150 | $102,090 | $50 | +6.1% | 1,530 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $102,540 | $102,850 | $49 | +5.5% | 1,710 |
| 16 | Wyoming | $101,160 | $100,650 | $49 | +4% | 90 |
| 17 | Montana | $99,350 | $101,000 | $48 | +2.2% | 230 |
| 18 | Arizona | $99,050 | $100,040 | $48 | +1.9% | 2,070 |
| 19 | Illinois | $98,730 | $100,660 | $47 | +1.5% | 3,270 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $98,390 | $92,820 | $47 | +1.2% | 380 |
| 21 | Nevada | $98,350 | $95,980 | $47 | +1.1% | 640 |
| 22 | Delaware | $98,240 | $98,530 | $47 | +1% | 220 |
| 23 | Maryland | $97,230 | $99,210 | $47 | +0% | 1,760 |
| 24 | Utah | $96,590 | $100,100 | $46 | -0.7% | 740 |
| 25 | Idaho | $95,630 | $99,920 | $46 | -1.7% | 510 |
| 26 | Maine | $95,370 | $95,230 | $46 | -1.9% | 380 |
| 27 | Virginia | $95,220 | $95,660 | $46 | -2.1% | 2,160 |
| 28 | Missouri | $94,550 | $100,130 | $45 | -2.8% | 1,930 |
| 29 | Kansas | $92,970 | $96,310 | $45 | -4.4% | 670 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $89,390 | $87,210 | $43 | -8.1% | 410 |
| 31 | Kentucky | $88,940 | $91,230 | $43 | -8.5% | 940 |
| 32 | Texas | $88,940 | $92,580 | $43 | -8.5% | 6,960 |
| 33 | Iowa | $87,840 | $86,480 | $42 | -9.7% | 740 |
| 34 | North Carolina | $87,500 | $86,010 | $42 | -10% | 2,970 |
| 35 | North Dakota | $87,020 | $84,340 | $42 | -10.5% | 240 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $86,220 | $82,670 | $41 | -11.3% | 780 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | $86,130 | $82,710 | $41 | -11.4% | 2,980 |
| 38 | Indiana | $86,070 | $85,040 | $41 | -11.5% | 1,380 |
| 39 | Florida | $85,990 | $82,940 | $41 | -11.6% | 6,670 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $85,540 | $83,290 | $41 | -12% | 1,340 |
| 41 | Ohio | $85,290 | $82,870 | $41 | -12.3% | 3,160 |
| 42 | Georgia | $84,910 | $83,250 | $41 | -12.7% | 2,700 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $84,880 | $83,670 | $41 | -12.7% | 1,060 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $83,360 | $81,500 | $40 | -14.3% | 640 |
| 45 | Michigan | $83,010 | $82,490 | $40 | -14.6% | 3,100 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $81,730 | $80,640 | $39 | -16% | 1,880 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $80,500 | $80,710 | $39 | -17.2% | 1,150 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $80,040 | $76,820 | $38 | -17.7% | 780 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $77,220 | $80,820 | $37 | -20.6% | 370 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $74,770 | $76,520 | $36 | -23.1% | 700 |
| 51 | Alabama | $69,160 | $68,180 | $33 | -28.9% | 1,510 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 384 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $173,150 | $166,230 | 500 |
| 2 | Vallejo, CA | $171,170 | $158,930 | 140 |
| 3 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $163,220 | $151,900 | 610 |
| 4 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $161,570 | $152,780 | 90 |
| 5 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $160,270 | $151,740 | 1,300 |
| 6 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $142,150 | $138,150 | 40 |
| 7 | Modesto, CA | $141,210 | $138,590 | 200 |
| 8 | Redding, CA | $133,340 | $128,100 | 40 |
| 9 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $132,490 | $129,680 | 100 |
| 10 | Stockton-Lodi, CA | $130,210 | $130,640 | 140 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing diagnostic medical sonographerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nursing and Residential Care Facilities | $137,270 | $112,960 | — |
| 2 | Outpatient Care Centers | $127,940 | $128,590 | 4,480 |
| 3 | Educational Services, Privately Owned | $109,250 | $102,660 | 410 |
| 4 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Privately Owned | $109,250 | $102,660 | 410 |
| 5 | Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals, State Government Owned | $106,090 | $94,360 | 90 |
| 6 | Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals | $104,770 | $105,820 | 910 |
| 7 | Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals, Privately Owned | $104,640 | $106,970 | 820 |
| 8 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | $102,980 | $118,400 | 180 |
| 9 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | $102,980 | $118,400 | 180 |
| 10 | Sector 55 - Management of Companies and Enterprises | $102,980 | $118,400 | 180 |
| 11 | Educational Services | $102,660 | $104,900 | 840 |
| 12 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $102,660 | $104,900 | 840 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do diagnostic medical sonographers make in the U.S.?
The median diagnostic medical sonographers salary in the United States is $96,590 per year (mean $97,240), and about 80% earn between $67,820 and $129,370.
How much do diagnostic medical sonographers make per hour?
Roughly $47 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $97,240 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays diagnostic medical sonographers the most?
California has the highest average pay for diagnostic medical sonographers at $126,610 per year (median $128,530).
What is the job outlook for diagnostic medical sonographers?
Employment is projected to change +13% from 2024 to 2034 (Much faster than average), with about 5,800 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.
diagnostic medical sonographer salary albertadiagnostic medical sonographer salary by statediagnostic medical sonographer salary californiadiagnostic medical sonographer salary floridadiagnostic medical sonographer salary georgiadiagnostic medical sonographer salary houstondiagnostic medical sonographer salary in different statesdiagnostic medical sonographer salary njdiagnostic medical sonographer salary nycdiagnostic medical sonographer salary washington statediagnostic medical sonographers salarydiagnostic medical sonographers salary texashow much do diagnostic medical sonographers makehow much do diagnostic medical sonographers make a yearhow much do diagnostic medical sonographers make an hourhow much do diagnostic medical sonographers make in arizona