The Cardiac Sonographer Salary in 2018 | Healthcare Salaries Guide

Of the countries reviewed in this guide, the median cardiac sonographer salary is the highest in Australia with AU$92,000 (US$73,094) per year and lowest in India with Rs243,147 (US$3,782) per year. A cardiac sonographer working in the US earns $71,750 per year, while those in Canada earn C$61,000 (US$48,507) and those in the UK – £31,209 (US$40,687). Cardiac sonographers in New Zealand can take home about NZ$71,000 (US$52,356) on average, while those working in South Africa earn R245,000 (US$18,969) per year.

Cardiac sonographers’ incomes vary worldwide depending on geographic region, professional experience, and work setting.

How Much Does a Cardiac Sonographer Make Per Year?

Cardiac sonographers work primarily in hospitals and clinics, public and private, which affects salary levels as much as education and work experience. This chart outlines the median annual salaries and hourly wages by country.

wdt_ID	Cardiac Sonographer Salary	Hourly Wage	Annual Wage
1	US	$29.81	$71,750
2	Canada	C$29.33 (US$23.29)	C$61,000 (US$48,507)
3	UK	£15 (US$19.56)	£31,209 (US$40,687)
4	Australia	AU$44.23 (US$35.15)	AU$92,000 (US$73,094)
5	New Zealand	NZ$34.13 (US$25.17)	NZ$71,000 (US$52,356)
6	India	Rs116.90 (US$1.82)	Rs243,147 (US$3,782)
7	South Africa	R117.79 (US$9.12)	R245,000 (US$18,969)

Factors That Influence the Cardiac Sonographer Salary

Salaries for cardiac sonographers vary worldwide depending on education, work experience, and geographic region.

Source: Wikimedia.

1. Geographic Area

Location is by far the most important factor for the salary of a cardiac sonographer.

Cardiac Sonographer Salary in the US

Diagnostic medical sonographers in the US earn $71,750 per year on average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Payscale reports a lower median salary for cardiac sonographers, $62,000 per year. The same source reports the starting salary for this profession at $44,226 per year and the experienced salary at $83,535 per year. An experienced cardiac sonographer can earn up to $4,861 in bonuses and $5,340 from profit sharing.

Nevertheless, the state a professional is employed in also influences the total yearly pay, as seen in the following tables.

Note: The data below is extracted from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and refers to diagnostic medical sonographers.

Highest Employment Levels for Diagnostic Medical Sonographers in the US

The following states register the highest employment levels for diagnostic medical sonographers:

wdt_ID	State	Employment	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage
1	California	6.380	0,38	0,79	44,09	91.700
2	Hawaii	150	0,24	0,50	43,39	90.250
3	District of Columbia	180	0,25	0,52	42,86	89.140
4	Washington	1.500	0,47	0,98	42,04	87.440
5	Oregon	890	0,49	1,01	41,41	86.140

The following metropolitan areas have the highest employment levels for diagnostic medical sonographers:

wdt_ID	Metropolitan area	Employment	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage
1	New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ	3.320	0,50	1,03	36,41	75.730
2	Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX	1.710	0,58	1,21	40,90	85.080
3	Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL	1.550	0,42	0,88	37,23	77.440
4	Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ	1.450	0,73	1,52	39,69	82.550
5	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA	1.300	0,29	0,61	38,68	80.460
6	Nassau County-Suffolk County, NY	1.140	0,87	1,81	36,64	76.210
7	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	1.080	0,43	0,89	37,33	77.650
8	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	1.000	0,52	1,07	38,06	79.160
9	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	970	0,37	0,77	31,62	65.770
10	Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX	960	0,38	0,80	40,45	84.140

The nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment levels for diagnostic medical sonographers are:

wdt_ID	Nonmetropolitan area	Employment	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage
1	Northeastern Wisconsin	160	0,81	1,67	34,96	72.710
2	Northeast Mississippi	150	0,65	1,35	30,26	62.940
3	Lower Peninsula of Michigan	140	0,50	1,03	26,68	55.490
4	North Northeastern Ohio	130	0,38	0,78	28,38	59.030
5	Southeast Coastal North Carolina	120	0,50	1,03	30,46	63.360

Highest Salaries for Diagnostic Medical Sonographers in the US

The states with the highest salaries for diagnostic medical sonographers:

wdt_ID	State	Employment	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage
1	California	6.380	0,38	0,79	44,09	91.700
2	Hawaii	150	0,24	0,50	43,39	90.250
3	District of Columbia	180	0,25	0,52	42,86	89.140
4	Washington	1.500	0,47	0,98	42,04	87.440
5	Oregon	890	0,49	1,01	41,41	86.140

Metropolitan areas with the highest salaries for this occupation:

wdt_ID	Metropolitan area	Employment	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage
1	San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA	390	0,35	0,73	52,85	109.930
2	Salinas, CA	50	0,28	0,57	51,58	107.280
3	Oakland-Hayward-Berkeley, CA	700	0,61	1,27	49,33	102.600
4	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	470	0,43	0,90	48,85	101.600
5	Vallejo-Fairfield, CA	170	1,27	2,63	47,87	99.570
6	Stockton-Lodi, CA	90	0,37	0,77	47,67	99.150
7	Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA	40	0,46	0,95	47,66	99.130
8	Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA	550	0,57	1,18	47,25	98.280
9	Kennewick-Richland, WA	110	0,98	2,04	47,06	97.880
10	San Diego-Carlsbad, CA	510	0,36	0,74	44,56	92.670

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest salaries for this occupation:

wdt_ID	Nonmetropolitan area	Employment	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage
1	Northern Mountains Region of California	40	0.56	1.15	52,09	108.340
2	North Coast Region of California	40	0.41	0.85	47,69	99.190
3	Eastern and Southern Colorado	-	-	-	42,19	87.750
4	Northwest Colorado	30	0.30	0.62	40,01	83.230
5	Southwest Washington	40	0.66	1.37	39,88	82.950

Cardiac Sonographer Salary in Canada

According to Payscale, a cardiac sonographer working in Canada earns C$61,000 (US$48,507) per year. A beginner in this field usually starts off around C$43,198 (US$34,239) per year and will reach the national average in about 5-10 years. An experienced professional, on the other hand, can earn up to C$90,170, or US$71,469 per year.

Neuvoo.ca, on the other hand, reports the average salary of a diagnostic cardiac sonographer at C$65,389 (US$51,873), the starting salary at C$46,000 (US$36,491), and the experienced diagnostic cardiac sonographer salary at C$92,000 (US$72,983) per year.

Cardiac Sonographer Salary in the UK

Payscale reports the mean salary of a cardiac sonographer in the United Kingdom at £31,209 (US$40,640) and the mean sonographer salary at ₤33,000 (US$42,977) per year. Even though no info is available on the starting and experienced salaries of cardiac sonographers working in the UK, we can take the sonographer salaries as a reference. The starting salary for a sonographer is £22,575 (US$29,400). Experienced professionals can earn up to £65,000 (US$84,652) per year including bonuses of up to £5,000 (US$6,511).

Plotr.co.uk estimates salaries for diagnostic medical sonographers in the UK between £25,000 (US$32,558) and £50,000 (US$65,117) or more.

Cardiac Sonographer Salary in Australia

Indeed.com estimates the mean salary of a cardiac sonographer at AU$66.63 (US$52.82) per hour or AU$138,590 (US$109,869) per year.

Payscale, however, reports different numbers for cardiac sonographers working in Australia: AU$92,000 (US$73,094) per year on average. A beginner in this field earns AU$50,684 (US$40,135), while an experienced professional can take home up to AU$122,104 (US$96,694) per year.

Cardiac Sonographer Salary in New Zealand

As reported by careers.govt.nz, cardiac sonographers (named medical radiation technologists in New Zealand) who are early in their careers with one to six years of experience can expect a yearly income of NZ$50,000 (US$36,697) to NZ$69,000 (US$50,642. Senior level sonographers with more than six years’ experience typically bring home between NZ$71,000 (US$52,110)and NZ$98,000 (US$71,927) per year.

Cardiac Sonographer Salary in India

SalaryExpert.com reports a median of Rs243,195 (US$3,775) per year. The entry level salary for cardiac sonographers working in India is Rs176,862 (US$2,745), while senior cardiac sonographers can earn up to Rs287,150 (US$4,457). Bonuses can account for up to Rs3,429 (US$53) as extra income per year.

Cardiac Sonographer Salary in South Africa

Payscale reports the salary of a sonographer working in South Africa at R245,000 (US$18,969)

2. Experience

With experience comes salary increases in every country included in this guide. South Africa has the widest gap between experienced and senior level professionals with a difference of 228%. Experience increases salary levels in Canada by about 123%, followed by the US at 104%. The difference between senior level and entry-level sonographers in Australia and New Zealand is similar at 92% and 94%, respectively.

Education requirements vary worldwide, but all countries require either a two-year or four-year degree. In the US, cardiac sonographers need a two-year associate’s degree followed by successful completion of an exam to be certified in cardiac sonography. Some states are beginning to require licensure, and according to Indeed.com, some hospitals may require a bachelor’s degree. Salary levels in New Zealand are likely supported by the requirement of a four-year bachelor’s degree, registration with the professional organization, and yearly issue of a practicing certificate.

Because of the varying requirements to practice as a cardiac sonographer, it is the responsibility of the individual to fully understand his or her country’s requirements for employment and licensure, if applicable.

3. Industry

Cardiac sonographers work primarily in hospitals and clinics, with some employed in private practice. While most work is completed independently, physicians usually supervise cardiac sonographers.

Salaries are often higher for those working in the private sector, and there may be additional opportunities for bonuses. Hospitals may offer opportunities for overtime pay as a result of night or weekend shifts.

Here are the industries with the highest levels of employment for diagnostic sonographers:

wdt_ID	Industry	Employment	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage
1	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	41.240	0,75	35,07	72.950
2	Offices of Physicians	14.640	0,57	34,22	71.170
3	Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories	7.440	2,80	35,72	74.310
4	Outpatient Care Centers	2.750	0,31	40,81	84.890
5	Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals	640	0,24	36,48	75.880

The industries with the highest salaries for diagnostic sonographers:

wdt_ID	Industry	Employment	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage
1	Outpatient Care Centers	2.750	0.31	40,81	84.890
2	Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	570	0.02	38,33	79.730
3	Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals	640	0.24	36,48	75.880
4	Management of Companies and Enterprises	50	-	36,16	75.200
5	Employment Services	620	0.02	35,77	74.400

If you are interested in other healthcare jobs that require similar training and take place in similar settings, we also recommend reading our guide to the medical technologist salary.

Working Hours

A career in cardiac sonography is viewed as low stress and offers a positive work-life balance and part-time employment opportunities. Cardiac sonographers usually work typical business hours, Monday through Friday. Some facilities might require shift work but often pay in addition to the base salary.

Bonuses and Benefit Packages

Benefits packages of medical, dental and vision insurance are typical for cardiac sonographers no matter their location or experience. Bonuses can add to salaries, most often for those working in privately-owned hospitals and clinics. In the UK, a supplement for high-cost living in England and the surrounding areas may be offered at 5%-20% of salary.

Job Outlook

Worldwide job outlook is positive for cardiac sonographers as there is an aging population in need of cardiac treatment and imaging is part of diagnosis and treatment. Sonography positions in India are expected to grow 40% in the next few years, while cardiac sonographers in New Zealand are in short supply and will require recruiting from overseas to meet demand. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics expects 24% growth from 2014 through 2024.

Conclusion

A career in cardiac sonography can provide a solid income with potential for additional pay from bonuses and overtime hours. Worldwide demand is expected to meet or exceed the supply of those in the workforce in the coming years. Cardiac sonographers enjoy high job satisfaction and a positive work-life balance.