BLS sonographer pay at every level and in every state, hospital vs clinic pay, overtime and take-home after 2026 tax
Diagnostic medical sonographers — ultrasound techs — earned a median of $96,590 a year in May 2025, $46.44 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which counted 90,160. The middle half earned between $80,430 and $106,930, and the top tenth over $129,370. Overtime and night differentials, common in hospitals, aren't included.
This is the BLS line for diagnostic medical sonographers (SOC 29-2032), the occupation people mean by ultrasound techs. Cardiovascular technologists and radiologic technologists are counted separately. Take-home assumes a single filer with 2026 federal tax and FICA and no state tax.
| Pay level | Hourly | Annual | Monthly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $32.60 | $67,820 | $5,652 | $56,541 |
| 25th percentile | $38.67 | $80,430 | $6,703 | $65,413 |
| Median | $46.44 | $96,590 | $8,049 | $76,781 |
| 75th percentile | $51.41 | $106,930 | $8,911 | $84,055 |
| 90th percentile | $62.20 | $129,370 | $10,781 | $99,690 |
California pays sonographers the most: $61.79 an hour at the median for 10,110 of them, the most of any state. Hawaii ($59.82) and Washington ($58.34) follow. Alabama pays least at $32.78. Texas and New York employ the next-largest numbers, at $44.51 and $49.96.
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $61.79 | $128,530 | 10,110 |
| Hawaii | $59.82 | $124,430 | 210 |
| Washington | $58.34 | $121,340 | 2,190 |
| Oregon | $57.80 | $120,220 | 1,210 |
| District of Columbia | $53.86 | $112,020 | 160 |
| Colorado | $52.12 | $108,410 | 1,430 |
| Massachusetts | $51.67 | $107,480 | 2,190 |
| Alaska | $50.81 | $105,670 | 140 |
| Vermont | $50.05 | $104,100 | 140 |
| New York | $49.96 | $103,920 | 6,880 |
| New Hampshire | $49.89 | $103,760 | 400 |
| Connecticut | $49.63 | $103,230 | 990 |
| New Jersey | $49.59 | $103,150 | 3,370 |
| Minnesota | $49.45 | $102,850 | 1,710 |
| Wisconsin | $49.08 | $102,090 | 1,530 |
| Montana | $48.56 | $101,000 | 230 |
| Illinois | $48.40 | $100,660 | 3,270 |
| Wyoming | $48.39 | $100,650 | 90 |
| Missouri | $48.14 | $100,130 | 1,930 |
| Utah | $48.13 | $100,100 | 740 |
| Arizona | $48.10 | $100,040 | 2,070 |
| Idaho | $48.04 | $99,920 | 510 |
| Maryland | $47.70 | $99,210 | 1,760 |
| Delaware | $47.37 | $98,530 | 220 |
| Kansas | $46.30 | $96,310 | 670 |
| Nevada | $46.15 | $95,980 | 640 |
| Virginia | $45.99 | $95,660 | 2,160 |
| Maine | $45.78 | $95,230 | 380 |
| Rhode Island | $44.63 | $92,820 | 380 |
| Texas | $44.51 | $92,580 | 6,960 |
| Kentucky | $43.86 | $91,230 | 940 |
| New Mexico | $41.93 | $87,210 | 410 |
| Iowa | $41.58 | $86,480 | 740 |
| North Carolina | $41.35 | $86,010 | 2,970 |
| Indiana | $40.89 | $85,040 | 1,380 |
| North Dakota | $40.55 | $84,340 | 240 |
| Oklahoma | $40.23 | $83,670 | 1,060 |
| South Carolina | $40.04 | $83,290 | 1,340 |
| Georgia | $40.02 | $83,250 | 2,700 |
| Florida | $39.88 | $82,940 | 6,670 |
| Ohio | $39.84 | $82,870 | 3,160 |
| Pennsylvania | $39.77 | $82,710 | 2,980 |
| Nebraska | $39.74 | $82,670 | 780 |
| Michigan | $39.66 | $82,490 | 3,100 |
| Arkansas | $39.18 | $81,500 | 640 |
| South Dakota | $38.85 | $80,820 | 370 |
| Louisiana | $38.80 | $80,710 | 1,150 |
| Tennessee | $38.77 | $80,640 | 1,880 |
| West Virginia | $36.93 | $76,820 | 780 |
| Mississippi | $36.79 | $76,520 | 700 |
| Alabama | $32.78 | $68,180 | 1,510 |
Outpatient care centers pay sonographers the most, $127,940, about a third more than hospitals ($97,390), which employ 58% of them. Physicians' offices pay $95,220 and medical and diagnostic labs $87,580 (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
| Industry | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| Outpatient care centers | $127,940 |
| Hospitals; state, local, and private | $97,390 |
| Offices of physicians | $95,220 |
| Medical and diagnostic laboratories | $87,580 |
Most sonographers work full time. Those in facilities that never close may work evening, weekend or overnight shifts (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). Hospitals employ 58% of them, physicians' offices 21% and medical and diagnostic labs 11%, so the employer type in the table below matters as much as the shift.
Sonographers paid by the hour are owed time and a half for hours over 40 in a workweek. A hospital can instead agree with its staff to use the 8-and-80 system — overtime after 8 hours in a day and 80 in a 14-day period (DOL Fact Sheet #54). Shift differentials for evenings and nights aren't in BLS's figures (BLS OEWS FAQ), so a sonographer on nights or weekends earns more than the tables show.
Sonographers typically need an associate's degree or a postsecondary certificate; colleges and some hospitals run the programs, which include supervised clinical work. Some states require a license, many employers require or prefer professional certification, and BLS or CPR certification is common. Specialties include abdominal, breast, cardiac (echocardiography) and obstetric and gynecologic sonography (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
More ways to work with your ultrasound tech pay:
$96,590 a year ($46.44 an hour) at the BLS median for May 2025. The middle half earned $80,430 to $106,930.
California ($61.79 an hour, $128,530 a year), then Hawaii and Washington; Alabama pays least among the 51 states where BLS released a figure (BLS, May 2025).
Hourly sonographers do: time and a half after 40 hours a week, or under a hospital's 8-and-80 agreement after 8 hours a day and 80 in two weeks (DOL Fact Sheet #54).
By employer, outpatient care centers have the highest median in the Occupational Outlook Handbook's industry table, well above hospitals. By state, see the table on this page.
Tax rules, limits and pay data change. Check the current figures with the primary source before acting on them.