Obstetric sonograms capture images in real time.
Obstetric sonographers belong to the employment category of diagnostic medical sonographers. They use sophisticated equipment that generates high-frequency sound waves to produce images of the expectant mother's uterus, ovaries and unborn baby, including the baby's organs. The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics projects strong continued demand for new sonographers between 2008 and 2018, with a increase in new jobs of 18 percent. Income for obstetric sonographers may be affected by such factors as location, type of employer and experience.
Wages
Wages for diagnostic medical sonographers at all levels of experience from across the United States ranged from less than $43,990 per year to more than $85,950 per year, with a median annual wage of $63,010 as of May 2009, according to the BLS. The mean hourly pay rate for sonographers was $30.60.
Location
Wages received by sonographers may be significantly impacted by the region in which they practice. Sonographers who practiced in the states of Massachusetts or Oregon earned the highest wages in the country at more than $78,000 per year. Sonographers who practiced in Alaska, Colorado or Washington earned in excess of $75,000 per year. Sonographers who practiced in major metropolitan areas tended to earn higher rates of pay than those in small communities. The highest paid sonographers in the U.S. practiced in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, California, metropolitan area, where they earned a mean annual wage of $97,530 as of May 2009, according to the BLS.
Employment Type
There were approximately 51,630 diagnostic medical sonographers working in the United States as of May 2009, according to the BLS; 30,490 of these sonographers worked in general medical or surgical hospitals. Sonographers who worked in hospital environments earned a mean annual wage of $63,770. Physicians' offices also offered significant employment opportunities for sonographers. The 13,290 sonographers who worked in doctors' offices earned a mean annual wage of $63,820.
Experience
As with many career fields, sonographers with extensive experience earned higher rates of pay than those just beginning their careers. A sonographer may expect to earn between approximately $17.00 per hour and $24.00 per hour during her first year on the job as of March 2011, according to PayScale.com. A sonographer with more than five years on the job can earn between approximately $25.00 per hour and $32.00 per hour. A sonographer with more than 20 years' experience may earn more than $40.00 per hour.
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