Online Sonography Degrees, Certificates, Diplomas from Top Colleges and Universities

Online Degrees in Sonography

sonography degrees Do you want to work helping people in the medical field? The field of sonography or diagnostic medical sonography is a growing field that utilizes special equipment to direct high frequency waves into a patient's body. These waves are reflected back in the form of a picture that can be saved as a photograph or video and shown to doctors. Sonography is not radioactive, so it is less invasive and harmful to patients. Being able to see images of the inside of patient's bodies can allow doctors to check for specific signs of different illnesses and injuries and get patients treated more quickly.

There are different categories in sonography or areas where individuals can specialize in. There are obstetric and gynecologic sonographers who image the female reproductive system. A large part of this category is imaging unborn babies in the mother's uterus to check and be sure the pregnancy and baby are developing normally. Another category is adnominal sonographers. They image a patient's core or abdominal cavity and check internal organs and the heart for different diseases. A neurosonographer focuses on imaging the brain. The breast sonographer's category includes those who image breasts and check for things like breast cancer.

Strong Employment Outlook for Sonographers

Most sonographers work full time and are employed at hospitals, surgical centers, or large outpatient care facilities. The employment outlook for sonographers is excellent. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the sonography field will have at least an 18 percent increase in job growth between now and 2018. This growth will be created as the population gets older and needs more body imaging to diagnose illness and injury. Also, sonography is less invasive then other body imaging techniques and new technologies in this area are always being created which will spur growth in this field

Salary Expectations for Sonographers

Sonographers can make good wages. According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, in 2008 sonographers had average salaries between $52,000 and $73,000 annually. The lowest ten percent made about $43,000, and the highest ten percent of sonographers made over $83,000.

Educational Requirements and Opportunities for Sonographers

A certification is not required in sonography to work in this field. However, almost all employers require some sort of accreditation to become employed in this field. Colleges offer associate's degrees (2 years), bachelor’s degrees (4 years), and also certification programs that generally need to be taken in conjunction with some type of medical degree or continued education. This is a great career field with lots of future potential.