Ultrasound jobs involve using high-frequency sound waves to record images of the body, which can be used to diagnose and treat medical conditions. Different types of sonography jobs include vascular technologists, echocardiographers, and neurosonologists. Most sonographers have similar duties and work in hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities. The demand for ultrasound is high due to its safety and effectiveness, and new technologies are expected to increase the demand for technicians.
Ultrasound jobs are typically performed by diagnostic medical sonographers, non-medical professionals who use ultrasound or high-frequency sound waves to record images of parts of the patient’s body. These images can be used by a doctor to prevent, diagnose and treat different medical conditions or to track the development of fetuses in utero.
Many different types of sonography jobs are available for occupation. For example, vascular technologists specialize in imaging and testing blood vessels. Ultrasonographers who study the abdomen are responsible for evaluating the abdominal organs such as the liver, spleen, urinary tract and pancreas, as well as soft tissues and blood vessels in the region.
Echocardiography scans measure the heart’s blood flow, as well as its blood vessels and valves. Ultrasonographers who work in diagnostic mammography specialize in breast analysis, while those who specialize in obstetrics or gynecology evaluate the female reproductive system. Neurosonology imagers work on imaging the brain and spinal cord, and ophthalmology sonographers examine the eye.
Most sonography jobs have similar, if not the same, duties and responsibilities. Managing patient history records, analyzing information after diagnostic procedures, judging the needs of a procedure on a case-by-case basis, and providing a summary of technical findings, orally or in writing, to the referring physician are tasks that an ordinary sonographer may encounter. People seeking employment in sonography must also collaborate with physicians and other members of a healthcare team.
In 2007, there were 47,000 sonography jobs in the United States alone. More than half of existing ultrasound jobs are in hospitals. Outpatient care centers also employ ultrasound technicians, as do physicians’ offices, clinics, public health facilities, diagnostic imaging centers, and laboratories. Rapid growth is expected to continue at these facilities, resulting in an even greater demand for sonographers.
The demand for ultrasound is also high due to the preference of ultrasound over x-rays. Ultrasound is typically safer than X-rays and also less burdensome for patients. As new technologies continually develop, ultrasound jobs will remain in high demand. New procedures such as 3D and 4D sonography are expected to grow rapidly, requiring updated education for current technicians, as well as the need for more technicians in general. In fact, ultrasound jobs are expected to grow faster than the average job demand as the population ages and grows.
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