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The differences between cardiac sonographers and mammography technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a cardiac sonographer and a mammography technician. Additionally, a cardiac sonographer has an average salary of $79,641, which is higher than the $64,362 average annual salary of a mammography technician.
The top three skills for a cardiac sonographer include patients, registry and RDCS. The most important skills for a mammography technician are patients, ARRT, and patient care.
| Cardiac Sonographer | Mammography Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $79,641 | $64,362 |
| Hourly rate | $38.29 | $30.94 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 10,472 | 52,998 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 55% | Associate Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A cardiac sonographer specializes in operating imaging technologies to help physicians assess and determine the cardiac conditions of patients. Aside from coordinating with physicians, a cardiac sonographer also interacts with patients, providing them assistance throughout the process, and discussing the extent of procedures. Typically, a cardiac sonographer's responsibilities revolve around coordinating with hospital staff to gather patient information, sharing test results to physicians promptly, and even managing the scheduling of patients, all in adherence to the hospital's policies and regulations.
A mammography technician is primarily in charge of operating an imaging machine to detect and diagnose breast diseases. Their responsibilities include greeting patients, reviewing their identification and request documentation, explaining the extent of procedures, answering inquiries, operating machines, performing adjustments, and conducting the study in adherence to the protocols, making sure the patients feel comfortable every step of the way. Furthermore, as a mammography technician, it is essential to practice every safety technique during the procedures, all while enforcing the facility's policies and regulations.
Cardiac sonographers and mammography technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Cardiac Sonographer | Mammography Technician | |
| Average salary | $79,641 | $64,362 |
| Salary range | Between $54,000 And $116,000 | Between $35,000 And $117,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oakland, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Washington Hospital Healthcare System | Stability Healthcare |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a cardiac sonographer and a mammography technician in terms of educational background:
| Cardiac Sonographer | Mammography Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 55% | Associate Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Medical Technician | Medical Technician |
| Most common college | Duke University | Texas A&M University |
Here are the differences between cardiac sonographers' and mammography technicians' demographics:
| Cardiac Sonographer | Mammography Technician | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.8% Female, 69.2% | Male, 3.6% Female, 96.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 8.8% White, 72.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 5.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 6.0% White, 73.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 8% |