Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between diagnostic technicians and diagnostic medical sonographers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a diagnostic technician and a diagnostic medical sonographer. Additionally, a diagnostic medical sonographer has an average salary of $85,607, which is higher than the $49,571 average annual salary of a diagnostic technician.
The top three skills for a diagnostic technician include patients, patient care and CPR. The most important skills for a diagnostic medical sonographer are patients, ARDMS, and patient care.
| Diagnostic Technician | Diagnostic Medical Sonographer | |
| Yearly salary | $49,571 | $85,607 |
| Hourly rate | $23.83 | $41.16 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 70,089 | 58,800 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 41% | Associate Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Diagnostic Technicians are specialists in the inspecting, maintenance, and repair of equipment or service. Diagnostic Technicians can be working in the automotive sector, inspecting and repairing cars, to performing ultrasound procedures in the healthcare industry. Their duties include analyzing and collecting data, calibrating equipment, performing diagnostic tests and repairs, and organizing work records and reports. A Diagnostic Technician must have sound knowledge in using technical equipment and adheres to safety regulations when handling any tools.
A Diagnostic Medical Sonographer uses ultrasound high-frequency sound waves to produce images of internal body tissues. Some typical duties include preparing patients, explaining the exams, and reporting the results to the patients or a physician.
Diagnostic technicians and diagnostic medical sonographers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Diagnostic Technician | Diagnostic Medical Sonographer | |
| Average salary | $49,571 | $85,607 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $77,000 | Between $52,000 And $139,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fresno, CA | Eureka, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Waymo | St. Mary's Health Inc. |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a diagnostic technician and a diagnostic medical sonographer in terms of educational background:
| Diagnostic Technician | Diagnostic Medical Sonographer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 41% | Associate Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Medical Technician | Medical Technician |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Duke University |
Here are the differences between diagnostic technicians' and diagnostic medical sonographers' demographics:
| Diagnostic Technician | Diagnostic Medical Sonographer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.0% Female, 34.0% | Male, 13.4% Female, 86.6% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 6% |