Echo technician vs ultrasound technologist

The differences between echo technicians and ultrasound technologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an echo technician and an ultrasound technologist. Additionally, an ultrasound technologist has an average salary of $84,702, which is higher than the $75,952 average annual salary of an echo technician.

The top three skills for an echo technician include patients, BLS and echocardiography. The most important skills for an ultrasound technologist are patients, ARDMS, and ultrasound procedures.

Echo technician vs ultrasound technologist overview

	Echo Technician	Ultrasound Technologist
Yearly salary	$75,952	$84,702
Hourly rate	$36.52	$40.72
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	14,522	52,198
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 54%	Associate Degree, 55%
Average age	45	43
Years of experience	2	2

What does an echo technician do?

An echo technician is responsible for operating specialized equipment to develop ultrasound images of patients' hearts, diagnosing possible illnesses, and monitoring their conditions. Echo technicians carefully explain the process to the patients, assist the physicians in data interpretation, and ensuring that the image document was stored and developed properly for reference. They also inspect the machine and equipment's efficiency for operations and immediately call for repairs for any defects and malfunctions that may cause inaccuracies in the results.

What does an ultrasound technologist do?

An ultrasound technologist is responsible for assisting medical professionals in operating high-end equipment to diagnose patients' illnesses and monitor health conditions. Ultrasound technologists regularly inspect the efficiency and reliability of the machine and report inconsistencies and defects for immediate repair or replacement. They record scan results and endorse the patient to appropriate medical staff for required medication and further observation. An ultrasound technologist must have excellent knowledge and extensive experience in the medical industry to provide quality care for the patients and address their needs and concerns.

Echo technician vs ultrasound technologist salary

Echo technicians and ultrasound technologists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Echo Technician	Ultrasound Technologist
Average salary	$75,952	$84,702
Salary range	Between $49,000 And $117,000	Between $51,000 And $140,000
Highest paying City	Springfield, OR	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	California	Vermont
Best paying company	University of Maryland Medical System	Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between echo technician and ultrasound technologist education

There are a few differences between an echo technician and an ultrasound technologist in terms of educational background:

	Echo Technician	Ultrasound Technologist
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 54%	Associate Degree, 55%
Most common major	Medical Technician	Medical Technician
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Echo technician vs ultrasound technologist demographics

Here are the differences between echo technicians' and ultrasound technologists' demographics:

	Echo Technician	Ultrasound Technologist
Average age	45	43
Gender ratio	Male, 32.4% Female, 67.6%	Male, 18.3% Female, 81.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 3.3% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 13.9% White, 58.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	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%

Differences between echo technician and ultrasound technologist duties and responsibilities

Echo technician example responsibilities.

Assist with placement and manage intra-aortic balloon pumps.
Perform cardiac defibrillation, CPR, and initiate invasive procedures on patients in cardiac arrest.
Utilize 2D , 3D, m-mode, and color Doppler.
Perform EKG's and treadmill stress testing.
Perform stress echo's, dobutamine stress echo's and bubble studies.
Assist physician with echo stress tests as well as treadmill only studies.

Ultrasound technologist example responsibilities.

Perform ABIs while the vascular technologist perform the ultrasound to help with achieving a timely schedule.
Accomplish general ultrasounds centered on abdominal, OB-GYN, small parts, pelvic (male), and vascular.
Train new students how to perform PVR, segmental and ABI studies
Assist and independently perform 2D echo studies using m-mode, color flow, spectral and tissue Doppler, measurements and calculations.
Provide outpatient ultrasound studies in vascular, observe in echocardiogram
Perform a variety of procedures including abdomen, vascular and gynecology exams.

Echo technician vs ultrasound technologist skills

Common echo technician skills

Patients, 19%
BLS, 10%
Echocardiography, 10%
Echocardiogram, 9%
Patient Care, 8%
Cardiology, 6%

Common ultrasound technologist skills

Patients, 17%
ARDMS, 11%
Ultrasound Procedures, 11%
Patient Care, 8%
Pacs, 7%
Vascular Ultrasound, 6%

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Echo Technician
Echo Technician vs Ultrasound Technologist

Updated January 8, 2025

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