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Best sonographer certifications
The best certifications for a sonographer are Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer - Abdomen (RDMS), Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (RDMS), and Pediatric Sonography (PS).
Sonographer certifications demonstrate your competency as a sonographer to employers. However, not all sonographer certifications provide the same value.
Below is a list of the best sonographer certifications. Obtaining a sonographer certification will give you a leg up when you apply for jobs and increase your potential salary.
9 best certifications for sonographers
9 best sonographer certifications
1. Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer - Abdomen (RDMS)
The Abdomen (AB) examination tests basic abdomen knowledge and skills essential to Sonography Professionals. To earn a Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (RDMS) credential with an AB specialty, you must pass the Sonography Principles and Instrumentation (SPI) examination and the AB examination within five years. After passing the SPI examination, you can earn additional credentials without having to retake the SPI examination, provided you maintain active status.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
- More than two years of work experience required? Yes
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? Every 10 year(s)
2. Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (RDMS)
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
- More than two years of work experience required? Yes
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? Every 10 year(s)
3. Pediatric Sonography (PS)
The Pediatric Sonography (PS) examination te​sts basic pediatric sonography knowledge and skills essential to sonographer-level professionals.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
- More than two years of work experience required? Yes
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required?
4. Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer - Adult Echocardiography (RDCS)
The Adult Echocardiography (AE) examination tests basic adult echocardiography knowledge and skills essential to Sonography Professionals. To earn a Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer (RDCS) credential with an AE specialty, you must pass the Sonography Principles and Instrumentation (SPI) examination and the AE examination within five years. After passing the SPI examination, you can earn additional credentials without having to retake the SPI examination, provided you maintain active status.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
- More than two years of work experience required? No
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? Every 10 year(s)
5. Sonography Principles and Instrumentation (SPI)
The Sonography Principles and Instrumentation (SPI) examination tests basic physical principles and instrumentation knowledge essential to sonography professionals and students. To earn an RDMS, RDCS or RVT credential, you must pass the SPI examination and a corresponding specialty examination within five years. After passing the SPI examination, you can earn additional credentials without having to retake the SPI examination, provided you maintain active status.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
- More than two years of work experience required? Yes
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? Every 10 year(s)
6. Registered Cardiac Sonographer (RCS)
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
- More than two years of work experience required? No
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? Every 3 year(s)
7. Certified Radiology Administrator (CRA)
As a medical imaging administrator, you face a number of difficult challenges. One of them is having people recognize your skills and capabilities. The Certified Radiology Administrator (CRA) designation speaks volumes about the high standards of achievement you've attained for the profession of radiology administration. The CRA is the only professional credential tailored specifically for radiology administrators, focusing on human resource management, asset resource management, fiscal management, operations management, and communication and information management-expertise you bring to the job each day. The CRA program, including the examination, is managed by the Radiology Administration Certification Commission (RACC), a self-governing body created to maintain the credential's integrity and relevance.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
- More than two years of work experience required? Yes
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? Every 3 year(s)
8. Vascular Sonography
Vascular sonography is a challenging yet rewarding profession. As a sonographer working in this field, you'll use ultrasound machines to produce images of patients' veins and arteries using high-frequency sound waves. Physicians use the images, which show the structure and movement of internal organs, or blood moving through vessels, to diagnose and treat various conditions. In this role, you'll also provide information and support to patients, while being an important part of the medical team.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
- More than two years of work experience required? Yes
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? Every 2 year(s)
9. Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer (RDCS)
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
- More than two years of work experience required? Yes
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? Every 10 year(s)
What is the best certification for a sonographer?
The best sonographer certification is Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer - Abdomen (RDMS). The Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer - Abdomen (RDMS) is awarded by the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers. This certification corresponds to a specialty within a recognized occupation.
Here's a bit more background on how to obtain this sonographer certification:
- To become a certified Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer - Abdomen (RDMS), you need to pass the exam.
- This certificate requires more than two years of work experience.
- Renew certification every 10 year.
What are some of the most in-demand certifications for sonographers?
The most in-demand sonographer certification is Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer based on all active job postings. Having this sonographer certification will give you access to more sonographer jobs with higher salaries.
What certifications can impact a sonographer career and salary?
The Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer - Abdomen certification will help you to secure a ultrasound technologist position, which will increase your pay and career trajectory. A ultrasound technologist's average salary is $69,993 whereas sonographers make an average salary of $85,898.
The most common combination of sonographer certifications include: Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer - Abdomen (RDMS), Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (RDMS), and Pediatric Sonography (PS).
Online courses for sonographers to earn certifications
1. Motivational Enhancement Techniques: Working with Patients with Opioid & Substance Use Disorders or High Risk Use MAT Waiver Training S...
WORKING WITH PATIENTS WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS OR HIGH RISK This optional online course opportunity is made possible through a joint partnership with University of Virginia School of Medicine (UVASOM) and Nursing (SON) and the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP), DATA 2000 sponsor. This content was created by the AAAP and has been used with permission. The course consists of one 1-hour session for healthcare providers who wish to enhance their effectiveness in treating high-risk...
2. Trauma Emergencies and Care
Welcome to Trauma Emergencies and Care. In this course, you will learn about some of the mechanics and physics of trauma on the human body, and how this can cause injury. You will continue to expand your new vocabulary with medical terminology, and learn how to describe the different injuries you may see. You will also learn about the trauma system itself- and when it is important to transport patients to a trauma center. Then we will dive into specific injuries based on what part of the body...
3. Risk Management: Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment
Risk Management: Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment (HIRA), Hazard Control & Mitigation, Risk Evaluation Techniques...
4. The Complete Open Broadcaster (obs) Almanac for 2022
100x your live streams quality, local recordings and watch your productivity explode!...
5. Emergency Care: Pregnancy, Infants, and Children
Welcome to the final course of lectures in your quest to master EMT basics. In this course, we will cover some of the highest-stress patient populations: pregnant patients and kids, also known as pediatrics. To wrap up your EMT knowledge we will end this course with information about hazmat situations, extricating patients from tight spots and finally how you write a note about your patient care. You will learn to ensure it communicates what your assessment of the patient was, what...
6. Palliative Care Always Capstone Course
The Palliative Care Always Capstone course is designed to let you test your knowledge about palliative and help others understand the value of palliative care, while showing your creative side. In this course, you will impact community awareness about palliative care, promote self-care and wellness, show-off your communication skills in a virtual environment, and finish the course off by proving your thoughts on ways to offer psychosocial support to a patient and family...
7. Modern Dental Extractions - Fast, Painless, & Non-invasive
The goal is less trauma and less drama! This is an update that teaches superior methods for atraumatic extractions...
8. Operational Risks Management ORM
Operational Risks Management ORM Case Studies for Risk Management, Compliance, Audit, IS Security, Banking Professionals...
9. Value-Based Care: Managing Processes to Improve Outcomes
COURSE 3 of 7. This course is designed to introduce you to critical office-based processes that a value-based practice must manage in the drive towards improved patient outcomes. In Module 2, we’ll focus on office-based and clinical patient-based supporting functions. At every level in healthcare, guidelines, processes, and functions exist to improve outcomes, and following a consistent process will return the best effect. Refine your understanding of value and learn strategies to provide real...
10. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care
This course presents basic principles of cancer survivorship to primary-care physicians. Developed by a team of experts in caring for cancer survivors, and narrated by a primary-care physician, this course provides practical tips and tools that can be easily integrated into medical practice. You will learn about the complex physical and psychosocial needs and concerns of the growing number of cancer survivors, along with the key role that primary care physicians have in guiding these patients...
11. Introduction to Compliance Risk Management CRM
Compliance risk management CRM for Compliance, Risk Management, Internal Audit and IS Security Professionals...
12. Risk Management: An Introduction
An essential guide to understanding Risk Management...
13. Prehospital care of acute stroke and patient selection for endovascular treatment using the RACE scale
Acute stroke is a time-dependent medical emergency. In acute ischemic stroke, the first objective is to restore brain flow using sistemic thrombolytic treatment and, in patients with large vessel occlusion, by endovascular treatment. In hemorrhagic stroke there are also specific treatments that can improve the clinical outcome. The sooner the initiation of all these therapies the higher the clinical benefit. Thus, the organization of Stroke Code systems coordinated between emergency medical...
14. Operations and Patient Safety for Healthcare IT Staff
Now that you've been introduced to the world of Health IT and the important role played by electronic health records (EHRs), we'll focus on other technologies that play a role in maintaining ongoing operations in healthcare. Telemedicine, patient portals, barcode scanners, printers, and medical devices are just some of the technologies that impact providers and patients. As an IT support specialist, you’ll be asked to troubleshoot issues with a wide variety of tools. You'll see a scenario with...
15. Traditional herbal medicine in supportive cancer care: From alternative to integrative
Please join us for an exciting and innovative journey, examining one of the most important and often overlooked aspects of the oncology setting: Traditional Herbal Medicine in Supportive Cancer Care. This course is presented with short lectures offering a wide range of issues related to the principles and practice of herbal medicine in cancer care. The course includes interviews with leading world experts from the field of Integrative Oncology, from the U.S. and Canada, as well as Europe, the...
16. Addiction Treatment: Clinical Skills for Healthcare Providers
This course is designed with a singular goal: to improve the care you provide to your patients with substance use disorders. By delving into a model case performed by actors, seven Yale instructors from various fields provide techniques to screen your patients for substance use disorder risk, diagnose patients to gauge the severity of their use, directly manage treatment plans, refer out to treatment services, and navigate the various conditions that may limit your patient’s access to treatment...
17. Health for All Through Primary Health Care
This course explores why primary health care is central for achieving Health for All. It provides examples of how primary health care has been instrumental in approaching this goal in selected populations and how the principles of primary health care can guide future policies and actions. Two of the most inspiring, least understood, and most often derided terms in global health discourse are “Health for All” and “Primary Health Care.” In this course, we will explore these terms in the context...
18. Clinical Kidney, Pancreas and Islet Transplantation
Kidney transplantation is a major advance of modern medicine which provides high-quality of life for patients with end-stage renal disease. What used to be an experimental, risky, and very limited treatment option more than 50 years ago is now routinely performed in many countries worldwide. The number of renal transplants is expected to rise sharply in the next decade since the proportion of patients with end stage renal disease is increasing. Are you interested in clinical kidney, pancreas...
19. Visualizing the Living Body: Diagnostic Imaging
This course teaches learners the underlying principles behind conventional radiography, computerized axial tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound. The radiology of chest, abdomen, pelvis, extremities, spine and brain are taught in this course using a combination of lectures and extensive practical activities and assessments. By the end of the course you will be able to: Describe the principles of conventional radiography, CT MRI and ultrasound Describe systematic...
20. Pain Management: Easing Pain in Palliative Care
In this course, you will be able to develop a systems view for assessing and managing pain in the palliative care setting. By the end of the course, you will be able to: 1) Describe the pain problem in the palliative care setting; 2) Assess a person’s pain, 3) Explain the benefits of integrative therapies and pharmacologic strategies to manage pain...