Sonographer demographics and statistics in the US
Sonographer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates sonographer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our sonographer estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about sonographers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 64,751 sonographers currently employed in the United States.
- 85.0% of all sonographers are women, while 15.0% are men.
- The average sonographer age is 43 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of sonographers is White (72.0%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (10.4%), Asian (8.8%) and Unknown (4.4%).
- Sonographers are most in-demand in San Francisco, CA.
- The technology industry is the highest-paying for sonographers.
- 6% of all sonographers are LGBT.
On this page
Sonographer demographics by:
Sonographer gender statistics
85.0% of sonographers are women and 15.0% of sonographers are men.
- Female, 85.0%
- Male, 15.0%
Sonographer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 85.0% |
| Male | 15.0% |
Sonographer gender pay gap
Women earn 94¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$94,027
Female income
$87,984
Sonographer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in sonographer positions over time. Currently, 85.0% of sonographers are female.
Sonographer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 22.29% | 77.71% |
| 2011 | 22.38% | 77.62% |
| 2012 | 23.29% | 76.71% |
| 2013 | 22.85% | 77.15% |
| 2014 | 23.65% | 76.35% |
| 2015 | 22.67% | 77.33% |
| 2016 | 24.00% | 76.00% |
| 2017 | 23.43% | 76.57% |
| 2018 | 16.89% | 83.11% |
| 2019 | 13.13% | 86.87% |
| 2020 | 14.13% | 85.87% |
| 2021 | 14.98% | 85.02% |
Sonographer related jobs gender ratio
We compared sonographers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, guitar technician and armorer technician have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Radiographer, Mammographer | 2% | 98% |
| Mammographer | 3% | 97% |
| Lead Mammographer | 3% | 97% |
| Sonographer | 15% | 85% |
| Driver/Technician | 93% | 7% |
| Armorer Technician | 95% | 5% |
| Guitar Technician | 96% | 4% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Sonographer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among sonographers is White, which makes up 72.0% of all sonographers. Comparatively, 10.4% of sonographers are Hispanic or Latino and 8.8% of sonographers are Asian.
- White, 72.0%
- Hispanic or Latino, 10.4%
- Asian, 8.8%
- Unknown, 4.4%
- Black or African American, 4.2%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
Sonographer race
| Sonographer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 72.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 10.4% |
| Asian | 8.8% |
| Unknown | 4.4% |
| Black or African American | 4.2% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.2% |
Sonographer race and ethnicity over time
See how sonographer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Sonographer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 79.35% | 5.47% | 4.97% | 7.96% |
| 2011 | 80.60% | 6.60% | 4.10% | 6.83% |
| 2012 | 79.84% | 6.43% | 4.42% | 7.44% |
| 2013 | 77.40% | 7.29% | 4.48% | 8.95% |
| 2014 | 79.52% | 5.77% | 4.37% | 8.35% |
| 2015 | 77.76% | 5.80% | 6.03% | 8.36% |
| 2016 | 77.95% | 5.42% | 6.08% | 8.58% |
| 2017 | 76.69% | 5.72% | 6.02% | 9.53% |
| 2018 | 77.64% | 4.79% | 7.09% | 8.58% |
| 2019 | 78.89% | 3.82% | 6.92% | 8.83% |
| 2020 | 75.81% | 2.81% | 8.18% | 9.89% |
| 2021 | 71.98% | 4.17% | 8.77% | 10.39% |
Sonographer wage gap by race
According to our data, black or african american sonographers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. White sonographers have the lowest average salary at $92,247.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $92,483 |
| White | $92,247 |
| Black or African American | $96,189 |
| Asian | $95,183 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $94,093 |
Average sonographer age
See how the average age of sonographers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Sonographer age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 41 | |
| White | 44 | 42 |
| Black or African American | 45 | |
| Asian | 39 | 41 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 46 | 41 |
Sonographer age breakdown
The average age of sonographers is 40+ years years old, representing 60% of the sonographer population.
Sonographer age breakdown
| Sonographer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 60% |
| 30-40 years | 29% |
| 20-30 years | 12% |
Sonographer educational attainment
The most common degree for sonographers is associate degree, with 57% of sonographers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 29% and bachelor's degree degree at 4%.
- Associate, 57%
- Bachelor's, 29%
- Diploma, 4%
- Master's, 2%
- Other Degrees, 8%
Sonographers by degree level
| Sonographer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Associate | 57% |
| Bachelor's | 29% |
| Diploma | 4% |
| Master's | 2% |
| Other Degrees | 8% |
Sonographer jobs you might like
Sonographer wage gap by degree level
According to the data, sonographers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $103,037 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, sonographers earn a median annual income of $94,072 compared to $87,409 for sonographers with an Associate degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $103,037 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $94,072 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $87,409 |
Sonographer employment statistics
Most sonographers work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where sonographers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where sonographers work.
Sonographer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 5% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 14% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 18% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 13% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 35% |
| > 10,000 employees | 15% |
Sonographer jobs by company type
Employees with the sonographer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most sonographers prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Sonographer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 5% |
| Public | 3% |
| Private | 91% |
| Government | 2% |
Sonographer jobs by industry
The most common industries for sonographers are health care, professional and education.
Sonographer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 82% |
| Professional | 4% |
| Education | 4% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Retail | 2% |
| Manufacturing | 1% |
| Government | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Fortune 500 | 1% |
| Technology | 1% |
Sonographer turnover and employment statistics
Sonographer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for sonographers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Sonographer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Sonographer unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 3.51% |
| 2011 | 2.80% |
| 2012 | 3.25% |
| 2013 | 2.92% |
| 2014 | 1.78% |
| 2015 | 1.54% |
| 2016 | 1.51% |
| 2017 | 1.26% |
| 2018 | 0.33% |
| 2019 | 0.31% |
| 2020 | 2.45% |
| 2021 | 2.12% |
Average sonographer tenure
The average sonographer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 5,496 sonographers resumes in Zippia's database.
Sonographer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 25% |
| 1-2 years | 24% |
| 3-4 years | 12% |
| 5-7 years | 18% |
| 8-10 years | 8% |
| 11+ years | 12% |
Sonographer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of sonographers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Acquisitions Technician | 5.02% | 30,621 |
| Sonographer | 5.60% | - |
| Senior Medical Laboratory Technician | 8.24% | 82,360 |
| Medical Records Technician | 9.29% | 67,660 |
| Optical Dispenser | 12.53% | 6,198 |
| Endoscopic Technician | 12.80% | 48,259 |
| Supervisor Nuclear Medicine | 21.93% | 12,974 |
Similar sonographer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Acquisitions Technician | 5.02% | 30,621 |
| Senior Medical Laboratory Technician | 8.24% | 82,360 |
| Medical Records Technician | 9.29% | 67,660 |
| Optical Dispenser | 12.53% | 6,198 |
| Endoscopic Technician | 12.80% | 48,259 |
| Supervisor Nuclear Medicine | 21.93% | 12,974 |
Foreign languages spoken by sonographers
The most common foreign language among sonographers is Spanish at 57.3%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Russian at 7.3% and Portuguese is the third-most popular at 4.8%.
- Spanish, 57.3%
- Russian, 7.3%
- Portuguese, 4.8%
- Vietnamese, 4.8%
- French, 4.0%
- Other, 21.8%
Sonographer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 57.3% |
| Russian | 7.3% |
| Portuguese | 4.8% |
| Vietnamese | 4.8% |
| French | 4.0% |
| Other | 21.8% |
