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The differences between sonographers and cardiac 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 sonographer and a cardiac sonographer. Additionally, a sonographer has an average salary of $85,898, which is higher than the $79,641 average annual salary of a cardiac sonographer.
The top three skills for a sonographer include patients, sonography and ARDMS. The most important skills for a cardiac sonographer are patients, registry, and RDCS.
| Sonographer | Cardiac Sonographer | |
| Yearly salary | $85,898 | $79,641 |
| Hourly rate | $41.30 | $38.29 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 14,117 | 10,472 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 57% | Associate Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A Sonographer performs diagnostic procedures using sonographic equipment. Their duties include preparing patients, explaining the exam, and performing the procedure.
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.
Sonographers and cardiac sonographers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Sonographer | Cardiac Sonographer | |
| Average salary | $85,898 | $79,641 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $125,000 | Between $54,000 And $116,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Oakland, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Medical City Arlington | Washington Hospital Healthcare System |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a sonographer and a cardiac sonographer in terms of educational background:
| Sonographer | Cardiac Sonographer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 57% | Associate Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Medical Technician | Medical Technician |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between sonographers' and cardiac sonographers' demographics:
| Sonographer | Cardiac Sonographer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 15.0% Female, 85.0% | Male, 30.8% Female, 69.2% |
| 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, 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 | 6% | 6% |