Staff sonographer vs certified medical technician

The differences between staff sonographers and certified medical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a staff sonographer, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a staff sonographer has an average salary of $85,821, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.

The top three skills for a staff sonographer include patients, sonography and patient care. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Staff sonographer vs certified medical technician overview

	Staff Sonographer	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$85,821	$38,859
Hourly rate	$41.26	$18.68
Growth rate	10%	5%
Number of jobs	81,867	164,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	43	44
Years of experience	2	12

Staff sonographer vs certified medical technician salary

Staff sonographers and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Staff Sonographer	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$85,821	$38,859
Salary range	Between $54,000 And $135,000	Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	-	Denton, TX
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between staff sonographer and certified medical technician education

There are a few differences between a staff sonographer and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:

	Staff Sonographer	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Medical Technician	Nursing
Most common college	Duke University	University of Connecticut

Staff sonographer vs certified medical technician demographics

Here are the differences between staff sonographers' and certified medical technicians' demographics:

	Staff Sonographer	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	43	44
Gender ratio	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
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, 15.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 10.0% White, 53.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	6%	8%

Differences between staff sonographer and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Staff sonographer example responsibilities.

Facilitate physician to help achieve ICAEL accreditation status.
Use PACS to store, send and view scans.
Utilize hospital computer system for ordering and completing ultrasound department necessary functions, PACs image archiving.
Champion of radiology committee working with radiology manager and hospital officers and administration for patient experience and friendliness of staff.
Perform general diagnostic radiology examinations.
Perform pediatric echocardiogram, EKG and Holter monitoring.

Certified medical technician example responsibilities.

Maintain the cleanliness of storage areas, trays, centrifuges, refrigerators, freezers and work area.
Administer medications to patients according to their medication record as scheduled, as needed according to physician orders.
Perform laboratory test and procedures in areas including chemistry, hematology, urinalysis, coagulation, serology, and bacteriology.
Perform first aid and apply CPR when necessary.
Perform first aid or CPR during medical emergencies until paramedics arrive.
Assist the residents in their ADL needs and prepare their meals.

Staff sonographer vs certified medical technician skills

Common staff sonographer skills

Patients, 20%
Sonography, 17%
Patient Care, 15%
Diagnostic Ultrasound, 12%
Ultrasound Exams, 6%
ABD, 5%

Common certified medical technician skills

Patients, 17%
Vital Signs, 12%
CPR, 8%
Administer Medications, 7%
Resident Care, 6%
HIPAA, 6%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Staff Sonographer
Staff Sonographer vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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