Vascular sonographer vs vascular technician

The differences between vascular sonographers and vascular technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a vascular sonographer and a vascular technician. Additionally, a vascular sonographer has an average salary of $84,915, which is higher than the $79,763 average annual salary of a vascular technician.

The top three skills for a vascular sonographer include patients, RVT and patient care. The most important skills for a vascular technician are patients, ARDMS, and RVT.

Vascular sonographer vs vascular technician overview

	Vascular Sonographer	Vascular Technician
Yearly salary	$84,915	$79,763
Hourly rate	$40.82	$38.35
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	8,139	20,252
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 46%	Associate Degree, 46%
Average age	43	45
Years of experience	2	2

What does a vascular sonographer do?

It is the responsibility of a vascular sonographer to check the vascular systems of patients through specialized medical equipment for signs of disease or obstruction. Vascular sonographers are medical imaging specialists supervised by a vascular system specialist or physician. They examine blood vessels using ultrasound for diagnosis and treatment of any vascular system-related disease. Typically, they work in hospitals, laboratories, and doctor's offices. They are required to have a bachelor's degree in cardiovascular technology or diagnostic medical sonography.

What does a vascular technician do?

Typically working together with physicians and nurses, a vascular technician specializes in performing imaging and diagnostic examinations to assess a patient's vascular health. Their responsibilities usually include gathering and analyzing patient information and medical history, operating diagnostic equipment, performing adjustments, discussing the extent of procedures to patients, and assisting them, making them feel comfortable every step of the way. Moreover, an avascular technician must produce and summarize findings, submitting them to physicians in a prompt and organized manner.

Vascular sonographer vs vascular technician salary

Vascular sonographers and vascular technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Vascular Sonographer	Vascular Technician
Average salary	$84,915	$79,763
Salary range	Between $56,000 And $127,000	Between $48,000 And $130,000
Highest paying City	Sacramento, CA	Albany, NY
Highest paying state	California	New York
Best paying company	Doctors Community Hospital	Dignity Health
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between vascular sonographer and vascular technician education

There are a few differences between a vascular sonographer and a vascular technician in terms of educational background:

	Vascular Sonographer	Vascular Technician
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 46%	Associate Degree, 46%
Most common major	Medical Technician	Medical Technician
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Vascular sonographer vs vascular technician demographics

Here are the differences between vascular sonographers' and vascular technicians' demographics:

	Vascular Sonographer	Vascular Technician
Average age	43	45
Gender ratio	Male, 26.2% Female, 73.8%	Male, 33.7% Female, 66.3%
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, 10.6% Unknown, 3.3% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 13.9% White, 58.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	6%	8%

Differences between vascular sonographer and vascular technician duties and responsibilities

Vascular sonographer example responsibilities.

Manage and operate the daily operations and supervision of the radiology ultrasound departments.
Perform ABI, segmental pressure and oxygen tension studies.
Work independently providing quality images for radiologists while maintaining a high level of care and compassion for the patient.
Perform abdomen, obstetrics and gynecology, and small parts ultrasound examinations.
Perform a wide variety of obstetrics and gynecology ultrasounds in perinatal department.
Ensure private and safe environment for patients and ensure patient safety regulations are followed consistently while providing compassionate customer service.

Vascular technician example responsibilities.

Facilitate physician to help achieve ICAEL accreditation status.
Train to perform nuclear stress tests, treadmill stress echo, and ECG's.
Assist the lead echocardiographer with ARDMS certification.
Execute EKG's and procedure reports for physician's interpretation.
Handle audit request by ICAEL and maintain appropriate documentation, etc.
Initial patient vitals including ECG, weight, height and blood pressure.

Vascular sonographer vs vascular technician skills

Common vascular sonographer skills

Patients, 25%
RVT, 11%
Patient Care, 9%
Doppler, 8%
Vascular Ultrasound, 8%
Ultrasound Procedures, 5%

Common vascular technician skills

Patients, 21%
ARDMS, 9%
RVT, 8%
Vascular Technologist, 7%
Patient Care, 6%
Test Results, 3%

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Vascular Sonographer
Vascular Sonographer vs Vascular Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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