Career Explorer Healthcare (clinical)
Human edge, growing
Diagnostic medical sonographers
Produce ultrasonic recordings of internal organs for use by physicians. Includes vascular technologists.
Among the most resilient careers: more resilient than 84% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is low (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it moderate), and US jobs are projected to change by +13.9% by 2035, much faster than average. The work leans on ethical judgement and physical dexterity.
AI struggles with much of this work, and US employers are expected to hire more people into it than average.
- Median pay (2025)
- $96,590
- Job growth to 2035
- +13.9%
- Openings a year
- 6,000
- People doing it (2025)
- 92,200
- Usual route in
- Associate's degree
Where people already use AI for this work
- Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance
- Explain medical information to patients or family members
- Analyze health or medical data
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Operate medical equipment
- Assist healthcare practitioners during medical procedures
- Maintain health or medical records
What the work looks like
- Process and code film from procedures and complete appropriate documentation.
- Observe screen during scan to ensure that image produced is satisfactory for diagnostic purposes, making adjustments to equipment as required.
- Decide which images to include, looking for differences between healthy and pathological areas.
- Operate ultrasound equipment to produce and record images of the motion, shape, and composition of blood, organs, tissues, or bodily masses, such as fluid accumulations.
- Observe and care for patients throughout examinations to ensure their safety and comfort.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
What the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects
- More of these jobs, as ultrasound technology is increasingly used in patient care across a broad range of clinical specialties, resulting in increased demand for sonographers.
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- Veterinary technologists and techniciansHuman edge, growing, Index 95, +9.4%
- Surgical technologistsHuman edge, growing, Index 90, +5.0%
- EmbalmersHuman edge, steady, Index 87, +0.7%
- Dental hygienistsHuman edge, growing, Index 96, +8.0%
Also known as: RDMS (Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer), Staff Sonographer, Ultrasound Technician (Ultrasound Tech), Ultrasound Technologist (Ultrasound Tech), Cardiovascular Sonographer, Echo Tech (Echocardiographic Technician), Echosonographer Technologist (Echo Technologist), Medical Sonographer.
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Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.