# Diagnostic Medical Sonographers

US SOC code 29-2032. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/29-2032

Also called: Sonographer, Ultrasound tech, Ultrasound technologist, OB sonographer, OB/GYN sonographer.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **90,160** US diagnostic medical sonographers, with median pay of **$96,590** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2003, the May 2025 count is the highest. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://web.archive.org/web/20250729021210/https://www.ardms.org/50years/) of **10,000** from 1975, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for diagnostic medical sonographers: Handheld POCUS devices, 2012 to 2023. POCUS expansion created new volume of ultrasound exams performed in the US while beginning a slow scope-boundary shift at the entry-level sonographer task set.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 13.9% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=29-2032&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **28.9%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Diagnostic Medical Sonographers employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1969
- Latest US employment: 90,160 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [3]
- Latest US median pay: $96,590 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [8]
- Outlook: +13.9% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [24]

### In other countries

The latest figure each country's statistics agency publishes for this job. Each uses its own occupation definition, survey basis and currency, so the numbers are not directly comparable with each other or with the US figures.

- **Canada** (NOC 32122)
  - Employment, 2020: 6,650. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [6]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021: number of persons with employment income in NOC 32122 Medical sonographers, Canada, reference year 2020. A recipients basis (anyone with employment income during the year), slightly broader than a point-in-time employed count. Statistics Canada Open Licence.
  - Median pay, 2020: C$81,000. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [11]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021 (Table 98-10-0586): median employment income for NOC 32122 Medical sonographers, Canada, reference year 2020, full-year full-time workers (the basis comparable to the US OEWS full-time median). Statistics Canada Open Licence.

### All 26 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1975 | 10,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., ARDMS 50 Years [1] |
| 1987 | 35,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., ARDMS 50 Years [1] |
| 1999 | 29,280 | $42,330 | BLS OEWS 1999 [2] |
| 2003 | 37,240 | $49,960 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [3] |
| 2004 | 41,280 | $52,490 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [3] |
| 2005 | 43,590 | $54,370 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [3] |
| 2006 | 44,340 | $57,160 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [3] |
| 2007 | 46,770 | $59,860 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [3] |
| 2008 | 48,920 | $61,980 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [3] |
| 2009 | 51,630 | $63,010 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [3] |
| 2010 | 53,010 | $64,380 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [3] |
| 2011 | 54,760 | $65,210 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [3] |
| 2012 | 57,700 | $65,860 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [3] |
| 2013 | 58,250 | $66,410 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [3] |
| 2014 | 59,760 | $67,530 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [3] |
| 2015 | 61,250 | $68,970 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [3] |
| 2016 | 65,790 | $69,650 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [3] |
| 2017 | 68,750 | $71,410 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [3] |
| 2018 | 71,130 | $72,510 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [3] |
| 2019 | 72,790 | $74,320 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [3] |
| 2020 | 73,920 | $75,920 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [3] |
| 2021 | 78,640 | $77,740 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [3] |
| 2022 | 81,080 | $81,350 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [3] |
| 2023 | 82,780 | $84,470 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [3] |
| 2024 | 86,460 | $89,340 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [3] |
| 2025 | 90,160 | $96,590 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [3] |

## Sources (91)

### Employment series

1. [ARDMS 50 Years — Celebrating 50 Years of ARDMS (credential count milestones: 200 initial candidates 1975, 35,000 by 1987)](https://web.archive.org/web/20250729021210/https://www.ardms.org/50years/), American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography
2. [BLS OES 1999 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes99nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
3. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
4. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2006, Table 97-563-XCB2006069 (Wage and salary statistics by occupation, NOC-S 2006), income reference year 2005](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&PID=96285), Statistics Canada
5. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2016, Table 98-400-X2016356 (Occupation by employment income statistics, NOC 2016), income reference year 2015](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/98-400-X2016356), Statistics Canada
6. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada

### Wage series

7. [BLS OES 1999 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes99nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
8. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
9. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2006, Table 97-563-XCB2006069 (Wage and salary statistics by occupation, NOC-S 2006), income reference year 2005](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&PID=96285), Statistics Canada
10. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2016, Table 98-400-X2016356 (Occupation by employment income statistics, NOC 2016), income reference year 2015](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/98-400-X2016356), Statistics Canada
11. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada

### Tool eras

12. [Ian Donald: Ultrasound Pioneer -- Hektoen International (2024): Donald's 1958 Lancet paper, Diasonograph development, clinical adoption timeline](https://hekint.org/2024/02/05/ian-donald-ultrasound-pioneer/), Hektoen International
13. [History of Ultrasound -- ob-ultrasound.net: A Short History of the Real-time Ultrasound Scanner (1965 Siemens Vidoson, transition from static to real-time)](https://www.ob-ultrasound.net/history-realtime.html), ob-ultrasound.net
14. [ARDMS 50 Years -- ARDMS founded June 1975, Winston-Salem NC; 200 initial candidates; 35,000 credentialed registrants by 1987](https://web.archive.org/web/20250729021210/https://www.ardms.org/50years/), American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography
15. [Wikipedia -- Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (SDMS founded 1969 as American Society of Ultrasound Technical Specialists)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_of_Diagnostic_Medical_Sonography), Wikipedia
16. [ob-ultrasound.net -- History of Ultrasound Part 2: clinical applications of Doppler blood flow assessment became important and integral to fetal assessment in the late 1980s](https://www.ob-ultrasound.net/history2.html), ob-ultrasound.net
17. [Siemens Healthineers -- Milestones in Ultrasound Diagnostics (color Doppler and spectral Doppler clinical adoption history)](https://www.siemens-healthineers.com/en-uk/ultrasound/news-stories/history), Siemens Healthineers
18. [Fujifilm Sonosite -- What Is POCUS? (Sonosite's role in portable ultrasound and point-of-care origins)](https://www.sonosite.com/about/what-pocus-point-care-ultrasound), Fujifilm Sonosite
19. [ACEP EM Ultrasound Section -- Handheld Ultrasound Market Round-up (May 2024): Butterfly iQ, Clarius, and handheld POCUS market landscape](https://www.acep.org/emultrasound/newsroom/may-2024/handheld-ultrasound-market-round-up), American College of Emergency Physicians
20. [ARDMS -- AI's Transformative Impact: Ultrasound Education (AI tools as clinical support adjuncts; sonographers' essential role in decision-making and assessment; FDA-authorized real-time cardiac guidance software)](https://web.archive.org/web/20260215055131/https://www.ardms.org/ai-and-ultrasound-education/), American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography
21. [GE HealthCare Voluson SonoLyst -- AI-powered fetal anatomy labeling and biometric measurement automation; FDA 510(k) cleared; reduces OB biometry time 40-60% (AIUM 2024; GE HealthCare product pages 2025)](https://www.gehealthcare.com/en-us/products/ultrasound/voluson), GE HealthCare
22. [Ultromics EchoGo Heart Failure -- FDA-cleared AI diagnostic aid for HFpEF detection from a single apical 4-chamber echocardiographic clip; validated across 6,500+ patients including Mayo Clinic JACC Advances study (1,284 patients); FDA Breakthrough Technology designation](https://www.ultromics.com/hfpef), Ultromics
23. [AIUM Practice Guidelines 2025 -- AI tools are decision-support adjuncts; registered sonographer retains responsibility for real-time image acquisition quality, scan extension judgment, and preliminary technical findings](https://www.aium.org/resources/training-guidelines), American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine

### Forecasts and exposure studies

24. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 29-2032 Diagnostic medical sonographers (2025: 92.2 thousand; 2035: 105.1 thousand; +13.9%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=29-2032&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
25. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 29-2032.00, human-rated β 0.289)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

26. [Hektoen International -- "Ian Donald: Ultrasound Pioneer" (2024): 1958 Lancet paper, Diasonograph development, clinical adoption](https://hekint.org/2024/02/05/ian-donald-ultrasound-pioneer/), Hektoen International
27. [Wikipedia -- Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (SDMS founded 1969 as American Society of Ultrasound Technical Specialists)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_of_Diagnostic_Medical_Sonography), Wikipedia
28. [Ultrasound Technician Center -- Ultrasound History (1973: US DOE recognition of diagnostic medical sonography as a distinct occupation)](https://web.archive.org/web/20260418112705/https://ultrasoundtechniciancenter.org/ultrasound-knowledge/ultrasound-history.html), Ultrasound Technician Center
29. [ARDMS 50 Years -- Celebrating 50 Years of ARDMS (founded June 1975; 200 initial candidates; 35,000 by 1987; 113,000+ by 2025)](https://web.archive.org/web/20250729021210/https://www.ardms.org/50years/), American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography
30. [Siemens Healthineers -- Milestones in Ultrasound Diagnostics (color Doppler clinical adoption, vascular and cardiac applications)](https://www.siemens-healthineers.com/en-uk/ultrasound/news-stories/history), Siemens Healthineers
31. [Fujifilm Sonosite -- What Is POCUS? Point-of-Care Ultrasound (portable ultrasound history and Sonosite origins)](https://www.sonosite.com/about/what-pocus-point-care-ultrasound), Fujifilm Sonosite
32. [GE HealthCare Vscan Air with Caption AI -- FDA-cleared AI-powered cardiac ultrasound acquisition guidance; real-time step-by-step visual probe guidance and image quality meter; enables non-expert clinicians to capture diagnostic-quality cardiac images](https://www.gehealthcare.com/products/ultrasound/handheld-ultrasound/vscan-air-caption-ai), GE HealthCare

### Predecessors & successors

33. [BLS Career Outlook Summer 2001 -- "Diagnostic Medical Sonographers: Seeing With Sound" (entry paths: radiologic technologists and other allied health backgrounds)](https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2001/Summer/art04.pdf), Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (29-2032.00): tasks, work activities, technology skills, employment data](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/29-2032.00), accessed 2026-05-24
- [BLS OOH — Diagnostic Medical Sonographers: 76,700 employed 2024; +14% projected growth 2024-2034; 10,800 annual openings; median wage $84,470 (May 2024)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/diagnostic-medical-sonographers.htm), accessed 2026-05-24
- [ARDMS 2025 — ARDMS credential (SPI + RDMS/RDCS/RVT specialty exams) required at most hospital and outpatient imaging sites; physical transducer operation and real-time image acquisition are credential-defining competencies](https://www.ardms.org/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [SDMS: White Papers (page): SDMS information resources on issues facing the sonography profession, such as work-related musculoskeletal disorders in sonography and implementing a liver contrast program](https://www.sdms.org/resources/sdms-white-papers), accessed 2026-10-08
- [AIUM Practice Guidelines 2025 — AI tools are decision-support adjuncts; registered sonographer retains responsibility for real-time image acquisition quality, scan extension judgment, and preliminary technical findings](https://www.aium.org/resources/training-guidelines), accessed 2026-05-24
- [GE HealthCare Voluson SonoLyst — AI-powered fetal anatomy labeling and biometric measurement automation; FDA 510(k) cleared; reduces OB biometry time 40-60% per AIUM 2024 meeting data; GE Healthcare product pages 2025](https://www.gehealthcare.com/en-us/products/ultrasound/voluson), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Ultromics: EchoGo Heart Failure (product page): FDA 510(k)-cleared AI that analyzes a single apical four-chamber echo view to flag suspected HFpEF, with 90.3 percent sensitivity and 86.1 percent specificity in clinical evaluation (K240013); live in U.S. hospitals](https://www.ultromics.com/echogo-heart-failure), accessed 2026-10-08
- [Radiology AI (RSNA) 2024-2025 — AI fetal biometry reduces caliper placement time 40-60% at non-inferior accuracy; AI echo measurement (LVEF, GLS) reaches inter-observer agreement equivalent to experienced sonographers on standard views](https://pubs.rsna.org/journal/ai), accessed 2026-05-24
- [AuntMinnie 2025-2026 — AI biometry automation and AI echo measurement fastest-growing AI categories in diagnostic ultrasound; sonographer job postings increasingly mention AI biometry and echo AI tools](https://www.auntminnie.com/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science): occupational LLM exposure framework](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Us2.ai — FDA-cleared automated echocardiographic measurement and structured report generation; auto-measures LVEF, LV volumes, aortic root, diastolic function; validated in JASE 2024-2025; deployed U.S., Australia, UK echo labs](https://us2.ai/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Samsung Healthcare: HERA W10 Elite ultrasound system, women's health features (product page): BiometryAssist, a deep-learning feature for automatic measurement of fetal growth parameters, alongside other AI tools for classifying and annotating fetal images](https://samsunghealthcare.com/en/products/UltrasoundSystem/HERA%20W10%20Elite/Womens%20Health/benefit), accessed 2026-10-08
- [Sonio OB AI — AI OB ultrasound reporting and fetal anatomy anomaly detection; FDA Breakthrough Device designation 2022; 50+ hospital deployments U.S. and France 2025; ISUOG 2024 session on AI for prenatal diagnosis](https://www.sonio.com/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Dragon Medical One (Nuance/Microsoft) — AI-powered voice dictation and ambient clinical intelligence for hospital ultrasound departments; used for technical impression notes and worksheet field completion; Microsoft/Nuance product pages 2025](https://www.nuance.com/healthcare/physician-and-clinical-documentation/dragon-medical-one.html), accessed 2026-05-24

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.