Diagnostic imaging with patient contact
United States comparison
Radiologic Technologist
vs Medical Sonographer
See how pay, opportunity, entry requirements and working life differ.
O*NET 30.3BLS May 20252024–34 outlook
Labour market
United StatesCompare Careers
See the trade-offs side by side
Choose two options. The figures update instantly.
OccupationHQ—choose two careers
Imaging technology with direct patient care
Medical Sonographer
$96,590median annual earningsHigher medianMedical Sonographer
More annual openingsRadiologic Technologist
Lower physical-demand signalMedical Sonographer
Exploration tool
What matters to you?
Set what matters most to you.
Fit and similarity scores are experimental OccupationHQ calculations.
Your current mixMedical Sonographer leads by 7
Its strongest weighted advantage here is higher pay.
Ten-year projections and openings. Market momentum uses the selected country’s available signal and stays neutral when none is available. Entry-path scoring is a transparent editorial band used by this exploration tool, based on the typical education and credential route shown below.
01
At a glance
Money, demand and entry
Radiologic Technologist
United States data
Medical Sonographer
A · Radiologic Technologist$77,660Median annual earningsB · Medical Sonographer$96,590
A · Radiologic TechnologistNot availablePublished earnings rangeB · Medical Sonographer$67,820–$129,370trade-off
A · Radiologic TechnologistNot availableCurrent employmentB · Medical Sonographer90.2K
A · Radiologic Technologist5%Projected growthB · Medical Sonographer13%
A · Radiologic Technologist15.4KAnnual openingsB · Medical Sonographer5.8K
A · Radiologic TechnologistAssociate’s degreeTypical educationB · Medical SonographerAssociate’s degreetrade-off
A · Radiologic TechnologistLicensure or certification variesTraining / credentialB · Medical SonographerNo typical OJTtrade-off
United States figures: BLS OEWS May 2025 and 2024–34 employment projections.
02
Working life
What the work is like
These percentiles describe the work; they do not rate it as good or bad. Select a signal for details. Work signals are native O*NET occupation percentiles.
03
What they share
What these careers have in common
Choose two different careers to view their experimental similarity.
Radiologic Technologist foundations
- Imaging equipment
- Technical accuracy
- Patient communication
Medical Sonographer foundations
- Active listening
- Monitoring
- Technical imaging
What a switch would take
Shared strengths are only part of the move
Licences, apprenticeships, education and missing technical knowledge still matter—even when two options share useful skills.
Keep exploring
Profiles and related comparisons
Explore Careers
Twenty options across six fields
Browse the facts, working life and realistic next steps for each one.
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A medical-imaging career combining diagnostic equipment, technical accuracy and patient contact.
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$101,020 / yearView career →HVAC Technician
A skilled trade installing and maintaining heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration systems.
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A construction trade building, installing and repairing structural and finished components.
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A technical trade diagnosing, servicing and repairing mechanical and electronic vehicle systems.
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A technology career analysing organisational needs and designing improvements to information systems.
$103,790 / yearView career →How OccupationHQ works
Facts first.
Calculations explained.
- 1Official inputs
Wages and outlook from BLS. Skills, interests and work context from O*NET.
- 2Experimental comparison model
Work descriptors become percentiles across covered occupations; model outputs are clearly separated from official inputs.
- 3Visible trade-offs
No magic “best career.” You see each factor and decide what matters.