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Career change · from Ultrasound Tech

Careers after Ultrasound Tech: 12 jobs where your skills transfer.

Every related role O*NET lists for ultrasound techs, scored by how closely the skill profile matches, what it pays and how much extra preparation it needs. Original analysis, sources below.

Updated Nov 2, 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 · BLS OEWS May 2025
FromUltrasound Tech
  • Active Listening
  • Speaking
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Social Perceptiveness
78%77%65%
To12 related roles
  • EKG Tech
  • Nuclear Medicine Technologist
  • Surgical Assistant
Quick answer

The jobs closest to an Ultrasound Tech's skills are EKG Tech, Nuclear Medicine Technologist and Surgical Assistant (78%, 77% and 65% skill match). 2 related roles pay more without needing more preparation, led by Radiation Therapist (+$8,720 median).

Transition matrix

Where your skills transfer

Data Skill match and pay change are our calculations from O*NET and BLS data (method below).

Destination roleSkill matchPay changePreparation
EKG Tech78% −$22,280 Same prep
Nuclear Medicine Technologist77% +$4,780 Same prep
Surgical Assistant65% −$29,790 Same prep
Respiratory Therapist62% −$14,310 Same prep
MRI Tech61% −$1,110 Same prep
Radiation Therapist60% +$8,720 Same prep
Radiology Tech56% −$16,480 Same prep
Neurodiagnostic Technologist (BLS: Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other)55% −$46,300 Same prep
Anesthesiologist Assistant (BLS: Physician Assistants)55% +$39,290 More prep
Radiologist45% +$324,270 More prep
Ophthalmic Medical Technologist44% −$46,300 Same prep
Endoscopy Technician (BLS: Healthcare Support Workers, All Other)42% −$48,160 Less prep
Gap analysis

The three closest moves

Data Skills where the destination's O*NET level is at least half a point higher are listed as gaps.

Ultrasound Tech → EKG Tech78% skill match · −$22,280 median pay

Already strong: Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Monitoring.

To build: Troubleshooting, Repairing, Systems Evaluation.

Ultrasound Tech → Nuclear Medicine Technologist77% skill match · +$4,780 median pay

Already strong: Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness.

To build: Mathematics, Troubleshooting, Repairing.

Ultrasound Tech → Surgical Assistant65% skill match · −$29,790 median pay

Already strong: Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking.

To build: Systems Evaluation, Programming, Mathematics.

A realistic plan

How to make the move

Advice

  1. Weeks 1 to 2Pick one destination

    EKG Tech is the closest match at 78%. Nuclear Medicine Technologist pays more without more preparation.

  2. Weeks 2 to 6Close the top gap

    For EKG Tech, the biggest gap is troubleshooting. Build one piece of proof for it.

  3. Weeks 4 to 8Reframe your resume

    Lead with reading comprehension, active listening, written in the destination's language.

  4. From week 6Talk to people in the role

    Ask three ekg techs what they wish they had known before switching.

Method

How this page is built

Skill match is the cosine similarity of the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level and subtract the average across all occupations, then compare the direction of the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 means unrelated or opposite (negative values are shown as 0). Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared. Pay change compares the BLS national median annual wages (May 2025) of the two occupations. Preparation change compares O*NET Job Zones (Job Zones 1-2, 3, 4 and 5, from very little to extensive preparation; O*NET 31.0 combines zones 1 and 2). Destinations without BLS wage data or O*NET skill ratings are left out.

What this page can't tell you
  • Licensing or degree rules for a specific destination.
  • Whether employers in your area hire career changers.
  • Your own skills: the scores compare occupations, not people.
Sources
  1. O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
  2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).

How TryHired builds this data: sources, methods and downloads. Spotted an error? Report a correction.

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