Ultrasound Tech job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

16

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 3 of 5

medium preparation

Typical entry education

Associate's degree

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$96,590

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (O*NET-SOC 29-2032.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

1. Observe screen during scan to ensure that image produced is satisfactory for diagnostic purposes, making adjustments to equipment as required. importance 4.9 of 5
2. Decide which images to include, looking for differences between healthy and pathological areas. importance 4.9 of 5
3. 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. importance 4.9 of 5
4. Observe and care for patients throughout examinations to ensure their safety and comfort. importance 4.9 of 5
5. Provide sonogram and oral or written summary of technical findings to physician for use in medical diagnosis. importance 4.9 of 5
6. Select appropriate equipment settings and adjust patient positions to obtain the best sites and angles. importance 4.9 of 5
7. Determine whether scope of exam should be extended, based on findings. importance 4.8 of 5
8. Obtain and record accurate patient history, including prior test results or information from physical examinations. importance 4.8 of 5
9. Coordinate work with physicians or other healthcare team members, including providing assistance during invasive procedures. importance 4.8 of 5
10. Prepare patient for exam by explaining procedure, transferring patient to ultrasound table, scrubbing skin and applying gel, and positioning patient properly. importance 4.8 of 5
11. Record and store suitable images, using camera unit connected to the ultrasound equipment. importance 4.6 of 5
12. Perform clerical duties, such as scheduling exams or special procedures, keeping records, or archiving computerized images. importance 4.6 of 5
13. Clean, check, and maintain sonographic equipment, submitting maintenance requests or performing minor repairs as necessary. importance 4.5 of 5
14. Supervise or train students or other medical sonographers. importance 4.5 of 5
15. Perform medical procedures, such as administering oxygen, inserting and removing airways, taking vital signs, or giving emergency treatment, such as first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). importance 4.3 of 5
16. Maintain stock and supplies, preparing supplies for special examinations and ordering supplies when necessary. importance 4.2 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Assisting and Caring for Others, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates and Controlling Machines and Processes.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Process and code film from procedures and complete appropriate documentation.

Knowledge areas: Physics, Medicine and Dentistry, Customer and Personal Service, Biology and English Language.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: MEDITECH software, eClinicalWorks EHR software, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Medical procedure coding software, Patient medical record software. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists an associate's degree as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists no typical on-the-job training once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 3 of 5 (medium preparation). Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become an ultrasound tech.

Most ultrasound techs surveyed by O*NET (67%) name an associate's degree as the education the job requires.

Job title: Ultrasound Tech
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring an Ultrasound Tech to produce ultrasonic recordings of internal organs for use by physicians.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- 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.
- Provide sonogram and oral or written summary of technical findings to physician for use in medical diagnosis.
- Select appropriate equipment settings and adjust patient positions to obtain the best sites and angles.
- Determine whether scope of exam should be extended, based on findings.
- Obtain and record accurate patient history, including prior test results or information from physical examinations.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists an associate's degree as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in active listening, speaking and reading comprehension
- Working knowledge of Physics and Medicine and Dentistry
- [Software your team uses, e.g. MEDITECH software or eClinicalWorks EHR software]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $96,590 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $46.44. BLS estimates about 90,160 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of ultrasound techs to grow 13.9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 6,000 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full ultrasound tech salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real ultrasound tech posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Observe screen during scan to ensure that image produced is…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only ultrasound tech work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (active listening and speaking); ultrasound tech interview questions turns them into practice questions.