Everything About Diagnostic Medical Sonography Salaries in NJ

January 17, 2020

If you’re reading this, you’ve probably given substantial thought to becoming a diagnostic medical sonographer (DMS) in New Jersey. Whether you’ve just graduated from high school or are already an allied healt/hcare professional, there’s a lot to consider.

From ultrasound tech salary expectations to job growth to certification requirements, we’ve compiled all the research to make an educated decision about your future career.

What Does a Diagnostic Medical Sonographer Do?

A sonographer (or ultrasound tech) is responsible for taking accurate, high-quality ultrasounds of a patient’s insides. Depending on where they work, their job can also include:

  • Prepping and explaining procedures to patients
  • Keeping ultrasound equipment in perfect working order
  • Telling the difference between normal and abnormal images
  • Capturing and presenting scans to the medical team
  • Working alongside doctors and radiologists to decipher ultrasound images
  • Lending a hand during biopsies (e.g. guiding needles)

What Is an Average Ultrasound Tech Salary in New Jersey?

New Jersey residents – and those thinking about moving to the state – will be happy to learn that salaries and opportunities for diagnostic medical sonographers are booming here. What sort of career is waiting for qualified sonographers?

In 2018, the average full-time diagnostic medical sonographer in New Jersey pulled in $77,000 (a little less than $37.00 per hour). That’s about $30,000 more than the national average salary for all American workers.

Of course, that’s just the average. In fact, the top 10% of DMS techs in New Jersey can expect to command upwards of $100,000!

Of course, allied healthcare salaries always depend on the location. On average,DMS techs in physicians’ offices typically make around $72,000 each year, while those working in outpatient care centers can stand to earn over $88,000.

What Are Ultrasound Technologist Salaries Like in the Region?

New Jersey sonographers stand to receive great wages, but how do neighboring states compare?

Moving back up the Atlantic seaboard, certified diagnostic medical sonographers in New York average just under $75,000, which is on par with New Jersey. The lowest salary in the area is in Pennsylvania (at $66,440), followed by Delaware ($72,200), and Maryland ($75,200). The highest RDMS salary in the region goes to Connecticut, with a whopping $82,300.

Obviously, the state and city you live in plays a major role in average salaries. That’s why we’ve created a blog on where to find the best sonographer salaries in the country.

How Is the DMS Tech Job Market in New Jersey?

New Jersey provides around 2,800 diagnostic sonography jobs, which is a solid amount of opportunity for the size of its population.

Many of these opportunities are located in the New York City metro area (though every general hospital in the state has a need for professionals with alliedhealth training. If you’re looking in NYC, the area has the highest employment level for ultrasound techs in the country. Out of those 5,000 DMS careers, 3,320 of them are based in the New Jersey-New York metropolitan area.

Where Do Diagnostic Medical Sonographers Work?

The majority of diagnostic medical sonographers are employed by either state or local medical hospitals. You can also find a variety of opportunities at private practices, diagnostic laboratories, and substance abuse or psychiatric clinics. You may even find yourself working in a fertility clinic or juvenile oncology center.

Wherever you decide to work, you’ll be depended on to provide expertise to pinpoint the health issues that are troubling patients.

How to Become a Diagnostic Medical Sonographer

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There are multiple methods to kickstart your career in the diagnostic medical sonography field, and future techs can choose between obtaining a DMS degree or certificate. Becoming a diagnostic medical sonographer takes different lengths of time and money, and depends on each course. These differences, however, mean that there’s a perfect fit for every student.

DMS Tech Certificate Programs

An increasingly popular method of becoming a diagnostic medical sonographer is via a certificate program. This is also usually the shortest route for learners. Most ultrasound tech students complete their studies within 2 to 3 years (with a required clinical internship).

Diagnostic Medical Sonography Certification

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When they successfully finish their accredited sonography program, students may be eligible to take a variety of sonography certification exams. The American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) offers certification for several specialties including Abdomen (AB) and Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN).Being certified through ARDMS will make you a much stronger job candidate and should help provide a much higher-paying salary.

The Sky’s the Limit for Diagnostic Medical Sonographers

With credentials in one or more sonography specialties, sonographers are able to choose from a wider range of employers – and receive even higher salaries.In addition to Abdomen (AB) and Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN), ultrasound techs can specialize in the following:

  • Adult Echocardiography
  • Neurosonology
  • Vascular Technology
  • Fetal Echocardiography
  • Pediatric Echocardiography
  • Breast Sonography
  • Pediatric Sonography

Jumpstart Your Ultrasound Technologist Career Today

Looking for an allied health certification program that takes less than 2 years to complete? Contact an AIMS Education representative to get the ball rolling. You’ll learn everything you need to know to become an allied health professional in this exciting field.