New York Ultrasound Tech Programs

New graduates celebrate with their families at their nursing commencement ceremony.

How to Become a Sonography in New York - Sonography Programs in New York

Sonography is when sound waves are transmitted from the body to a machine in order to make an accurate picture of what is going on inside the body. While x-rays can show doctors a lot of things, there are even more things that they can't show. For those times, the doctor will order a sonogram to be performed. The sonographer applies a gel to the part of the body that needs to be imaged and then they use a special wand to move around on that part of the body. The result is an image on a monitor that will show the sonographer the organs or the inside of the body where the sonogram is taking place.

There are different areas that a sonographer can seek specialization in. There are, of course, sonographers who are used in the OB/GYN area of medical care, but there are also sonographers that work in other areas of the body. There are abdominal sonographers who take images of the abdominal area and the organs around it. There are also neurosonographers who deal with the nervous system and the brain. Breast sonographers do sonograms of the breast area to check for masses and abnormalities. Finally, there are musculoskeletal sonographers who are used to look for deep muscle and tissue damage. A sonographer can work in one or more of these fields.

For New York residents who want to work in sonography, they need to get at least an associate's degree in the field. This will take about two years to complete and will consist of classroom work and practicum experience with a sonographer. You may also find colleges that have bachelor's degree programs in sonography, but a bachelor's degree is not required. All you need is an associate's degree and certification and licensure in the State of New York in order to work as a sonographer.

With the way the economy is going and how much it costs to live in New York, the amount of money you can make as a sonographer will play a big part in your decision to pursue this course of study. The average annual salary is somewhere between $60,000 and $67,000 in the State of New York. Sonographers who work at major hospitals in places like New York City will likely be in a higher earning bracket than those who work in smaller cities. Always research the salaries for sonographers around your area before you decide whether you want to relocate to a larger city in New York to work.

New York State Board of Nursing
Education Bldg.
89 Washington Avenue
2nd Floor West Wing
Albany, NY 12234
Phone: (518) 474-3817
Fax: (518) 474-3706

New York State Nurses Association

• New York State Department of Health