The Average Salary for Echocardiography
As of May 2008, the average annual salary earned by echocardiography professionals or echocardiographers was $48,640, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The lowest-paid 10 percent of professionals in the field earned $25,510 or less, while the highest-paid 10 percent earned $74,760 or more. A number of factors influence the average salary earned by an individual echocardiographer, such as geographic location, education level and work experience.
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Work Experience
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An echocardiographer's salary depends largely upon how much work experience she has in the field, according to reports published on the PayScale website as of May 2010. Those with one to four years of experience received median hourly wages of $20.64 to $27.14 or roughly $42,931 to $56,451 per year based upon a 40-hour workweek. The median salary range for five to nine years of experience was $49,753 and $62,088. From years 10 to 19, echocardiographers' salaries featured a median range of $89,114 to $114,920 annually.
Employer Type
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The structure or type of employer that an echocardiographer worked for also influenced his annual salary as of May 2010, according to PayScale. The median hourly rates of professionals employed by hospitals ranged from $22.24 to $29.97 or $46,259 to $62,337 per year, based on a 40-hour workweek. Those working for private practices received salaries with a median range of $45,468 to $65,894. Incorporated companies paid annual wages with a median range of $47,923 to $57,678.
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Industry
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In May 2008, industry also influenced the average income of an echocardiographer, reports the BLS. Offices of medical practitioners other than physicians, like chiropractors, were one of the highest-paying for professionals in the field at average annual salaries of $59,580. Medical and diagnostic laboratories paid echocardiographers an average of $58,080 per year, while outpatient care centers averaged salaries of $48,090. Echocardiography professionals working for local government agencies received average annual salaries of $48,140.
Education
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Education and certifications also affected the average salaries earned by echocardiography professionals as of May 2010, explains PayScale. Echocardiographers with Associate of Applied Science degrees received hourly wages of $20.98 to $27.80 or $43,638 to $57,824 annually based on a 40-hour workweek. Those with Bachelor of Science degrees earned salaries with a median range of $59,446 to $67,724 per year. Echocardiographers who held Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer (RDCS) certification received annual salaries with a median range of $48,068 to $69,950.
Geography
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Where an echocardiographer lived and worked had an impact on her average salary as of May 2008, according to BLS. The states with the highest concentration of professionals in the field were Kentucky, Florida and Michigan, where sonographers averaged annual salaries of $40,800, $39,900 and $47,980, respectively. The highest-paying states for echocardiogaphers were California with an average annual salary at $56,440, Oregon at $58,680, Massachusetts at $59,040, Washington at $60,140 and New Jersey at $60,500.
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References
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