If you’re wondering how much an ultrasound tech makes in Mississippi, you’re in the right place. We’ve got all the information you need to know about ultrasound tech salaries in the state.
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Job Description
An ultrasound tech, also called diagnostic medical sonographer, is a trained health professional who uses special equipment to create images of the human body. In most cases, the images are used by physicians to help them diagnose patients’ medical conditions. Ultrasound techs typically work in hospitals, clinics, and doctor’s offices, but some may also work in research facilities.
What do they do?
An ultrasound tech, also called a diagnostic medical sonographer, is a trained medical professional who uses diagnostic imaging equipment to produce images of the human body. Ultrasound images are used by physicians to diagnose and treat medical conditions.
The vast majority of ultrasound techs work in hospitals, but some may also work in outpatient clinics, diagnostic imaging centers, or in other healthcare settings. In addition to producing images, ultrasound techs may also be responsible for record-keeping, patient preparation, and basic patient care.
Most ultrasound tech programs take between two and four years to complete and result in an associate’s degree or a certificate. Some states require ultrasound techs to be licensed or certified, although this is not always the case.
What are the hours like?
Full-time ultrasound techs in Mississippi work an average of 40 hours per week. Many employers also offer part-time and evening shifts to accommodate the schedules of working students and those with other commitments. The nature of the job usually requires overtime on occasion, which may be paid at time-and-a-half or double pay rates.
What is the work environment like?
In most cases, ultrasound technicians work in hospital radiology departments or diagnostic imaging centers. They may be called upon to work in other settings as well, such as outpatient clinics, physicians’ offices, or mobile units that travel to provide services to patients in rural areas.
Education and Training
You can become an ultrasound technician, or sonographer, with either an Associate’s or a Bachelor’s degree in medical sonography. There are also a number of certificate programs available. Some employers may require certification, but it is not always a requirement.
What education is needed?
In most cases, a diagnostic medical sonographer will need to have at least an Associate’s degree from an accredited two-year program in diagnostic medical sonography. Many employers prefer applicants to have a Bachelor’s degree, and some positions may require a Master’s degree.
Diagnostic medical sonographers can choose to pursue certification through the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS). Certification is not required for all positions, but it may be preferred or even required by some employers. The ARDMS offers several different credentialing options in ultrasound, including Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (RDMS), Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer (RDCS), and Registered Vascular Technologist (RVT).
What training is required?
While there are some limited certificate and associate degree programs available, most employers prefer to hire applicants who have completed a formal educational program in diagnostic medical sonography. These programs are typically offered at the bachelor’s or master’s level, though a few community colleges offer two-year associate degree programs. Many of these programs are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRC-DMS).
Bachelor’s degree programs in diagnostic medical sonography typically take four years to complete and include coursework in anatomy, physiology, and medical ethics, as well as hands-on clinical training. Master’s degree programs usually take two years to complete and often include research components.
After completing an accredited educational program, graduates must obtain certification from a professional organization such as the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) or the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT). Most states also have licensure requirements for ultrasound technicians.
What are the certification and licensing requirements?
In order to work as an ultrasound technician in Mississippi, you will need to earn certification from the ARDMS or CCI. The ARDMS offers the Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (RDMS) credential, which has three examination tracks: abdomen, breast, and obstetrics/gynecology. The CCI issues the Registered Cardiac Sonographer (RCS) credential. To qualify for either of these exams, you will need to complete an accredited ultrasound program and meet professional experience requirements. Once you have passed your exam, you will need to obtain a state license.
In Mississippi, licensing is handled by the Board of Medical Licensing. The board requires ultrasound technicians to complete a criminal background check and submit proof of certification from the ARDMS or CCI. You will also need to submit a completed application and fee. Once your license has been issued, it will need to be renewed every two years.
Salary
The average salary for an Ultrasound Technician in Mississippi is $65,000 per year. This is 10% lower than the average Ultrasound Technician salary in the United States.
What is the average salary?
As of May 2019, the average annual salary for an ultrasound tech in Mississippi was $68,120, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is slightly lower than the national average salary for ultrasound techs, which was $71,750 as of May 2019.
What are the salary ranges?
In order to get an idea of how much an ultrasound tech makes in Mississippi, it is important to consider the salary ranges for this profession. Ultrasound techs in Mississippi make a mean annual wage of $74,540, which is slightly lower than the national mean annual wage for this occupation of $78,790. The lowest 10 percent of earners in this occupation bring home an annual wage of $53,410 or less, while the highest 10 percent of earners make an annual wage of $96,490 or more.
What are the factors that affect salary?
The bureau reports that the median hourly wage for ultrasound technicians was $33.65 in May of 2019. However, wages can vary widely based on experience, geographical location, type of employer and more.
Here are some factors that can affect how much an ultrasound tech makes:
-Experience: As with most careers, ultrasound technicians who have more experience tend to earn higher salaries than those who are just starting out. entry-level techs earned a median hourly wage of $28.38 in 2019, while those at the top of their field earned $43.92 per hour.
-Geographical location: Wages for ultrasound techs can vary a great deal depending on where they work. Those in California, for example, earn a median hourly wage of $45.38, while those in Mississippi make $26.69 per hour on average.
-Type of employer: Ultrasound techs who work in hospitals tend to earn higher salaries than those who work in other settings, such as diagnostic imaging centers or physicians’ offices.
-Specialty: Ultrasound techs who specialize in a particular area of medicine (such as cardiology or obstetrics) may be able to command higher salaries than those who do not specialize.
Job Outlook
The median annual wage for diagnostic medical sonographers was $67,530 in May 2019. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $47,180, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $94,030.
What is the job outlook?
The job outlook for ultrasound technicians is positive, with an expected growth rate of 24% between 2016 and 2026. This is much faster than the average growth rate for all occupations. The demand for ultrasound technicians is being driven by the aging baby boomer population, who are more likely to need diagnostic imaging procedures as they age.
What are the job prospects?
The job outlook for ultrasound techs in Mississippi is strong. The state is expected to see an 18% growth in the number of jobs for this profession between 2016 and 2026, which is much faster than the average growth rate for all occupations. This means that there will be plenty of job opportunities for those who are qualified.
What are the trends affecting job growth?
Employment of healthcare occupations is projected to grow 14 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations, adding about 2.4 million new jobs. Healthcare occupations are projected to add more jobs than any of the other occupational groups. This projected growth is mainly due to an aging population, which is expected to lead to greater demand for healthcare services.
As the baby-boom population ages and people live longer, there will be greater demand for healthcare services. The growing prevalence of chronic conditions, such as diabetes and obesity, will also contribute to the demand for diagnostic imaging and other medical procedures that ultrasound techs perform.
