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Should I major in Radiology or Sonography?
I'm a high school senior and I'm looking into either radiology or sonography and I'm looking to compare the pros and cons of both. Should I major in Radiology or Sonography?
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Téa’s Answer
Hi there! For sonography (ultrasound/US tech) vs radiography (xray/XR tech), it really depends on your preferences & what you're looking for. I only do sonography, so I'm biased to that.
COMPARISONS:
~ The minimum needed for both is an Associate's degree & both tend to be in high demand. XR tech jobs are estimated to grow at least 4.3-6%, while US is at least 11-13% - meaning both are growing & jobs will be available, but US will grow more.
~ These are just estimates, but XR techs in Ohio make $15.08-70.85 per hour. US techs in Ohio make $16.91-72.21 an hour. Pay will depend on what city, where you work, years of experience, etc.
~ In XR you deal with radiation & produce static images of denser tissues & bone structures, while US deals with sound waves (ultrasound physics) & you obtain live/real-time imaging of typically soft tissue structures & organs.
~ Both XR & US can be very physically demanding, but a big con for US is that up to 90% of US techs suffer from some kind of work-related injury because of the physical demands. I've still met US techs who don't currently have those kinds of injuries, but it's something anyone considering sonography should know.
~ I can't speak for XR schooling, but 'general' sonography involved learning A LOT of information since you perform multiple types of ultrasounds. For my program, my professors warned us that it'd be 4 years-worth of information squished into 2 years. Despite that, I felt like this was very worth it in terms of job opportunities & knowledge.
~ If a US tech accidentally misses an abnormality, like a tumor/mass, & doesn't take pictures of it, then the doctor might miss it too (unless the patient gets other imaging). US techs also make their own preliminary report for exams, which doesn't make the diagnosis but we still describe what we think we're seeing. I've seen both of these aspects scare people away from sonography. While XR techs still need to properly position patients, they take images of the whole area.
The XR / radiologic technologists I know started off with performing xrays, got a limited license, worked as a limited XR tech before graduation, later passed the ARRT exam & got fully licensed, & then most of them branched out into different specialties, like CT, MRI, Ultrasound, and/or Mammography. You can stay doing XR only, but your options will be more limited. Some states require a license in addition to ARRT certification. I've also heard it's important to go to an ARRT certified program, though for some states you may also want to look into JRCERT accredited programs.
I've stayed with just sonography because I felt like I had enough job options with that alone. I went to a CAAHEP accredited program for sonography, which made it easy to take the required board exams for certifications & get a US tech job after graduation. The route I went: after passing the Sonography Principles and Instrumentation (SPI) exam, I passed ARDMS's abdomen board exam to get my Abdomen credential. I plan on passing more ARDMS board exams for additional credentials, too. Depending on the workplace, more credentials = more pay. US techs can get other credentials in OB/GYN, Abdomen, Breast, Musculoskeletal (MSK), Vascular (RTV), etc. Also, even though I only have my abdomen credential so far, my program was for 'general' sonography & I work as a 'general' US tech. This means I still scan other types of ultrasounds other than just for the abdomen, like breast, pregnant (OB)/non-pregnant pelvis, thyroid & other glands, veins, arteries, miscellaneous lumps/bumps, etc. & assist with US-guided procedures, like biopsies & draining fluid. Some US techs may specialize too, like working as a vascular (RVT) US tech or focusing on OB/GYN at an MFM clinic (Maternal Fetal Medicine). I could still specialize later if I wanted, but I like the variety of scans I get as a general US tech. However, some sonography programs will have a wait time, so ask about that if you find a program you're interested in.
Now if by "Radiology" you're actually asking about being a Radiologist, that's a medical doctor specializing in radiology & image-guided procedures. While XR & US techs take images, Radiologists make the actual diagnoses & reports using that imaging. So, they have much more responsibility than XR/US techs. For example, if a US tech takes an image of a mass but fails to mention it in their preliminary report, it's still on the Radiologist to diagnose & point it out.
This will tell you the difference between ARRT & ARDMS: https://amsc.edu/whats-the-difference-between-spi-ardms-and-arrt/
Search for ARRT certified schools for radiography: https://www.arrt.org/pages/about-the-profession/learn-about-the-profession/recognized-educational-programs
Search for JRCERT accredited programs for radiography: https://www.jrcert.org/find-a-program/
Search for CAAHEP accredited programs for sonography: https://www.caahep.org/students/find-an-accredited-program
COMPARISONS:
~ The minimum needed for both is an Associate's degree & both tend to be in high demand. XR tech jobs are estimated to grow at least 4.3-6%, while US is at least 11-13% - meaning both are growing & jobs will be available, but US will grow more.
~ These are just estimates, but XR techs in Ohio make $15.08-70.85 per hour. US techs in Ohio make $16.91-72.21 an hour. Pay will depend on what city, where you work, years of experience, etc.
~ In XR you deal with radiation & produce static images of denser tissues & bone structures, while US deals with sound waves (ultrasound physics) & you obtain live/real-time imaging of typically soft tissue structures & organs.
~ Both XR & US can be very physically demanding, but a big con for US is that up to 90% of US techs suffer from some kind of work-related injury because of the physical demands. I've still met US techs who don't currently have those kinds of injuries, but it's something anyone considering sonography should know.
~ I can't speak for XR schooling, but 'general' sonography involved learning A LOT of information since you perform multiple types of ultrasounds. For my program, my professors warned us that it'd be 4 years-worth of information squished into 2 years. Despite that, I felt like this was very worth it in terms of job opportunities & knowledge.
~ If a US tech accidentally misses an abnormality, like a tumor/mass, & doesn't take pictures of it, then the doctor might miss it too (unless the patient gets other imaging). US techs also make their own preliminary report for exams, which doesn't make the diagnosis but we still describe what we think we're seeing. I've seen both of these aspects scare people away from sonography. While XR techs still need to properly position patients, they take images of the whole area.
The XR / radiologic technologists I know started off with performing xrays, got a limited license, worked as a limited XR tech before graduation, later passed the ARRT exam & got fully licensed, & then most of them branched out into different specialties, like CT, MRI, Ultrasound, and/or Mammography. You can stay doing XR only, but your options will be more limited. Some states require a license in addition to ARRT certification. I've also heard it's important to go to an ARRT certified program, though for some states you may also want to look into JRCERT accredited programs.
I've stayed with just sonography because I felt like I had enough job options with that alone. I went to a CAAHEP accredited program for sonography, which made it easy to take the required board exams for certifications & get a US tech job after graduation. The route I went: after passing the Sonography Principles and Instrumentation (SPI) exam, I passed ARDMS's abdomen board exam to get my Abdomen credential. I plan on passing more ARDMS board exams for additional credentials, too. Depending on the workplace, more credentials = more pay. US techs can get other credentials in OB/GYN, Abdomen, Breast, Musculoskeletal (MSK), Vascular (RTV), etc. Also, even though I only have my abdomen credential so far, my program was for 'general' sonography & I work as a 'general' US tech. This means I still scan other types of ultrasounds other than just for the abdomen, like breast, pregnant (OB)/non-pregnant pelvis, thyroid & other glands, veins, arteries, miscellaneous lumps/bumps, etc. & assist with US-guided procedures, like biopsies & draining fluid. Some US techs may specialize too, like working as a vascular (RVT) US tech or focusing on OB/GYN at an MFM clinic (Maternal Fetal Medicine). I could still specialize later if I wanted, but I like the variety of scans I get as a general US tech. However, some sonography programs will have a wait time, so ask about that if you find a program you're interested in.
Now if by "Radiology" you're actually asking about being a Radiologist, that's a medical doctor specializing in radiology & image-guided procedures. While XR & US techs take images, Radiologists make the actual diagnoses & reports using that imaging. So, they have much more responsibility than XR/US techs. For example, if a US tech takes an image of a mass but fails to mention it in their preliminary report, it's still on the Radiologist to diagnose & point it out.
Téa recommends the following next steps:
Hi Tea! Are you able to include the sources for your statistics?
Sharyn Grose, Admin
Certainly! For XR & US tech hourly wage estimates, I used https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Radiology-X-Ray-Technician-Salary--in-Ohio#Hourly and https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Ultrasound-Technician-Salary--in-Ohio#Hourly . Though the job growth projection rates were from a variety of websites like https://www.bls.gov/ (us bureau of labor statistics).
Téa C.
Kazi Rubayee
Oriental medicine health professional, Acupuncturist, Holistic health practitioner
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Kazi’s Answer
Both are solid and respected paths in healthcare.
Let's break it down to help you make up your mind.
Radiology field; 2 years as an associate, easy entry.
What you are doing: X-rays, CT scan.
Sonography: using sound waves for imaging
2-4 years of education. More competitive admission
Both have strong demand and stable salaries.
If you like machines, technology, and interacting with patients, both would be a good option.
Some people start with radiology and then later get certified in sonography.
Best,
Let's break it down to help you make up your mind.
Radiology field; 2 years as an associate, easy entry.
What you are doing: X-rays, CT scan.
Sonography: using sound waves for imaging
2-4 years of education. More competitive admission
Both have strong demand and stable salaries.
If you like machines, technology, and interacting with patients, both would be a good option.
Some people start with radiology and then later get certified in sonography.
Best,