Train to Enter the Lucrative Field of Sonography as an Ultrasound Technician
Jobs are hard to come by in Montana as they are in an uncertain economy all over America. However, one job that you can count on to pay you big bucks is that of an ultrasound technician in Montana. The Governor’s Office of Economic Development in Montana recently issued a statement which indicates that the healthcare industry in that state is growing at a much faster rate than other industries. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics now forecasts a job growth of 58 percent for sonographers through the year 2020.
Favorable Job Market for Sonographers in Montana
If you plan to begin training as an ultrasound technician in Montana, a favorable job market awaits you upon graduation. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that Montana ranks as the number one state in the nation with regard to sonographers’ job growth. Sonography programs are expensive for schools to operate, but you can contact one of the many Montana ultrasound technician schools or other technical healthcare schools that offer ultrasound technician training.
Make a List of Questions about Ultrasound Technician Training
Prepare a list of questions you want the schools to answer before calling for information. Be organized and share with school representatives any concerns that you may have about the courses they offer. Remember to ask about scholarships or financial aid to cover school expenses. Check out whether there are any distance learning sonography programs where you can enroll to take courses online in Montana.
What Ultrasound Technicians Do
Ultrasound technicians image organs and other structures of the inner body with the use of equipment utilizing sound wave technology. Images captured by technicians help physicians to diagnose and then monitor diseases and abnormalities as well as other medical conditions. Technicians prepare patients for ultrasound procedures and help to interpret images.
Ultrasound Technician Training Degree
A student who plans to embark on a career as an ultrasound technician is typically required to pursue and complete an Associate Degree in Sonography, which is a two-year training program. Some ultrasound technician programs do offer a certificate in this discipline that requires training that sometimes lasts from 12 to 18 months.
Job Responsibilities
Sonographers use a rather small transducer device to explore a patient’s skin near the body area that will be imaged. The transducer is responsible for transmitting and receiving sound and sends high frequency sound waves that then bounce off internal body structures. Students learn that some of their duties will include performing invasive procedures, which will require them to be compassionate as they work with critically ill or healthy people.
Other important duties that ultrasound technicians perform include providing a written or oral summary of technical findings so that the physician can render medical diagnoses. A technician must use independent judgment to extend the area of the body being scoped based on the diagnostic findings.
Salaries
Varying salaries are paid in different states, and the geographic location where new employees work will determine the wages they receive. Technicians who have been working in the field for many years are apt to earn higher salaries than newcomers to the field. When sonographers remain in their jobs for several years, they are rewarded with promotions such as senior techs that command higher annual salaries. Average salary for an ultrasound technician in Montana is approximately $64,000. In some cases, salaries exceed $68,000 per year in the state.
In-Demand Career as an Ultrasound Technician
Ultrasound technician jobs are always available in Montana since there is a great demand for those jobs. As in other states, sonography jobs can be found where prior experience is not a requirement. Some employers reportedly hire inexperienced technicians and then offer them proper training in their workplaces.
Contact sonography organizations that offer examinations and job information in the field among which are:
• The American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography.
• UltrasoundJOBS.com.
• Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography.
• The Society for Vascular Ultrasound.
• The American Society of Echocardiography.