If you wonder whether there is a difference between an Ultrasound Technician and a Radiologist, we are here to make things clear by providing you with the necessary comparison of these two careers.
As you are interested in this field, you have probably seen ultrasound technician schools, programs, careers, types of facilities you can work in, and many of them mention the field of radiology in comparison.
You need to know that these two fields use completely different technology, but at the same time, both of these professionals use imaging techniques as a primary tool for their diagnosis.
Ultrasound utilizes sound waves while the radiologist uses a variety of tools, including x-rays, ultrasound, radionuclides, and other methods to help diagnose the patients’ disease.
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Ultrasound vs Radiology Salary
Besides getting a proper education, when you are interested in some career field, you want to know how much you may earn.
In case you think about those who have just got started and took an entry-level position, you have to bear in mind that they cannot expect a huge salary as those with experience get.
Radiologists are doctors, which can earn a significantly higher salary, in the range of physicians and surgeons, but to reach this position, you will need to reach a graduate-level education and consider medical schools.
However, an ultrasound tech vs. radiology tech salary is a little bit closer, with sonographers coming in a little higher nationally.
The salary is affected by the work you will perform once you get hired.
When a person thinks about an ultrasound technician, they match him/her with the images of fetuses.
But this is not the only duty that these professionals perform.
If you train as an ultrasound tech or take a sonography program, you can work in multiple areas, such as a cardiac focused clinic where you will have to support physicians to analyze images of patients’ hearts, vessels, and surrounding areas.
Another place where you can work in vascular or abdominal-focused care, or you can work in OB/GYN and spend your time watching the smiles on expecting mothers as you perform their sonograms.
Taking images will not be your only task, as you may have to perform other duties, including measurements and calculating information that helps the physician better understand the patient’s condition.
So as to qualify for certification as a sonographer or ultrasound tech, you will need to devote 18 months.
You can either choose an online or on-campus program.
Online ones are designed for working students as they give them more options.
In order to suit all kinds of students, traditional programs are offering a mix of online coursework.
Many programs include internship opportunities at the end to give the student clinical experience.
Radiology has many different areas you can choose to focus on: Diagnostic, Oncology, Neuroradiology, Nuclear Radiology, and Pediatric Radiology to mention a few.
When choosing which one to take, you should have in mind that it takes a lot longer to become a radiologist than it does to become an ultrasound technician.
It may require that you complete four years of undergraduate studies, four years of medical school, and spend about four years in residency compared to an 18-month program that is needed so as to become an ultrasound tech.
How to Become a Radiology Tech
More and more people nowadays are eager to become either a radiology technician or an ultrasound technician.
Those who have a long-term plan of working as a radiologist should look at tech programs first and decide whether they want to get a certificate, Associate’s, or Bachelor’s degree.
The curriculum will cover patient care procedures, radiation protection, imaging, radiobiology, ethics, and other related topics.
Those who wish to become ultrasound technicians or work as diagnostic medical sonographers should start getting information about their future studies by calling schools that accept students or contact organizations that help current and future sonographers with their careers.
- Career development
- Radiology vs. Sonography: What's the Difference?
By Indeed Editorial Team
Published January 22, 2021
The Indeed Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and subject matter experts equipped with Indeed's data and insights to deliver useful tips to help guide your career journey.
There are several career paths within the field of healthcare, with two popular choices being a job in sonography or radiology. Professionals who work in these fields are not doctors or nurses, but are technicians who specialize in either radiology or sonography. Both professions are essential to helping doctors diagnose and treat diseases and conditions. In this article, we'll explore what radiology and sonography are, how they differ, what radiology technicians and sonography technicians do and the requirements and salary for each career path.
What is radiology?
Radiology is a specialty within the medical field that interprets images of the organs in the body for use in the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. Radiologists are trained medical doctors who specialize in interpreting the medical images created with radiology technology, while radiology technicians are responsible for using the radiology equipment and producing the images for review.
Radiology is used in nearly every field of health care, including obstetrics, infectious disease, emergency medicine, surgery and pediatrics. Common equipment and tools used in radiology include:
Mammograms
Fluoroscopy
Computed tomography (CT) scans
Radiographs
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Ultrasounds
Nuclear medicine
Teleradiology
Interventional radiology
What does a radiology technician do?
Radiology technicians are healthcare professionals who specialize in utilizing radiology equipment. Some radiology technicians specialize in certain techniques such as mammography or interventional radiology. Typical duties of radiology technicians include:
Maintaining and operating radiology equipment and tools
Using computerized equipment to capture radiology images
Preparing patients for radiology examinations by placing them in the correct positions and ensuring they are protected from harmful radiation exposure
Preparing and injecting radiopharmaceutical agents into patients before radiology examinations
Assisting physicians in performing treatment procedures like a stent insertion or angioplasty
Administering therapeutic doses of radiation for the treatment of cancer in patients
Preparing imaging results for physician review
Radiology technicians work in a variety of environments, including in hospitals, physicians' offices and laboratories. The exact duties of these professionals will vary based on their place of employment.
Read more: Learn About Being a Radiology Technician
What is sonography?
Sonography is a medical procedure that utilizes high-frequency sound waves, or ultrasound, to create visual images of tissue, organs and blood flow in the body. This medical test works by bouncing these sound waves off of various structures within the body to produce an image. Sonography also involves the use of a transducer, which is a tool that sends out ultrasound waves and listens for an echo within the body.
Sonograms, which are the images produced by sonography tests, are used to see the shapes and sizes of various structures in the body. The more dense and hard the tissue is, the more the sound waves will bounce off of the structures and the brighter the sonogram image will be. Sonography is used to assess the shapes and sizes of bodily structures to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions such as appendicitis, gallstones, kidney disease, ovarian cysts and liver disease.
Related: FAQ: Your Guide to Sonography as a Career
What does a sonography technician do?
A sonography technician, or more commonly referred to as an ultrasound technician, is a specially trained medical professional who can operate and use sonography equipment. Other job titles for this type of position include diagnostic medical sonographer, ultrasound tech and sonographer. These professionals work directly with doctors and patients and perform ultrasound diagnostic testing on patients to produce images used by a doctor. Sonographers may choose to specialize in a particular area of medicine, such as cardiac, obstetric and gynecologic, vascular or breast sonography.
Common duties of a sonography technician include:
Preparing the exam room and equipment used for conducting sonography exams
Positioning patients before and during the sonography exam
Helping radiologists with ultrasound-guided techniques as needed
Identifying and recording the corresponding pathology and anatomy found using sonography equipment
Performing troubleshooting on sonography equipment and reporting equipment failure
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Creating reports based on the results of the sonography scan
Informing the medical team of any abnormalities found during the sonography test
Related: Learn About Being an Ultrasound Technician
Differences between radiology and sonography
The following are the primary differences between radiology and sonography:
Technology
A key difference between these two medical fields is the technology that's used in each. Radiology involves the use of a number of different types of technology including those that involve radiation such as CT scans and MRIs. Sonographers utilize ultrasound, or high-frequency sound waves to create images of inside the body. Sonography does not involve the use of radiation.
Diagnostic uses
Radiology and sonography also differ in how they are used for diagnostic purposes. Radiology encompasses a much broader range of abilities and can therefore be used in various settings to diagnose a number of different issues. Common instances in which radiology would be used include to diagnose cancer, malformations and broken bones. Sonography focuses more on specific body parts, including breasts, the vascular system, the heart, the abdomen and the musculoskeletal system. Common uses of sonography included throughout a women's pregnancy to monitor the fetus and to check on heart function with an echocardiogram.
Protection protocols
Radiation involves a heightened level of protection protocols compared to sonography. This is because radiation can be harmful to some individuals and in some situations, such as during pregnancy. Sonography does not require these safety protocols and is generally safe for use on anyone.
Requirements and salary of radiology technicians
Aspiring radiology technicians must complete a formal education program in radiology to pursue this career. Both associate and bachelor's degrees are available that offer education and training in radiology. Once this program is completed, radiology technicians must pass a certification exam as provided by their state or through The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT).
The average annual salary of a radiology technician working in the United States is $60,568 per year. This number is based on 7,500 salaries reported to Indeed as of January 16, 2021.
Requirements and salary of sonography technicians
Sonography technicians must hold a certification, college degree, license or another credential in diagnostic medical sonography. Many sonagraphers choose to pursue a certification, as these programs can typically be completed in a year or less. There are also several sonography educational programs available that are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).
While certification isn't mandatory, many ultrasound technicians choose to get certified to show employers their level of competence in the field. Most employers require sonography techs to hold a certification. There are several organizations that offer certifications for sonographers, including the Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI), the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) and the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS).
The average national salary for ultrasound technicians in the United States is $38,516 per year. This number is based on 2,700 salaries reported to Indeed as of January 15, 2021.