Diagnostic medical sonographers
SOC Code: 29-2032
Diagnostic medical sonographers carries a 48% AI exposure score (High automation risk), with a median annual wage of $89,340 and +13.0% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 90,000 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 48% AI exposure, Diagnostic medical sonographers sits 11 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 84% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
67/100
Diagnostic medical sonographers, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage A- $89,340
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth A+ +13.0%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) F 48% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Diagnostic medical sonographers in the High band.
Credential × growth standing
Associate / award entry with a named growth shelf
Entry credential Associate / award covers 99 of 832 occupations; BLS places this one in Fast growth (67/832). Mid-credential standing - thicker than graduate shelves, thinner than HS-dominated mass.
Where Diagnostic medical sonographers sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Diagnostic medical sonographers sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
48% Higher than most higher than 84% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Diagnostic medical sonographers vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Diagnostic medical sonographers is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Diagnostic medical sonographers's High automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score in the 40–70% range indicates meaningful automation pressure on specific task categories, but the role as a whole still requires human judgment for coordination, exception handling, or client interaction.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 29-2032) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Diagnostic medical sonographers be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Diagnostic medical sonographers. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Observe screen during scan to ensure that image produced is satisfactory for diagnostic purposes, making adjustments to equipment as required.
- 2. Observe and care for patients throughout examinations to ensure their safety and comfort.
- 3. Provide sonogram and oral or written summary of technical findings to physician for use in medical diagnosis.
- 4. Select appropriate equipment settings and adjust patient positions to obtain the best sites and angles.
- 5. Operate ultrasound equipment to produce and record images of the motion, shape, and composition of blood, organs, tissues, or bodily masses, such as fluid accumulations.
- 6. Decide which images to include, looking for differences between healthy and pathological areas.
- 7. Prepare patient for exam by explaining procedure, transferring patient to ultrasound table, scrubbing skin and applying gel, and positioning patient properly.
- 8. Determine whether scope of exam should be extended, based on findings.
- 9. Obtain and record accurate patient history, including prior test results or information from physical examinations.
- 10. Maintain records that include patient information, sonographs and interpretations, files of correspondence, publications and regulations, or quality assurance records, such as pathology, biopsy, or post-operative reports.
Key Skills Required
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Active Learning
- Time Management
- Writing
- Science
Knowledge Areas
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Physics
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Administrative
- Computers and Electronics
- Psychology
- Education and Training
- Public Safety and Security
- Mathematics
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Diagnostic medical sonographers?
Diagnostic medical sonographers has an AI exposure score of 48%, indicating a high level of automation risk. Some tasks in this role can be augmented or partially automated by AI, but core responsibilities require human judgment.
What is the job outlook for Diagnostic medical sonographers?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Diagnostic medical sonographers is projected to grow by 13.0% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 90,000 workers.
What skills are needed for Diagnostic medical sonographers?
Key skills for Diagnostic medical sonographers include Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, and others. Typical entry-level education is Associate's degree.
How much do Diagnostic medical sonographers earn?
The median annual wage for Diagnostic medical sonographers is $89,340, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Diagnostic medical sonographers?
The typical entry-level education for Diagnostic medical sonographers is Associate's degree. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves None. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Diagnostic medical sonographers?
Diagnostic medical sonographers roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
High automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. A moderate share of tasks may be augmented by AI tools.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Diagnostic medical sonographers: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (48% here).
- Computer hardware engineers · AI exposure 48%
- Earth drillers, except oil and gas · AI exposure 48%
- Electronics engineers, except computer · AI exposure 48%
- Occupational health and safety technicians · AI exposure 48%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+13.0% here).
- Medical equipment repairers · growth +12.9%
- Computer numerically controlled tool programmers · growth +12.8%
- Forensic science technicians · growth +12.8%
- Orthotists and prosthetists · growth +13.3%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 14 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Diagnostic medical sonographers' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Diagnostic medical sonographers side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).