Job Opportunities

Job opportunities are expected to be favorable. Some employers report difficulty hiring sufficient numbers of Ultrasound technicians . Imbalances between the demand for, and supply of, qualified workers should spur efforts to attract and retain qualified Ultrasound technicians . As an example of such efforts, employers may provide more flexible training programs or improve compensation and working conditions.

Ultrasound technicians who also are experienced in more complex diagnostic imaging procedures, such as CT or MRI, will have better employment opportunities, as employers seek to control costs by using multiskilled employees.

Employment of Ultrasound technicians is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2012, as the population grows and ages, increasing the demand for diagnostic imaging. Although healthcare providers are enthusiastic about the clinical benefits of new technologies, the extent to which they are adopted depends largely on cost and reimbursement considerations. For example, digital imaging technology can improve quality and efficiency, but remains expensive. Some promising new technologies may not come into widespread use because they are too expensive and third-party payers may not be willing to pay for their use.

Hospitals will remain the principal employer of Ultrasound technicians . However, a greater number of new jobs will be found in offices of physicians and diagnostic imaging centers. Health facilities such as these are expected to grow rapidly through 2012, due to the strong shift toward outpatient care, encouraged by third-party payers and made possible by technological advances that permit more procedures to be performed outside the hospital. Some job openings also will arise from the need to replace technologists who leave the occupation.