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Sonographers

ANZSCO ID 251214

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Overview

Snapshot

Employed
4,800
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
56%
Female Share
76%
Average age
39
About this data

Summary

Sonographers operate ultrasound equipment to acquire, interpret and selectively record anatomical images, physical data and real-time physiological information for medical diagnostic purposes in conjunction with Medical Practitioners.

Tasks

  • Receives referrals to perform medical imaging.

  • Determines appropriate equipment to use, and selects appropriate equipment settings to provide the diagnostic information requested by medical practitioners.

  • Calculates details of procedures such as length and intensity of exposure and settings of recording equipment.

  • Explains procedures to patients and answers their queries about processes.

  • Ensures patient's welfare during procedures.

  • Positions patients, screens and equipment preparatory to procedures.

  • Decides if images are satisfactory for diagnostic purposes and selects images to show medical practitioners.

  • Conveys findings of procedures to medical practitioners.

Characteristics

Job Type
Professionals
Skill Level
Very high skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
2512 Medical Imaging Professionals
Unemployment Rate
n/a
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • University
Interests
  • Practical
  • Analytical
  • Helping
Physical Demand
  • Sedentary
  • Light
  • Medium

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Medical Imaging Professionals, under the outlook section.

Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 56% of people employed as Sonographers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 10 percentage points below the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 41 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.

Industries

Main industries

1
Health Care and Social Assistance
97.4%
2
Public Administration and Safety
0.8%
3
Wholesale Trade
0.3%
4
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
0.3%
5
Other industries
0.8%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

33.4% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

20.5% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

23.6% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

8.4% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

9.7% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

1.8% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.8% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

1.8% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Sonographers All Jobs Average
NSW 33.4 31.6
VIC 20.5 25.6
QLD 23.6 20.0
SA 8.4 7.0
WA 9.7 10.8
TAS 1.8 2.0
NT 0.8 1.0
ACT 1.8 1.9


  • Around 64% of Sonographers live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.

    Queensland has a large share of employment relative to its population size.

    The regions with the largest share of workers are:

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.

Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
39
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
76%
All Jobs Average is 48%

  • The median age of Sonographers is 39 years. This is similar to the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.

    Females make up 76% of the workforce. This is 28 percentage points above the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Sonographers All Jobs Average
15-19 0.0 5.0
20-24 3.4 9.3
25-34 33.3 22.9
35-44 29.3 22.0
45-54 20.9 21.6
55-59 7.6 9.0
60-64 4.0 6.0
65 and Over 1.5 4.2
Median Age 39 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.

Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A postgraduate degree in medical sonography is needed to work as a Sonographer.

Registration with the Australasian Sonographer Accreditation Registry is required.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Sonographers All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 54.2 10.1
Bachelor degree 31.4 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 12.9 11.6
Certificate III/IV 0.2 21.1
Year 12 1.3 18.1
Year 11 0.0 4.8
Year 10 and below 0.0 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.

Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Medical Imaging Professionals who are caring and empathetic and can work well in a team, with the ability to communicate with a diverse range of people.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 57%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 55%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 52%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 50%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 48%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 46%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 46%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 46%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 45%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 45%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 45%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 45%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 45%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 45%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 43%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 43%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 43%

    Operation and control

    Controlling equipment or systems.

  • 43%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 41%

    Science

    Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

  • 36%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 80%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 59%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 56%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 55%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 54%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.

  • 52%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 51%

    Medicine and dentistry

    Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.

  • 50%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 45%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 42%

    Biology

    Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.

  • 36%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 35%

    Therapy and counselling

    Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.

  • 34%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 33%

    Philosophy and theology

    Philosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.

  • 31%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 29%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 29%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 29%

    Sociology and anthropology

    Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

  • 22%

    Foreign language

    Foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

  • 20%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 57%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 57%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 55%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 55%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 50%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 50%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 48%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 48%

    Control precision

    Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

  • 48%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 48%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 46%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 46%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 45%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 45%

    Manual dexterity

    Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

  • 45%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 43%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 43%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 41%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 41%

    Multilimb coordination

    Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.

  • 41%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 79%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 68%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 67%

    Helping and caring for others

    Providing personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.

  • 67%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 65%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 64%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 64%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 64%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 61%

    Handling and moving objects

    Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.

  • 61%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 61%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 60%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 59%

    Working with the public

    Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.

  • 58%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 57%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 57%

    Controlling equipment or machines

    Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).

  • 57%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 54%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 51%

    Doing physically active work

    Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.

  • 50%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 86%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 81%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 76%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 48%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 38%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 24%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.

  • 81%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 81%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 71%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 71%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 67%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 62%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:

  • 97%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 97%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 96%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 96%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 94%

    Making repetitive motions

    Spend time making repetitive motions.

  • 94%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 93%

    Repeating same tasks

    Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.

  • 90%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 89%

    Disease or infection

    Be exposed to disease or infections.

  • 89%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 86%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 86%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 85%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

  • 84%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 81%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 80%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 80%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

    Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.

  • 76%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 72%

    Angry or unpleasant people

    Deal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.

  • 71%

    Bending or twisting your body

    Spend time bending or twisting your body.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 29-2032.00 - Diagnostic Medical Sonographers.

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