Hiring guideRead at source, 29 September 2026

How to Recruit Ultrasound Technicians: Where to Find Sonographers and How to Win Them

To recruit ultrasound technicians, recruit employed sonographers, not job seekers: BLS projects only about 6,000 openings a year nationally, so most good candidates already have a job. Advertise on social where they scroll, lead with schedule, call and pay, name the exam types and credential you need (for example RDMS or equivalent), and build a pipeline with local sonography programs through clinical rotations. Keep the application short and call within the day.

Who you are recruiting

“Ultrasound technician” is the title employers and candidates search for; BLS calls the occupation diagnostic medical sonographers, and all figures here are for that occupation. BLS counted 92,200 sonographers in 2025 and projects 105,100 by 2035, a 13.9 percent increase, with about 6,000 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections 2025-35). The typical entry-level education is an associate’s degree, and the May 2025 median annual wage was $96,590 (BLS, May 2025 median annual wage).

Use both titles in your ads. Some working sonographers prefer “sonographer” to “tech,” while candidates and hiring managers often search “ultrasound tech.” A headline like “Sonographer (Ultrasound Tech)” covers both. Our ultrasound technician job description has duties, specialties and a template.

Credentials: what to verify and how to write it

BLS notes that two- and four-year colleges offer sonography degree programs and that certificate programs are also available from colleges and some hospitals. It also says employers “may require or prefer” professional certification and that “some diagnostic medical sonographers need a state-issued license” (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). Requirements vary by state, so check your state before you write the posting.

The most common credential is the ARDMS Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (RDMS), which requires passing the Sonography Principles and Instrumentation (SPI) exam plus one specialty exam, such as abdomen, breast, fetal echocardiography, OB/GYN or pediatric sonography (ARDMS). Other bodies also certify sonographers, so write “RDMS or equivalent” unless your accreditation or payer contracts name one credential. If you will hire a registry-eligible graduate, say so, and say how long they have to earn the credential.

Where to find ultrasound technicians

• Employed sonographers in your area. With a small national pool, your best candidates are working at another hospital or imaging center. They will not see a job board post, but they will see a Facebook or Instagram ad that names a better schedule.
• Sonography programs. Offer clinical rotation sites to local programs. Students who rotate with you are the easiest hires you will make, and the program director is a referral source every graduation.
• Adjacent imaging staff. Radiologic technologists and other imaging staff sometimes cross-train into sonography. If you fund that path, advertise it. See our radiology technologist job description for that neighboring role.
• PRN and former sonographers. People who stepped back for family or burnout may return for a part-time, no-call schedule.
• Referrals from your own team. Sonographers know each other from school and rotations. A referral bonus paid at 90 days is worth offering.

Meta employment ads run in a special ad category with no age, gender or ZIP code targeting and a 15-mile minimum radius (details). For a scarce credential, a steady campaign across your commuting radius works better than a short burst.

What to pay ultrasound technicians

The BLS median is $96,590, and pay differs by setting; the job description page lists BLS medians by industry. Check local postings, then decide where you compete: base rate, call pay and shift differentials, sign-on or relocation, or paid credential exams and continuing education. Put the number you are willing to pay in the ad. Sonographers compare offers carefully and skip postings without a range.

How to write the ultrasound technician ad

A working sonographer checks the schedule and call first, then the exam mix and daily volume, then pay. Answer those in the first lines. Sample headlines:

• “Sonographer (Ultrasound Tech): outpatient, no call, weekends off.”
• “General and vascular sonographer, four 10s, new equipment, paid CE.”
• “New grad sonographers: registry-eligible welcome, exam fees paid.”

Name the specialties (abdomen, OB/GYN, vascular, echo), whether the role includes portables and emergency work, and any ergonomic equipment you provide.

Screening questions for a mobile application

• Do you hold RDMS or an equivalent sonography credential, or are you registry-eligible? (knockout if you require it)
• Do you hold any state license your state requires for this role? (knockout only where your state licenses sonographers)
• Which specialties do you scan? (multiple choice; not a knockout)
• Which schedule works for you: days, evenings, call? (routes the candidate, not a knockout)

Every extra question lowers completion. In Boostpoint’s benchmark the apply experience explains 70 percent of the variation in cost per applicant, so ask only what you need to call someone back.

Speed and follow-up

A sonographer who applies is usually talking to more than one employer. Call or text the same day, let the hiring lead or lead sonographer make that first contact, and offer a shadow shift. Text recruiting helps you reach a candidate who is mid-shift and cannot take a call.

What an ultrasound technician applicant costs on Meta

Sonographers fall in the Allied health / imaging role family in Boostpoint’s 2026 Social Job Advertising Benchmark. That family ran a median of $54.37 per applicant, a middle half from $10.27 to $106.51, a volume-blended $25.49 and a 10 percent apply rate. The width of that band shows how much the application and the offer matter for credentialed roles. Cost per applicant is not cost per hire. See the benchmark and our healthcare recruiting hub.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 and May 2025 median annual wage (diagnostic medical sonographers, SOC 29-2032); BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Diagnostic Medical Sonographers; ARDMS, RDMS credential; Boostpoint 2026 Social Job Advertising Benchmark. Read at source 29 September 2026.