Be An Ultrasound Technician! Echocardiography is a Hot Job! Make 55K To Start!
55K Per Year for an Echocardiographer
Echocardiography is a hot career! With the starting salary of 55K per year in some areas, echocardiography (an ultrasound specialty) is a career to be considered. A two year ultrasound tech training program is standard, but there are online ultrasound technician schools that offer programs that take as little as 12 months.
A Cardiac Echo
I was sent by my doctor for a cardiac echo. It is a procedure designed to identify abnormalities of the heart, valves, etc. It can be performed with or without contrast material. There is no pain involved in the procedure and it can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. The echo tech was a woman about my age and we started talking about her job. She said she loved it and that it afforded her the ability to be job secure and to support herself and her children.
I asked her what kind of education was required to become a certified echocardiographer and she told me that she had completed a two year echocardiography program through a community college and because she works for a large medical group, her starting salary was roughly $55,000.00 per year with great benefits.
I have been employed in the medical field for 30 some years on the administration side and I am always interested in current medical careers. If I was just starting out in the field, I would definitely have considered this field. The cost of becoming a cardiac echocardiographer varies greatly depending upon your choice of study mode. The cost of this field of study at a community college can be as little as $3000.00 per year (roughly $6,000.00 total) or as great as $18,000.00 at a vocational school. There are online programs also, but before investing money in an online program, make sure it is an accredited program.
A Growing Field with Job Security
Perhaps the most important reason to consider the field of echocardiograpy is because it is a growing field and with our aging population, the need will exist for a long time to come. It is exciting to me when I see opportunity in rough economic times. It took me many years of working in the medical field to earn $55,000.00 a year. If I were looking for a new career that is also a lucrative career, this is the one I would probably choose. When deciding what job you want, you should consider not only the need for the job, the amount of money you will earn, but also the initial financial investment you will have to make. Depending on the type of program you choose, this investment could bring an enormous return.