The term “Bay Area” refers to the San Francisco Bay Area in northern California. The U.S. Census includes the counties of San Francisco, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Mateo, Solano, Napa and Sonoma. Ultrasound technicians have the option of working in a large city like San Francisco or in a more rural area like Napa County. California has been a leader in the national healthcare program implementation, offering enormous opportunities for future growth in sonographer positions.
Diagnostic Medical Sonography Education in the Bay Area
Some of the best ultrasound technician schools in or near the Bay Area (BA), are in Richmond which is 17 miles from San Francisco, and Los Altos Hills which is 39 miles from San Francisco. These are the ideal places to begin a program search because there are sonography schools accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Programs (CAAHEP) in the cities. The accreditation status is an important indication of quality content that prepares students, upon completing training requirements for a sonography diploma or a sonography certificate, to take the ARDMS exams and earn certification. Each school has a financial aid office that can help students locate sonography scholarships.
The BA has a thriving student population. There are over 110,000 students attending higher education facilities in the Bay Area counties, and enrollments are likely to continue growing after 2014.
Salary and Job Outlook for Sonographers in the Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area is large, incorporating 9 counties and a number of cities that include Santa Rosa, San Francisco and San Jose. The whole BA pays excellent annual salaries, and several of the Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) and divisions are listed as top paying areas as of May 2013 per the Bureau of Labor.
The average salaries are similar by MSA. For example, The Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA has an average annual salary of $97,090 or $46.68 per hour for Diagnostic Medical Sonographers. The highest paying area in the BA is the San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA MSA with average annual salaries of $111,700 or $53.70 per hour. All average salaries for sonographers in the Bay Area are close to or over $100,000 or $48.08 per hour.
Projected employment growth by county for the 2010-2020 period for sonographers is also excellent, ranging from 27 percent to 50 percent per the May 2013 federal occupational survey. Sonographers can expect to find ultrasound jobs in a variety of health care settings.
A List of Ultrasound Technician Schools in or Near the Bay Area in 2014
School Name: Kaiser Permanente School of Allied Health Sciences
Address: 938 Marina Way South
Zip: 94804
City: Richmond
Contact Person: Dorsey Ballow
Contact Phone: (510) 231-5083
Program: Certificate and Bachelors Degree
Accreditation: CAAHEP Accredited and ARRT Recognized
School Name: Community Regional Medical Center
Address: 2823 Fresno Street
Zip: 93721
City: Fresno
Contact Person: Joy Guthrie
Contact Phone: (559) 459-2731
Program: Certificate
Accreditation: CAAHEP
School Name: Foothill College
Address: 12345 El Monte Road
Zip: 94022
City: Los Altos Hills
Contact Person: Kathleen Austin
Contact Phone: (650) 949-7304
Program Certificate and Associates Degree
Accreditation: CAAHEP
School Name: Merced College
Address: 3600 M. Street, Mailstop 37
Zip: 95348
City: Merced
Contact Person: Cheryl Zelinksky
Contact Phone: (209) 384-6170
Program: Certificate
Accreditation: CAAHEP
