Best Sonography & Ultrasound Programs in California (2026)

Quick answer: Diagnostic medical sonographers in California earn a median of $128,530 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). This page lists accredited diagnostic medical sonographer schools in California with local wage data and median graduate earnings for each school.

Several training options serve diagnostic medical sonographer students in California, from short certificates to longer hands-on programs. For context, the state median annual wage for this occupation is approximately $128,530 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

California Quick Facts

MetricValueSource
State median annual wage$128,530BLS OEWS, May 2025
California pay range (10th to 90th percentile)$62,890 to $177,780BLS OEWS, May 2025
Top-paying California metro for this fieldSan Jose, CA, $173,150BLS OEWS, May 2025
National job outlook (2024 to 2034)+13.0% growth, about 5,800 openings per yearBLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
State employment10,110 workersBLS OEWS, May 2025
California location quotient0.96BLS OEWS, May 2025

Explore the Diagnostic medical sonographer Career

What You’ll Find Below

The school listings below are sorted by proximity to Programs. Each entry includes the school name, address, and the credentials offered. Use the California figures above as a reference point when comparing program length, schedule, and tuition.

How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention. Advertising plays no part.

This page lists 12 schools within 134 miles, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 12 of them carry a score.

Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%

Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.

#1

Healthcare Career College

Paramount, CA 132.1 miles away BOC Score 72.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Programs offered: 13
  • Annual completions: 788
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $37,765 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Casa Loma College-Los Angeles

Sherman Oaks, CA 106.7 miles away BOC Score 69.4
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 69.4% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 7
  • Annual completions: 150
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $72,581 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Smith Chason College

Los Angeles, CA 119.8 miles away BOC Score 63.1
Tuition $19,040 - $39,461
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 64.0%
  • Programs offered: 6
  • Annual completions: 812
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $65,533 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

CBD College

Los Angeles, CA 119.8 miles away BOC Score 58.4
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 71.9% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 9
  • Annual completions: 499
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $54,889 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

Integrity College of Health

Pasadena, CA 117.5 miles away BOC Score 55.4
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 64.3% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 7
  • Annual completions: 68
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $56,250 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

Platt College-Los Angeles

Alhambra, CA 121.5 miles away BOC Score 54.3
Tuition $14,922 - $32,164
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 62.8%
  • Programs offered: 15
  • Annual completions: 361
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $44,565 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

ATI College-Whittier

Whitter, CA 133.9 miles away BOC Score 49.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Programs offered: 5
  • Annual completions: 58
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $41,595 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#9

American Medical Sciences Center

Glendale, CA 114.2 miles away BOC Score 45.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 72.7% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 2
  • Annual completions: 154
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $42,467 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#10

National Polytechnic College

Lakewood, CA 133.9 miles away BOC Score 43.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 7
  • Annual completions: 135
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $42,752 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#11

San Joaquin Valley College-Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA 26.5 miles away BOC Score 39.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 52.4% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 23
  • Annual completions: 769
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $42,211 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#12

High Desert Medical College

Lancaster, CA 93.9 miles away BOC Score 38.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 67.0%
  • Programs offered: 15
  • Annual completions: 1467
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $35,943 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

Sonographer Pay and Job Outlook

Annual Wage by Percentile, United States - Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers annual wage percentiles, BLS OEWS May 2025P10 $67820, P25 $80430, P50 $96590, P75 $106930, P90 $129370.10th$67,82025th$80,43050th (median)$96,59075th$106,93090th$129,370
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers annual wage percentiles
PercentileAnnual wage
10th$67,820
25th$80,430
50th (median)$96,590
75th$106,930
90th$129,370
Projected employment growth, United States, Diagnostic Medical Sonographers, 2024-2034
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers employment 2024 vs 2034 projection, BLS Employment Projections2024 employment 90000; 2034 projected employment 101700; percent change +13.0%.202490,000 jobs2034 (proj.)101,700 jobsChange: +13.0%
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers employment projection 2024 to 2034
YearEmployment
202490,000
2034 projected101,700
Percent change+13.0%

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does diagnostic medical sonographer training take in California?

Diagnostic medical sonographer certificate programs in California typically take 6 to 12 months of full-time study, while associate degree programs generally run about 2 years. Actual completion time depends on schedule (full-time vs. part-time) and any prerequisite coursework.

How much do diagnostic medical sonographers earn in California?

According to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), diagnostic medical sonographers in California earned a median annual wage of approximately $128,530. Pay varies with experience, certification, and employer; the 10th to 90th percentile range was approximately $62,890 to $177,780 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

How many diagnostic medical sonographer schools are in California?

The schools listed above are within about 800 miles of Programs. Compare them by tuition, program length, and the credential each one awards.


About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.

Data sources

Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.

DataProviderVintage
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMay 2025
Employment ProjectionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics2024-2034
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data SystemNational Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)2024
College Scorecard (school-level outcomes)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release
College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release (updated 2026-06-12)
Occupational licensing requirementsCareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2026-02-22)
Registered apprenticeship programsCareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2025-10-25)