Are you thinking about becoming an ultrasound technician in West Virginia? If the answer is “yes”, you’ll have the opportunity to enter one of the most-popular careers in the region. The position of diagnostic medical sonographer and ultrasound technician doesn’t have extensive prerequisites, training and certification prerequisites can often be completed within 12 to 24 months, and may serve as a helpful initial step towards higher-level positions in the healthcare industry across West Virginia.
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Becoming an ultrasound technician in West Virginia
The four-step process to become an ultrasound technician in West Virginia is detailed below.
Step 1: Complete your high school diploma or G.E.D.
Get your High School diploma or GED and you fulfill step 1.
Step 2: Sign-up for an accredited ultrasound technician school
Below are the accredited ultrasound tech programs in the state of West Virginia.
West Virginia University Hospital Departments of Rad Tech and Nutrition Medical Ctr Dr Morgantown WV 26506-8062 304-598-4251 Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician
BridgeValley Community & Technical College 2001 Union Carbide Dr South Charleston WV 25136 304-734-6600 Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician
University of Charleston 2300 MacCorkle Avenue, SE Charleston WV 25304 304-357-4800 Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician
Step 3: Graduate from the training program and all required training hours
Completing a formal course is required to become an ultrasound tech. Successfully taking this step requires you to finish the mandated number of hours of hands-on clinical instruction specified by your course.
You are not eligible to sit for any certification examination until you have finished all of the mandatory hours.
Step 4: Get your RDMS certification
The three main national certification examinations recognized in West Virginia. For more information on them andto see what is on the RDMS examination itself click on the link here.
Ultrasound technician salary and jobs in West Virginia
There’s a higher than average demand for ultrasound techs around the U.S. and in West Virginia. Whereas the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects a 23% growth in brand new positions for ultrasound techs nationwide through the year 2026, the agency expects to witness a 29% in West Virginia. The majority of new opportunities are likely to be created in physicians offices and hospitals across West Virginia. The remainder of openings should arise in the state and federal government job market. Regardless of the job environment, these opportunities will likely allow for significant time learning under the direction of specialized medical personnel, physicians and various other jobs the ultrasound tech may want to eventually advance into. To view income statistics for West Virginia by region and county, feel free to check out the table below. All the statistics used comes from the website of bls.gov.
| Location | Pay Type | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Hourly | $23.39 | $33.49 | $47.64 |
| Yearly | $48,660 | $69,650 | $99,100 | |
| West Virginia | Hourly | $20.99 | $27.68 | $36.41 |
| Yearly | $43,660 | $57,570 | $75,740 | |
| Winchester, VA-WV MSA | Hourly | $25.90 | $39.25 | $48.27 |
| Yearly | $53,870 | $81,630 | $100,400 | |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division | Hourly | $23.04 | $36.90 | $48.76 |
| Yearly | $47,920 | $76,750 | $101,420 | |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV MSA | Hourly | $24.95 | $32.74 | $41.88 |
| Yearly | $51,900 | $68,100 | $87,110 | |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH MSA | Hourly | $21.63 | $29.49 | $38.07 |
| Yearly | $45,000 | $61,340 | $79,180 | |
| Morgantown, WV MSA | Hourly | $22.84 | $29.23 | $37.65 |
| Yearly | $47,510 | $60,790 | $78,320 | |
| Wheeling, WV-OH MSA | Hourly | $21.24 | $27.84 | $36.16 |
| Yearly | $44,180 | $57,910 | $75,220 | |
| North Central West Virginia BOS | Hourly | $20.70 | $27.56 | $34.48 |
| Yearly | $43,050 | $57,320 | $71,730 | |
| Charleston, WV MSA | Hourly | $20.64 | $27.21 | $35.71 |
| Yearly | $42,930 | $56,600 | $74,270 | |
| Southern West Virginia BOS | Hourly | $20.43 | $26.76 | $34.31 |
| Yearly | $42,490 | $55,650 | $71,370 |