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Imaging

Sonographer salary in California

Open sonographer jobs in California post a median of $66 an hour, the middle half $55–$79.25 (about $137,300 a year full time), $16.75 above the national posted median. From 96 jobs at 31 employers that state their pay.

$66
Median posted /hr
$55–$79
Middle half /hr
$137,300
A year, full time
estimate, 2,080 hours
$61.79
BLS median in CA
May 2025

The jobs themselves: Sonographer jobs in California · Sonographer pay nationwide

What sonographers are paid in California

Each bar counts the open jobs posting an hourly rate in its step of pay (a range at its midpoint).

Posted hourly rates of 96 open jobs in California. Lowest posted $25, highest $116.40.

Posted on open jobs in California

$55–$79.25/hr

Middle half of 79 employer rates (each employer's advertised range once), median $66. 73% of the 131 open sonographer jobs in California state an hourly rate.

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Sonographer pay by town in California

Towns where at least three open jobs state an hourly rate, the towns with the most such jobs first.

TownMedian postedPosted rangeJobs (employers)
Los Angeles$63$25–$95.3210 (3)
Palo Alto$89.75$48.25–$116.406 (3)
San Diego$72.25$57.74–$91.076 (3)
Santa Rosa$76.25$61.90–$95.975 (3)
Oakland$90$61.89–$116.404 (2)
Madera$64.50$50.30–$87.904 (1)
Modesto$74.25$25–$95.303 (2)
Rancho Mirage$54.25$35.50–$68.653 (2)

Median of employers' rates in the town, the lowest and highest rate posted, and the jobs and employers behind them. A town opens its own job page.

Sonographer pay by employer in California

What each employer posts for sonographers here, the employers with the most jobs stating pay first.

EmployerMedian postedPosted rangeJobs stating pay
Kaiser Permanente$84.50$51.03–$95.3216
Sutter Health$82$61.89–$116.4012
Cedars-Sinai$62$25–$84.089
Valley Children's Healthcare$64.50$47.82–$87.907
Providence$69.75$48.79–$89.236
CommonSpirit Health$62.75$30.10–$89.606
Stanford Medicine Children's Health$87.25$77.90–$96.045
MarinHealth$79$57.04–$101.544
Scripps Health$73.25$59.81–$91.074
Sharp HealthCare$66$53.57–$76.033
Stanford Health Care$73$48.25–$100.162
Eisenhower Health$55.50$43.05–$68.652
Loma Linda University Health$55$46.15–$63.952
John Muir Health$97.25$81.60–$112.981
Alameda Health System$78.50$78.541
Montage Health$76.50$65.45–$87.521
HealthTrust Workforce Solutions$62$621
Kaweah Health$59.25$47.35–$71.031
Community Memorial Hospital - Ventura$55$45.95–$63.961
San Antonio Regional Hospital$54.50$45.19–$63.591
Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center$51.75$43.01–$60.521
Lompoc Valley Medical Center$50.75$42.73–$58.911
Bass Medical Group$50$30–$701
Marshall Medical Center$49.75$44.23–$55.291
Emanate Health$48.50$48.501
Prime Healthcare$46.75$40.54–$52.891
Tia$42$36–$481
Eisenhower Imaging Center$40.25$35.50–$451
RadNet$32.50$25–$401
Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties$27.75$27.731
Tenet Healthcare$26.75$25–$28.361

Median of each employer's jobs in California (a range at its midpoint), and its lowest and highest rate here. An employer's name opens its pay for sonographers nationwide when it has such a page.

Best-paid open sonographer jobs in California

The open jobs posting the highest hourly rates tonight, at most two from one employer.

What BLS measures in California

What people employed in the occupation earned in the state, at every level of experience, from the BLS survey. A posting advertises what a new hire is offered.

Hourly wages, BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, California. Each figure opens its BLS page.
BLS occupation10th pct25th pctMedian75th pct90th pctEmployed
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (29-2032)$30.24 (source: BLS OEWS, Diagnostic Medical Sonographers, opens in a new tab)$47.84 (source: BLS OEWS, Diagnostic Medical Sonographers, opens in a new tab)$61.79 (source: BLS OEWS, Diagnostic Medical Sonographers, opens in a new tab)$77.20 (source: BLS OEWS, Diagnostic Medical Sonographers, opens in a new tab)$85.47 (source: BLS OEWS, Diagnostic Medical Sonographers, opens in a new tab)10,110 (source: BLS OEWS, Diagnostic Medical Sonographers, opens in a new tab)

BLS median by metro area

Sonographer salary in California: common questions

How much does a sonographer make in California?

Open sonographer jobs in California that state an hourly rate post a median of $66, the middle half $55–$79.25 (96 jobs from 31 employers). Full time that is about $137,300 a year. BLS measured a median of $61.79/hr ($128,530 a year) for people employed in the occupation in California (May 2025).

Where in California do sonographers earn the most?

By the median rate open jobs post, in the towns with the most jobs stating pay: Los Angeles ($63), Palo Alto ($89.75), San Diego ($72.25) and Santa Rosa ($76.25). The town table lists 8.

Which employers in California pay sonographers the most?

Among employers stating a rate on at least three open jobs here: Stanford Medicine Children's Health ($87.25), Kaiser Permanente ($84.50) and Sutter Health ($82).

How does California compare with the rest of the country?

The posted median in California ($66) is $16.75 above the national posted median of $49.25. In the BLS survey California ranks 1 of 52 by median wage.

Where do these figures come from?

From the pay open jobs state, read every night from each employer's own job board: 96 of 131 open sonographer jobs in California (73%) state an hourly rate. No pay is estimated for a job that states none; "up to" ceilings and weekly travel rates are left out.

Sonographer pay in other states

Sonographer salary nationwide →Every healthcare salary →

Sources and method

Only pay a job states is used, a range at its midpoint. In the state's median and middle half each employer's advertised range counts once, so an employer posting one range in many towns does not set the figure; a town's median follows the same rule. "Up to" ceilings, weekly travel rates and rates far from the occupation's median are left out. A state has a page while at least 8 jobs from 3 employers state a rate there. The yearly estimate is the hourly rate times 2,080 hours. BLS figures are as published.
  1. CareJobs.Now job board: the pay open jobs state, read nightly from each employer's own careers site, published October 24, 2026
  2. BLS OEWS May 2025: Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (SOC 29-2032), every state, published May 15, 2026
  3. BLS OEWS May 2025: Diagnostic Medical Sonographers, national, published May 15, 2026
  4. BLS OEWS May 2025: Diagnostic Medical Sonographers by metropolitan area, published May 15, 2026

Cite this page

CareJobs.Now. (2026). Sonographer salary in California. Data as of October 24, 2026. https://carejobs.now/salaries/sonographer/california

How the board counts