AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 29-2032.00
Will AI replace Diagnostic Medical Sonographers?
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers: AI can already handle 2 of 20 tasks; the work mostly needs an efficient-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 20 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Diagnostic Medical Sonographers, from most to least exposed. 2 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Observe screen during scan to ensure that image produced is satisfactory for diagnostic purposes, making adjustments to equipment as required. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Maintain records that include patient information, sonographs and interpretations, files of correspondence, publications and regulations, or quality assurance records, such as pathology, biopsy, or post-operative reports. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Coordinate work with physicians or other healthcare team members, including providing assistance during invasive procedures. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Supervise or train students or other medical sonographers. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Observe and care for patients throughout examinations to ensure their safety and comfort. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Provide sonogram and oral or written summary of technical findings to physician for use in medical diagnosis. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Operate ultrasound equipment to produce and record images of the motion, shape, and composition of blood, organs, tissues, or bodily masses, such as fluid accumulations. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Select appropriate equipment settings and adjust patient positions to obtain the best sites and angles. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Decide which images to include, looking for differences between healthy and pathological areas. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Prepare patient for exam by explaining procedure, transferring patient to ultrasound table, scrubbing skin and applying gel, and positioning patient properly. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Determine whether scope of exam should be extended, based on findings. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Record and store suitable images, using camera unit connected to the ultrasound equipment. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Process and code film from procedures and complete appropriate documentation. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Perform clerical duties, such as scheduling exams or special procedures, keeping records, or archiving computerized images. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Perform legal and ethical duties, including preparing safety or accident reports, obtaining written consent from patient to perform invasive procedures, or reporting symptoms of abuse or neglect. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Perform medical procedures, such as administering oxygen, inserting and removing airways, taking vital signs, or giving emergency treatment, such as first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Clean, check, and maintain sonographic equipment, submitting maintenance requests or performing minor repairs as necessary. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Maintain stock and supplies, preparing supplies for special examinations and ordering supplies when necessary. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Load and unload film cassettes used to record images from procedures. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Obtain and record accurate patient history, including prior test results or information from physical examinations. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 20 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 20 of 20. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
An efficient-tier model or lower covers 81% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 91% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 9% is hands-on.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 90,160
- Median annual wage
- $96,590
- Middle half of earners
- $80,430 to $106,930
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +13.0%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians 68% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure36
- Radiologic Technologists and Technicians 66% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure36
- Radiologists 64% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure63
- Cardiologists 64% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure39
- Neurodiagnostic Technologists 62% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure28
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Diagnostic Medical Sonographers and AI
Will AI replace Diagnostic Medical Sonographers?
AI already handles 2 of the 20 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 34 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +13.0% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers?
34 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 20 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 20 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Diagnostic Medical Sonographers tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Observe screen during scan to ensure that image produced is satisfactory for diagnostic purposes, making adjustments to equipment as required; Maintain records that include patient information, sonographs and interpretations, files of correspondence, publications and regulations, or quality assurance records, such as pathology, biopsy, or post-operative reports. They are the tasks that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
An efficient-tier model or lower covers 81% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Diagnostic Medical Sonographers, and what do they earn?
90,160 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $96,590 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +13.0% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Diagnostic Medical Sonographers. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/diagnostic-medical-sonographers
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