Overview
Most people are familiar with Asheville as the home of the great Biltmore Estate and gardens that George Vanderbilt built in 1895. However, there is much more to Asheville in Buncombe Country, including the Asheville Museum of Art, the music venue live nationally renowned called The Orange Peel and the River Arts District. Diagnostic medical sonographers in Asheville will also appreciate the fact that healthcare is a driving industry for the best jobs in Buncombe County.
Sonography Student Education in Asheville, North Carolina
One of the first things employers look for when reviewing sonography job applicants is the ARDMS record. The fastest educational path to earning this credential is to attend a diagnostic medical sonography program that is currently accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Programs (CAAHEP). If the program is not accredited by CAAHEP or the Canadian Medical Association, graduates will still be required to work for one year in a clinical setting before they are allowed to take the ARDMS exams for sonography certification. Scholarships are available through professional associations such as the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (SDMS) to help with the full cost of education.
Asheville has a CAAHEP-accredited program in 2014 at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College. Students who complete the program’s training requirements gain eligibility to take the ARDMS exams for general and vascular concentrations. Asheville sonography students are part of a local community of more than 6,000 diverse students who attend area colleges and universities.
Salary and Job Outlook for Sonographers in Asheville, North Carolina
As of May 2013, diagnostic medical sonographers in Asheville, North Carolina, earned close to what sonographers earned nationally. Asheville’s median hourly rate was $31.70 or $65,940 annually according to the Department of Labor. Equivalent national rates were $32.29 per hour or $67,170 annually for less than 2 percent difference compared to Asheville rates.
Asheville’s economy remained level in the years following the recession, but recent job outlook surveys indicate that the health industry is growing and will provide some of the best short- and long-term job prospects. The University of North Carolina reviewed employment trends and indicated that the service sector will contribute the majority of statewide job gains between 2008 and 2018, with health care being one of the strongest industries. Some of the biggest job increases in Asheville will be in physician offices, which also have the highest annual wages in the health care and medical services field.
Best Accredited Diagnostic Medical Sonography School in Asheville, North Carolina
School Name: Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College
Address: 340 Victoria Street
Zipper: 28801
Contact Person: Chastity Coates Case
Contact phone: (828) 254-1921
Programs Available: CAAHEP-accredited associate degree programs (including general sonography and vascular sonography)
Study ultrasound in nearby cities
You can find accredited ultrasound technician schools in the following nearby cities:
- Sylva, North Carolina
- Hudson, North Carolina
- Greenville, South Carolina
- Monroe, North Carolina
Take ultrasound education in nearby states
The following nearby states have accredited ultrasound programs as of 2014:
- Virginia (5 schools)
- South Carolina (2 schools)
- Tennessee (5 schools)