Best Cities for Diagnostic Medical Sonographerss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where diagnostic medical sonographerss get the most value from their salary after accounting for cost of living. A score above 1.00 means better than national average.

How we calculate this: City Score = (Local Salary ÷ National Median) ÷ (Local Cost ÷ National Avg Cost). A score of 1.20 means 20% better purchasing power than average.

#	Location	Score	Raw Salary	Adjusted Salary	Rent/Income
1	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.49	$173,150	$144,052	22%
2	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.23	$128,420	$119,128	17%
3	OregonState	1.21	$120,220	$116,718	16%
4	CaliforniaState	1.20	$128,530	$116,107	21%
5	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.18	$129,960	$113,701	20%
6	HawaiiState	1.17	$124,430	$113,118	23%
7	MissouriState	1.17	$100,130	$113,014	12%
8	WashingtonState	1.17	$121,340	$113,085	19%
9	WisconsinState	1.15	$102,090	$110,607	13%
10	WyomingState	1.12	$100,650	$108,226	12%
11	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.12	$100,450	$108,244	15%
12	KansasState	1.11	$96,310	$107,011	13%
13	MinnesotaState	1.09	$102,850	$104,949	15%
14	MontanaState	1.08	$101,000	$104,772	13%
15	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.08	$103,570	$104,090	17%
16	IdahoState	1.07	$99,920	$103,544	14%
17	IllinoisState	1.07	$100,660	$103,347	16%
18	KentuckyState	1.07	$91,230	$103,085	13%
19	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.07	$98,650	$102,975	18%
20	ColoradoState	1.06	$108,410	$102,856	20%
21	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	1.06	$119,430	$102,515	23%
22	AlaskaState	1.05	$105,670	$101,314	16%
23	VermontState	1.05	$104,100	$101,561	16%
24	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.05	$98,810	$101,656	19%
25	ArizonaState	1.03	$100,040	$99,148	18%
26	MassachusettsState	1.03	$107,480	$99,060	25%
27	UtahState	1.03	$100,100	$99,900	18%
28	DelawareState	1.01	$98,530	$97,554	17%
29	District of ColumbiaState	1.01	$112,020	$98,005	23%
30	New HampshireState	1.01	$103,760	$97,887	18%
31	IowaState	1.00	$86,480	$96,951	13%
32	TexasState	1.00	$92,580	$96,841	18%
33	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.00	$109,200	$96,211	28%
34	ConnecticutState	0.99	$103,230	$95,939	18%
35	MaineState	0.99	$95,230	$95,421	16%
36	NevadaState	0.99	$95,980	$95,788	18%
37	ArkansasState	0.98	$81,500	$94,438	13%
38	New JerseyState	0.98	$103,150	$94,807	21%
39	New MexicoState	0.98	$87,210	$94,793	14%
40	OklahomaState	0.98	$83,670	$94,542	14%
41	IndianaState	0.97	$85,040	$93,967	15%
42	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.97	$98,890	$93,469	20%
43	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	0.97	$89,710	$93,254	21%
44	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	0.97	$105,290	$93,342	23%
45	New YorkState	0.96	$103,920	$92,373	21%
46	Rhode IslandState	0.96	$92,820	$92,358	19%
47	VirginiaState	0.96	$95,660	$92,425	20%
48	OhioState	0.95	$82,870	$91,670	15%
49	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	0.95	$88,940	$91,880	22%
50	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	0.95	$83,280	$91,316	18%
51	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.95	$94,640	$91,440	20%
52	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	0.95	$84,340	$91,674	19%
53	MarylandState	0.94	$99,210	$90,852	20%
54	NebraskaState	0.94	$82,670	$90,350	15%
55	North CarolinaState	0.94	$86,010	$91,112	18%
56	North DakotaState	0.94	$84,340	$91,080	14%
57	South CarolinaState	0.94	$83,290	$90,533	18%
58	West VirginiaState	0.94	$76,820	$91,235	13%
59	LouisianaState	0.93	$80,710	$89,578	16%
60	MichiganState	0.93	$82,490	$89,372	16%
61	MississippiState	0.93	$76,520	$90,236	14%
62	Columbus, OHMetro	0.93	$84,200	$90,053	18%
63	GeorgiaState	0.92	$83,250	$89,133	20%
64	South DakotaState	0.92	$80,820	$89,009	14%
65	TennesseeState	0.91	$80,640	$88,131	19%
66	PennsylvaniaState	0.88	$82,710	$85,268	19%
67	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	0.88	$78,740	$85,124	18%
68	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.86	$82,120	$83,371	25%
69	FloridaState	0.85	$82,940	$81,714	25%
70	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.82	$86,250	$79,493	28%
71	AlabamaState	0.81	$68,180	$78,278	17%

Data Sources: Salary: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS). Cost of Living: BEA Regional Price Parities (2024). Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2025).