SalaryExplorer

SOC 29-2032 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Diagnostic Medical Sonographers — Cedar Rapids

Cedar Rapids, IA · 6 metro areas compared

$86,480 /year
$41.58per hour
70jobs in area
−10.5%vs US median

The median wage for Diagnostic Medical Sonographers in Cedar Rapids, IA is $86,480 per year, 10.5% below the national median of $96,590.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $96,59010TH$79,260MEDIAN$86,48075TH$99,79090TH$106,220

How pay has moved

$90,925$64,2552019202020212022202320242025$86,480
$71,520 in 2019 to $86,480 in 2025, +20.9% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to grow much faster than average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
+13.0%
Openings per year
5,800
Typical entry-level education
Associate's degree

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Cedar Rapids, IA.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

The median wage for Diagnostic Medical Sonographers in Cedar Rapids, IA is $86,480 per year, 10.5% below the national median of $96,590. Half of workers earn between $81,550 and $99,790. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $79,260 and the ninetieth at $106,220.

The area has 70 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 0.5 of every thousand jobs. Within the state, Des Moines records the highest median at $87,080. Of the 391 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 64th.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Cedar Rapids, IA · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$79,260−17.9%
25th$81,550−15.6%
Median (50th)$86,480−10.5%
75th$99,790+3.3%
90th$106,220+10.0%
Mean$90,570−6.2%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in Iowa

Median annual wage for Diagnostic Medical Sonographers, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Des Moines$87,080170
2Iowa City$86,94090
3Davenport$82,870100
4Ames$82,11030
5Sioux City$81,45040
6Waterloo$80,62040

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Cedar Rapids run 11.0% below the national average, so the median of $86,480 goes as far as $97,169 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 0.6% above the national median in real terms.

Published median

$86,480as reported by BLS

Local price level

89.0US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$97,169US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $86,480 a year, 10.5% below the national median.
  • Published pay spans $79,260 to $106,220 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 70 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Des Moines, at $87,080.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Diagnostic Medical Sonographers in Cedar Rapids, IA?

The median annual wage is $86,480, or $41.58 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.

Is that higher than the national average?

The national median for this occupation is $96,590, so pay in Cedar Rapids, IA is 10.5% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.

What do the top earners make?

The top tenth of this occupation in Cedar Rapids, IA earns more than $106,220 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $79,260 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.

Which area nearby pays the most?

The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Des Moines, at $87,080 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 70 jobs in this occupation in Cedar Rapids, IA. Self-employed workers are not included.

Source and methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.

Diagnostic Medical Sonographers Salary in Cedar Rapids, IA (2025): $86,480 Median | Salary Explorer