What an abdominal sonographer images, the exams they perform, the conditions those exams find, and the credentials and settings involved.
Abdominal sonography is the imaging of the organs inside the abdomen. It is one of the broadest and most common areas of general sonography, and it is often where students first learn to scan. An abdominal sonographer images solid organs, fluid-filled structures, and the large vessels of the abdomen, and frequently assists with image-guided procedures.
What it images
Abdominal studies cover the liver, the gallbladder and the biliary tree (the ducts that carry bile), the pancreas, the spleen, the kidneys and the rest of the urinary system, and the abdominal aorta and the great vessels behind the abdomen. The adrenal glands, the peritoneal cavity, and the abdominal wall are also assessed (ARDMS Abdomen content outline, 2017; AIUM abdominal practice parameter).
The common studies
- Complete abdominal ultrasound. A survey of the upper abdominal organs; a focus on the right upper quadrant — the liver and gallbladder — is the single most common request (ARDMS Abdomen content, 2017).
- Renal and urinary-tract ultrasound. Imaging of the kidneys and bladder.
- Aorta ultrasound. Screening and surveillance for an abdominal aortic aneurysm (this study is shared with vascular sonography).
- Liver elastography. An add-on that measures liver stiffness to assess scarring (fibrosis), increasingly common.
- Procedure assistance. Abdominal sonographers often assist with ultrasound-guided biopsies and fluid aspirations (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024).
The conditions it helps find
Abdominal ultrasound is the front-line test for gallstones and gallbladder inflammation (cholecystitis). It evaluates liver disease — hepatitis, fatty liver, cirrhosis, masses and cysts, and portal-vein clots — as well as pancreatitis and pancreatic masses, an enlarged spleen, kidney stones, blockage of urine flow (hydronephrosis), renal cysts and masses, abdominal aortic aneurysm, and free fluid in the abdomen (ascites). In some settings it is used to look for appendicitis (ARDMS Abdomen content, 2017).
The credentials
- RDMS — Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer, Abdomen specialty, issued by the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS). The path requires the Sonography Principles and Instrumentation (SPI) physics exam plus the Abdomen exam, within five years (ARDMS, 2024).
- Sonography (S), the general credential issued by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT), also covers abdominal scope (ARRT, 2024).
Licensing and Certification covers the credentialing bodies in full.
Where the work happens
Abdominal sonographers work in hospital radiology and imaging departments, outpatient imaging centers, and physician offices. Across all of sonography, the largest employers are hospitals (57 percent), physicians’ offices (21 percent), and medical and diagnostic laboratories (10 percent) (BLS, May 2024).
Pay and outlook
Abdominal work sits within the general diagnostic medical sonographers occupation (code 29-2032), which the BLS reports at a median wage of $89,340 and 13 percent projected growth from 2024 to 2034 — much faster than average (BLS, May 2024). BLS does not publish a separate abdominal-only figure.
Last verified: 2026-06-14. Credential requirements change; confirm current details with ARDMS and ARRT. Salary figures are from the BLS and describe the occupation, not any individual job. This page is informational and does not recommend a specialty.