The main areas a sonographer can work in, what each one images, the credential that goes with it, and where the work happens.
“Sonographer” is a single word for several different jobs. A sonographer who images hearts all day does different work, in a different department, under a different credential, than one who images pregnancies or blood vessels. Choosing a specialty shapes the training, the exam, the setting, and the daily routine. This chapter lays out the main specialties and links to a detailed page for each.
Three things to know before reading the list
The credential is tied to the specialty, not just to the title. Most credentials cover a specific area. A person becomes registered in abdomen, or in vascular, or in adult echocardiography — not in “sonography” as a whole. Many sonographers hold more than one specialty credential over a career. Licensing and Certification covers how the credentials work.
The same anatomy can be credentialed by more than one body. This is the single most common point of confusion. Cardiac imaging can be credentialed as the RDMS-family RDCS through the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) or as the RCS through Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI). Vascular can be the RVT (ARDMS) or the RVS (CCI) or a Vascular Sonography credential from the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT). These are different exams from different organizations covering much the same work. There is rarely one “correct” credential — there are parallel routes.
One structural rule covers all ARDMS specialties. Every ARDMS specialty credential requires passing two exams: the Sonography Principles and Instrumentation (SPI) physics exam, plus the exam for the chosen specialty, within a five-year window, in either order (ARDMS, 2024–2026). The SPI Physics Exam page covers the physics half that every ARDMS path shares.
A note on salary and outlook by specialty
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) splits this field across two occupations, and it matters when reading wage or growth figures. Most specialties — abdominal, OB/GYN, breast, musculoskeletal, pediatric, and vascular technology — sit under “diagnostic medical sonographers” (occupation code 29-2032). But cardiac echocardiographers are counted separately, under “cardiovascular technologists and technicians” (code 29-2031). So the widely quoted sonographer figures — a median wage of $89,340 and 13 percent projected growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS, May 2024) — describe code 29-2032 and do not cleanly include cardiac echo. BLS does not publish a separate wage for most individual specialties. Any page claiming a precise “cardiac sonographer salary” or “OB sonographer salary” is estimating, not citing. Salary and Compensation explains this split in full.
The main specialties
Cardiac (echocardiography). Images the heart — the chambers, valves, muscle, and the great vessels — and measures how well it pumps. Credentialed as the RDCS (ARDMS) or RCS (CCI). Worked in hospital cardiology departments and dedicated echo labs. See Cardiac Sonography.
Vascular. Images the body’s blood vessels outside the heart — arteries and veins — looking at both structure and blood flow. Credentialed as the RVT (ARDMS), RVS (CCI), or ARRT Vascular Sonography. Worked in dedicated vascular labs and hospital departments. See Vascular Sonography.
Abdominal. Images the organs of the abdomen — liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, kidneys, and the abdominal aorta. Credentialed as the RDMS in Abdomen (ARDMS) or under the general ARRT Sonography credential. One of the most common general scopes. See Abdominal Sonography.
OB/GYN. Images the female reproductive system and, in obstetrics, the fetus, placenta, and amniotic fluid through pregnancy. Credentialed as the RDMS in Obstetrics and Gynecology (ARDMS). A very common entry specialty, worked in hospitals, OB offices, and maternal-fetal medicine practices. See OB/GYN Sonography.
Musculoskeletal (MSK). Images muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, and nerves, often while the patient moves the joint. Credentialed as the RMSKS (ARDMS) — a newer, narrower credential with no direct CCI or ARRT equivalent. Worked in sports-medicine, orthopedic, and rheumatology settings. See Musculoskeletal Sonography.
Breast. Images breast tissue and the axilla, usually alongside mammography, to characterize a lump or a finding seen on another test. Credentialed as the RDMS in Breast (ARDMS) or ARRT Breast Sonography — often by sonographers who are also mammographers. Worked in breast- and women’s-imaging centers. See Breast Sonography.
Pediatric. Images infants and children across body systems — the neonatal brain, the infant hip, the abdomen, and more. Credentialed as the RDMS in Pediatric Sonography (ARDMS); the pediatric heart is a separate credential (RDCS, Pediatric Echocardiography). Concentrated in children’s hospitals. See Pediatric Sonography.
Other focused areas exist — neurosonography and fetal echocardiography among them — and are covered as the Guide expands.
Last verified: 2026-06-14. Credential requirements and exam content change; confirm current details with ARDMS, CCI, or ARRT. Salary and employment figures are from the BLS and describe the occupation, not any individual job. This page is informational and does not recommend a specialty.