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Sonographer salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a sonographer is $122,700 per annum, before tax, up $25,300 since 2018.
Where you work shapes pay more than anything else: public hospital sonographers sit under state health awards and enterprise agreements, while private practices set their own rates and often pay locums or contractors by the hour. Penalty rates for evening, weekend and on-call work add to the total in hospital roles, and accreditation in a subspecialty such as obstetrics, cardiac or vascular scanning can move you into a higher band. Rural and remote locum contracts usually pay more because the departments find them harder to staff.
How to negotiate a higher sonographer salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time sonographer salary is $122,700; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Sonographers are on the national skills shortage list, so employers are more likely to move on price to keep or attract someone in a role they're struggling to fill.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Clinical assessment and treatment and Patient care and support tend to command a premium over general sonographer experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Sonographer salary questions
How much do sonographers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a sonographer is $122,700 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is sonographer pay rising or falling?
The median sonographer salary is up $25,300 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.