How Much Does a Sonographer Make in San Francisco, CA in 2026?
Typical pay for Sonographers in San Francisco, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across California.
BLS OES May 2025 · San Francisco · Oakland · Fremont metro area
A typical Sonographer in San Francisco, California earns $77.05 per hour, or $160,270 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $13,356 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $94,600, and the top 10% of earners make over $204,140.
That pay is 25% above the California figure of $128,530 and 66% above the national figure of $96,590. San Francisco ranks 5th of 19 metro areas in California for Sonographer pay. About 1,300 Sonographers work in the San Francisco · Oakland · Fremont area. San Francisco is part of the San Francisco · Oakland · Fremont metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Oakland and Fremont share these figures.
Sonographer pay in San Francisco at a glance
- Typical pay is $77.05 an hour, or $160,270 a year.
- That is 25% above the California figure, ranking 5th of 19 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $94,600; the top 10% make over $204,140.
- Typical pay rose +35% from 2015 to 2025, against +33% for California as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Sonographer make in San Francisco?
Pay in San Francisco runs from entry-level positions at around $45.48 an hour to more than $98.14 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the California and national figures.
Sonographer pay by career stage in San Francisco
| Career stage | San Francisco | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $94,600$45.48 an hour | $62,890$30.24 an hour | $67,820$32.60 an hour |
| First years | $123,380$59.32 an hour | $99,510$47.84 an hour | $80,430$38.67 an hour |
| Typical Sonographer | $160,270$77.05 an hour | $128,530$61.79 an hour | $96,590$46.44 an hour |
| Experienced | $181,190$87.11 an hour | $160,580$77.20 an hour | $106,930$51.41 an hour |
| Top 10% | $204,140$98.14 an hour | $177,780$85.47 an hour | $129,370$62.20 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the San Francisco · Oakland · Fremont area as BLS defines it
Sonographer pay growth in San Francisco
Typical (median) annual wage for Sonographers in the San Francisco · Oakland · Fremont area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Sonographer pay in San Francisco was $118,620 a year. By 2025 it had reached $160,270, a change of +35%, compared with +33% for California over the same years.
How San Francisco compares with other California cities
Santa Clara pays Sonographers the most in California at $173,150 a year, $12,880 more than San Francisco. The lowest-paying area in the state is Visalia at $99,010.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs San Francisco | Sonographers employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Clara | $173,150 | $83.25 | +8% | 500 |
| 2 | Vallejo | $171,170 | $82.30 | +7% | 140 |
| 3 | Sacramento | $163,220 | $78.47 | +2% | 610 |
| 4 | Santa Rosa metro incl. Petaluma | $161,570 | $77.68 | +1% | 90 |
| 5 | San Francisco | $160,270 | $77.05 | this city | 1,300 |
| 6 | Santa Cruz metro incl. Watsonville | $142,150 | $68.34 | -11% | 40 |
| 7 | Modesto | $141,210 | $67.89 | -12% | 200 |
| 8 | Redding | $133,340 | $64.11 | -17% | 40 |
| 9 | Santa Maria metro incl. Santa Barbara | $132,490 | $63.70 | -17% | 100 |
| 10 | Lodi metro incl. Stockton | $130,210 | $62.60 | -19% | 140 |
| 11 | Carlsbad metro incl. San Diego · Chula Vista | $129,630 | $62.32 | -19% | 720 |
| 12 | Thousand Oaks | $125,750 | $60.46 | -22% | 140 |
| 13 | San Luis Obispo metro incl. Paso Robles | $125,090 | $60.14 | -22% | 40 |
| 14 | Chico | $123,880 | $59.56 | -23% | 80 |
| 15 | Long Beach metro incl. Los Angeles · Anaheim | $119,430 | $57.42 | -25% | 3,550 |
| 16 | Bakersfield metro incl. Delano | $108,990 | $52.40 | -32% | 180 |
| 17 | Fresno | $107,750 | $51.80 | -33% | 390 |
| 18 | Ontario metro incl. San Bernardino · Riverside | $105,860 | $50.90 | -34% | 960 |
| 19 | Visalia | $99,010 | $47.60 | -38% | 90 |
Every metro area in California with Sonographer wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · California typical pay $128,530
Is San Francisco a good place to work as a Sonographer?
Sonographers in San Francisco earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $160,270 a year, 66% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the San Francisco · Oakland · Fremont area, about 0.5 are Sonographer positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 0.6. Sonographer jobs make up about the same share of the job market as they do across the country.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Sonographer make in San Francisco, CA?
- A typical Sonographer in San Francisco earns $160,270 a year, or $77.05 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $94,600 and the top 10% earn over $204,140.
- How much does a Sonographer make an hour in San Francisco?
- Typical hourly pay for Sonographers in San Francisco is $77.05. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $45.48, and the top 10% earn over $98.14 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Sonographer in San Francisco?
- Entry-level Sonographer positions in San Francisco typically offer around $45.48 an hour, or $94,600 a year.
- Is Sonographer pay in San Francisco higher than in the rest of California?
- San Francisco pay is 25% above the California figure of $128,530 a year, ranking 5th of 19 metro areas in the state. Santa Clara pays the most in California at $173,150.