How Much Does a Sonographer Make in Santa Clara, CA in 2026?
Typical pay for Sonographers in Santa Clara, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across California.
BLS OES May 2025 · San Jose · Sunnyvale · Santa Clara metro area
A typical Sonographer in Santa Clara, California earns $83.25 per hour, or $173,150 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $14,429 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $100,130, and the top 10% of earners make over $213,010.
That pay is 35% above the California figure of $128,530 and 79% above the national figure of $96,590. Santa Clara ranks 1st of 19 metro areas in California for Sonographer pay. About 500 Sonographers work in the San Jose · Sunnyvale · Santa Clara area. Santa Clara is part of the San Jose · Sunnyvale · Santa Clara metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so San Jose and Sunnyvale share these figures.
Sonographer pay in Santa Clara at a glance
- Typical pay is $83.25 an hour, or $173,150 a year.
- That is 35% above the California figure, ranking 1st of 19 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $100,130; the top 10% make over $213,010.
- Typical pay rose +56% from 2015 to 2025, against +33% for California as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Sonographer make in Santa Clara?
Pay in Santa Clara runs from entry-level positions at around $48.14 an hour to more than $102.41 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the California and national figures.
Sonographer pay by career stage in Santa Clara
| Career stage | Santa Clara | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $100,130$48.14 an hour | $62,890$30.24 an hour | $67,820$32.60 an hour |
| First years | $147,000$70.68 an hour | $99,510$47.84 an hour | $80,430$38.67 an hour |
| Typical Sonographer | $173,150$83.25 an hour | $128,530$61.79 an hour | $96,590$46.44 an hour |
| Experienced | $190,440$91.56 an hour | $160,580$77.20 an hour | $106,930$51.41 an hour |
| Top 10% | $213,010$102.41 an hour | $177,780$85.47 an hour | $129,370$62.20 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the San Jose · Sunnyvale · Santa Clara area as BLS defines it
Sonographer pay growth in Santa Clara
Typical (median) annual wage for Sonographers in the San Jose · Sunnyvale · Santa Clara area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Sonographer pay in Santa Clara was $111,120 a year. By 2025 it had reached $173,150, a change of +56%, compared with +33% for California over the same years.
How Santa Clara compares with other California cities
Santa Clara pays Sonographers the most of any metro area in California. The lowest-paying area in the state is Visalia at $99,010.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Santa Clara | Sonographers employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Clara | $173,150 | $83.25 | this city | 500 |
| 2 | Vallejo | $171,170 | $82.30 | -1% | 140 |
| 3 | Sacramento | $163,220 | $78.47 | -6% | 610 |
| 4 | Santa Rosa metro incl. Petaluma | $161,570 | $77.68 | -7% | 90 |
| 5 | Oakland metro incl. Fremont · San Francisco | $160,270 | $77.05 | -7% | 1,300 |
| 6 | Santa Cruz metro incl. Watsonville | $142,150 | $68.34 | -18% | 40 |
| 7 | Modesto | $141,210 | $67.89 | -18% | 200 |
| 8 | Redding | $133,340 | $64.11 | -23% | 40 |
| 9 | Santa Maria metro incl. Santa Barbara | $132,490 | $63.70 | -23% | 100 |
| 10 | Lodi metro incl. Stockton | $130,210 | $62.60 | -25% | 140 |
| 11 | Carlsbad metro incl. San Diego · Chula Vista | $129,630 | $62.32 | -25% | 720 |
| 12 | Thousand Oaks | $125,750 | $60.46 | -27% | 140 |
| 13 | San Luis Obispo metro incl. Paso Robles | $125,090 | $60.14 | -28% | 40 |
| 14 | Chico | $123,880 | $59.56 | -28% | 80 |
| 15 | Long Beach metro incl. Los Angeles · Anaheim | $119,430 | $57.42 | -31% | 3,550 |
| 16 | Bakersfield metro incl. Delano | $108,990 | $52.40 | -37% | 180 |
| 17 | Fresno | $107,750 | $51.80 | -38% | 390 |
| 18 | Ontario metro incl. San Bernardino · Riverside | $105,860 | $50.90 | -39% | 960 |
| 19 | Visalia | $99,010 | $47.60 | -43% | 90 |
Every metro area in California with Sonographer wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · California typical pay $128,530
Is Santa Clara a good place to work as a Sonographer?
Sonographers in Santa Clara earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $173,150 a year, 79% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the San Jose · Sunnyvale · Santa Clara area, about 0.4 are Sonographer positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 0.6. That makes Sonographers a smaller part of the local job market than usual, so employers draw from a smaller pool of qualified candidates.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Sonographer make in Santa Clara, CA?
- A typical Sonographer in Santa Clara earns $173,150 a year, or $83.25 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $100,130 and the top 10% earn over $213,010.
- How much does a Sonographer make an hour in Santa Clara?
- Typical hourly pay for Sonographers in Santa Clara is $83.25. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $48.14, and the top 10% earn over $102.41 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Sonographer in Santa Clara?
- Entry-level Sonographer positions in Santa Clara typically offer around $48.14 an hour, or $100,130 a year.
- Is Sonographer pay in Santa Clara higher than in the rest of California?
- Santa Clara pay is 35% above the California figure of $128,530 a year, ranking 1st of 19 metro areas in the state.