How Much Does a Sonographer Make in Louisiana in 2026?

A typical Sonographer in Louisiana earns about $38.80 per hour ($80,710 per year), according to the latest government wage data (May 2025). Based on that annual figure, pay works out to roughly $6,726 a month or $1,552 a week. Those figures describe typical pay across the state before accounting for experience or location.

That typical pay sits 16% below the national figure of $96,590 for Sonographers. Louisiana ranks 47th out of 51 states and Washington, D.C., for Sonographer pay. About 1,150 Sonographers work across the state, a workforce size that keeps these figures grounded across Louisiana's metro areas.

Entry-level positions for Sonographers in Louisiana typically offer around $30.24 an hour ($62,900 a year). Pay for newcomers tends to move toward the state's typical rate of $38.80 an hour within the first few years on the job. Experience, certification, and the setting a Sonographer works in all play a role in how quickly that happens.

Experienced Sonographers in Louisiana often earn upwards of $47.36 an hour, and the top 10% make over $98,500 a year. That leaves a $35,600 spread between entry-level and top-tier pay in the state. Setting, years on the job, and city all factor into where an individual sonographer lands within that range.

Louisiana's typical Sonographer pay rose from $58,420 in 2015 to $80,710 in 2025, a gain of $22,290 over the decade. That's a 38% increase in typical pay over ten years. The rise wasn't steady every year; pay dipped slightly in 2016 and again in 2021 before climbing again.

Nationally, typical Sonographer pay climbed 40% over the same decade, slightly ahead of Louisiana's 38% rise. Pay for Sonographers in the state has moved up steadily in recent years, though it offers no guarantee about future earnings. Someone starting out today enters a field where typical pay has grown meaningfully over the past ten years.

Pay runs highest in Monroe, where Sonographers earn $84,920 a year ($40.83 an hour), about 5% above the state figure. Covington, Slidell, and Mandeville follow closely, each posting $82,600 a year. These figures reflect each city's full metro area rather than the city alone.

At the lower end, Sonographers in Hammond earn $77,430 a year ($37.23 an hour), giving the state a $7,490 spread between its highest- and lowest-paying cities. Baton Rouge employs the most Sonographers of any Louisiana city, about 250, even though its typical pay of $78,130 sits below several smaller metro areas. Cities with lower pay often carry a lower cost of living, which tends to offset the difference in take-home pay.

Louisiana's neighbors show a mixed picture. Sonographers in Texas earn $92,580 a year, about 15% more than in Louisiana, while pay in Arkansas runs close at $81,500, about 1% higher. Mississippi pays less, at $76,520, roughly 5% below Louisiana's figure. Sonography licensure earned in one state can often be transferred or endorsed into a neighboring state, which can make relocating across these borders easier for those chasing higher pay.

Sonographers in Louisiana typically earn $80,710 a year ($38.80 an hour), up 38% from a decade earlier. That's below the national figure, though pay varies by city and experience. Anyone considering the field should check Louisiana's sonography licensing and registry requirements and look at city-level pages for more specific local pay figures before making a decision.