How Much Does a Sonographer Make in Nashville, TN in 2026?
Typical pay for Sonographers in Nashville, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Tennessee.
BLS OES May 2025 · Nashville · Davidson · · Murfreesboro · · Franklin metro area
A typical Sonographer in Nashville, Tennessee earns $43.13 per hour, or $89,710 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $7,476 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $65,260, and the top 10% of earners make over $108,600.
That pay is 11% above the Tennessee figure of $80,640 and 7% below the national figure of $96,590. Nashville ranks 1st of 7 metro areas in Tennessee for Sonographer pay. About 500 Sonographers work in the Nashville · Davidson · · Murfreesboro · · Franklin area. Nashville is part of the Nashville · Davidson · · Murfreesboro · · Franklin metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Franklin, Murfreesboro, Davidson share these figures.
Sonographer pay in Nashville at a glance
- Typical pay is $43.13 an hour, or $89,710 a year.
- That is 11% above the Tennessee figure, ranking 1st of 7 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $65,260; the top 10% make over $108,600.
- Typical pay rose +40% from 2015 to 2025, against +36% for Tennessee as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Sonographer make in Nashville?
Pay in Nashville runs from entry-level positions at around $31.38 an hour to more than $52.21 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Tennessee and national figures.
Sonographer pay by career stage in Nashville
| Career stage | Nashville | Tennessee | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $65,260$31.38 an hour | $62,220$29.91 an hour | $67,820$32.60 an hour |
| First years | $79,440$38.19 an hour | $72,320$34.77 an hour | $80,430$38.67 an hour |
| Typical Sonographer | $89,710$43.13 an hour | $80,640$38.77 an hour | $96,590$46.44 an hour |
| Experienced | $100,190$48.17 an hour | $94,390$45.38 an hour | $106,930$51.41 an hour |
| Top 10% | $108,600$52.21 an hour | $101,830$48.96 an hour | $129,370$62.20 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Nashville · Davidson · · Murfreesboro · · Franklin area as BLS defines it
Sonographer pay growth in Nashville
Typical (median) annual wage for Sonographers in the Nashville · Davidson · · Murfreesboro · · Franklin area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Sonographer pay in Nashville was $64,280 a year. By 2025 it had reached $89,710, a change of +40%, compared with +36% for Tennessee over the same years.
How Nashville compares with other Tennessee cities
Nashville pays Sonographers the most of any metro area in Tennessee. The lowest-paying area in the state is Kingsport at $75,440.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Nashville | Sonographers employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nashville | $89,710 | $43.13 | this city | 500 |
| 2 | Memphis | $82,930 | $39.87 | -8% | 390 |
| 3 | Jackson | $82,000 | $39.42 | -9% | 90 |
| 4 | Knoxville | $79,360 | $38.15 | -12% | 280 |
| 5 | Johnson City | $78,970 | $37.97 | -12% | 90 |
| 6 | Chattanooga | $78,670 | $37.82 | -12% | 190 |
| 7 | Bristol metro incl. Kingsport | $75,440 | $36.27 | -16% | 110 |
Every metro area in Tennessee with Sonographer wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Tennessee typical pay $80,640
Is Nashville a good place to work as a Sonographer?
Sonographers in Nashville earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $89,710 a year, 7% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Nashville · Davidson · · Murfreesboro · · Franklin area, about 0.5 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 Nashville, TN?
- A typical Sonographer in Nashville earns $89,710 a year, or $43.13 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $65,260 and the top 10% earn over $108,600.
- How much does a Sonographer make an hour in Nashville?
- Typical hourly pay for Sonographers in Nashville is $43.13. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $31.38, and the top 10% earn over $52.21 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Sonographer in Nashville?
- Entry-level Sonographer positions in Nashville typically offer around $31.38 an hour, or $65,260 a year.
- Is Sonographer pay in Nashville higher than in the rest of Tennessee?
- Nashville pay is 11% above the Tennessee figure of $80,640 a year, ranking 1st of 7 metro areas in the state.