How to become a sonographer in Texas
Diagnostic medical sonographers use ultrasound to image organs, blood vessels, hearts and pregnancies. Texas programs are associate degrees, certificates or bachelor's degrees, with concentrations in general, cardiac or vascular sonography, and lead to ARDMS or CCI credentials.
Step 1: Finish an accredited program
Texas has 37 accredited sonography programs: 33 associate degrees, 4 certificates. The median program runs about 22 months. Of the 13 that publish a total cost, prices run from $4,810 (Tarrant County College, Trinity River East) to $50,193 (Pima Medical Institute, El Paso). 2
Highest reported credential exam rates among larger programs: Alvin College (100%), Tarrant County College, Trinity River East (100%) and Texas Southmost College (100%).
Compare every Texas sonography program, or by area: Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, El Paso, San Antonio.
Step 2: Pass the credential exam
The median Texas program reports a 93.3% rate (23 programs reporting), but results range from 71.9% to 100%. Graduates who passed the ARDMS or CCI credentialing exams for their concentration, as the program reports it to JRC-DMS.
Step 3: Get credentialed
Texas does not license sonographers. Employers typically require a national credential: ARDMS (the SPI exam plus a specialty exam, for RDMS, RDCS or RVT) or CCI (such as RCS).
| Step | Fee |
|---|---|
| Pass the ARDMS Sonography Principles and Instrumentation (SPI) exam.3 | $275 |
| Pass a specialty exam within five years of the SPI, for example Abdomen for the RDMS (AB).4 | $300 |
| Alternative for cardiac graduates: take the CCI Registered Cardiac Sonographer (RCS) exam as a graduate of an accredited cardiac ultrasound program.5 | $365not counted |
Typical fees to start working: $575. Counts the ARDMS route to the RDMS in abdomen: SPI ($275) plus the abdomen exam ($300). The CCI cardiac route ($365) is an alternative. There is no state fee. ARDMS credentials renew annually ($105 for RDMS, RDCS, RVT) with CME over a three-year cycle; CCI credentials renew for $165 with 36 CEUs per three-year cycle after the first renewal.
What diagnostic medical sonographers earn in Texas
The Texas median is $92,580 a year. 1 Pay is highest around Dallas ($98,810), Austin ($98,010), Midland-Odessa ($95,490) and lowest around Beaumont-Port Arthur ($76,080) and Amarillo ($70,030). At the median program cost, setting aside 10% of the Texas median wage pays the program back in about 0.9 years.
Sources and dates
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (29-2032), May 2025 estimates.
- Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (programs accredited by CAAHEP) (JRC-DMS), checked Nov. 2026.
- Inteleos/ARDMS SPI Exam, checked Nov 2026.
- ARDMS AB Exam, checked Nov 2026.
- CCI Registered Cardiac Sonographer (RCS), checked Nov 2026.
Every number was checked against its source on Nov. 4, 2026. Spot an error? Report it. Program Outcomes is independent and not affiliated with any school or JRC-DMS. Our independence policy