How Much Does an Ultrasound Cost? Prices With and Without Insurance (2026)

An ultrasound typically costs between $200 and $800, according to CareCredit. What you pay depends on the type of ultrasound, the facility, where you live, and how your health insurance applies to the bill. Ultrasound is usually one of the less expensive imaging tests, but prices for the same scan can still differ by hundreds of dollars from one facility to the next.

This guide covers typical ultrasound prices by type, what changes the cost, what you'll pay with or without insurance, and how to get a reliable estimate before your appointment.

Average cost of an ultrasound by type

An ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves, not radiation, to create images of organs, blood vessels, and a developing baby. A healthcare provider may order a diagnostic ultrasound to check gallbladder pain, breast lumps, thyroid nodules, or blood clots in the legs; a carotid ultrasound checks the arteries in the neck. CareCredit reports these price ranges for common ultrasound exams in Central Texas, based on Healthcare Bluebook data, along with a "fair price" for each:

• Abdominal ultrasound: $125 to $648 (fair price about $176)
• Pelvic ultrasound: $49 to $398 (fair price about $161)
• Transvaginal ultrasound: $98 to $345 (fair price about $140)
• Fetal (pregnancy) ultrasound: $89 to $440 (fair price about $188)
• Breast ultrasound, one side: $93 to $489 (fair price about $116)
• Neck ultrasound, such as a thyroid scan: $107 to $595 (fair price about $159)
• Arm or leg duplex (blood flow) ultrasound: $342 to $1,070 (fair price about $428)

The fair price is Healthcare Bluebook's estimate of a reasonable price for the area, and it sits near the low end of each range. Prices differ by region too. CareCredit puts the average ultrasound cost at about $388 in Arkansas, $434 in Maryland, $773 in Vermont, and $1,114 in Virginia.

What's included in the price of an ultrasound

• Technical fee. Covers the ultrasound machine, the sonographer who performs the scan, supplies, and the facility. Hospitals may add a facility fee.
• Professional fee. Covers the radiologist or other physician who reads the images and writes the report.

Some facilities quote a single "global" price. Others bill the reading separately, so you may get two bills for one scan. A "complete" exam that looks at several organs usually costs more than a "limited" exam focused on one area, and adding Doppler to measure blood flow adds to the cost.

Why ultrasound prices vary

• Type of ultrasound. Vascular and Doppler studies usually cost more than a basic abdominal or pelvic scan.
• Facility type. Hospital outpatient departments usually charge more than freestanding imaging centers and physician offices.
• Location. Prices follow local costs and competition.
• Insurance contracts. Each facility negotiates its own rates with each insurer.
• Purpose. A medically necessary scan is billed differently from an elective keepsake 3D or 4D ultrasound.

Hospital vs. imaging center: where ultrasounds cost less

For the same scan, a freestanding imaging center or physician office usually costs less than a hospital. CareCredit notes that a fetal ultrasound can cost about $400 at a stand-alone clinic vs. $1,000 at a hospital. Across imaging in general, the Health Care Cost Institute found that in 2022, the simplest level of commercially insured imaging services averaged $227 in hospital outpatient departments vs. $61 in physician offices, about 3.7 times more.

When your doctor agrees it's appropriate, you can ask them to send your order to a lower-cost, in-network imaging center. Hospitals still make sense for emergencies and for scans that need to be done alongside other hospital care.

Pregnancy ultrasound cost

Most pregnancies include at least one routine pregnancy ultrasound. An early ultrasound scan may be used for pregnancy confirmation and to estimate gestational age, a detailed fetal anatomy scan is often done in the second trimester, and some pregnancies need more scans for closer monitoring. Under the Affordable Care Act, pregnancy, maternity, and newborn care is one of the essential health benefits Marketplace plans must cover. That doesn't mean every scan is free: depending on your plan, a prenatal ultrasound may be part of a bundled prenatal care charge or billed separately and subject to your deductible and coinsurance.

Elective 3D and 4D "keepsake" ultrasounds are different. Insurance usually doesn't cover them, so you'd pay the full price.

Ultrasound cost with insurance coverage

Most health insurance plans cover ultrasounds when they're medically necessary. Some plans require prior authorization for certain exams, so check with your insurance company before you book. Your out-of-pocket costs depend on a few parts of your plan:

• Deductible. Until you meet it, you usually pay the full negotiated rate.
• Coinsurance or copay. After the deductible, you pay a percentage of the allowed amount or a flat fee.
• Out-of-pocket maximum. Once you reach your yearly cap, your plan pays 100% of covered, in-network services. See deductible vs. out-of-pocket maximum.
• Network. Out-of-network facilities can cost far more. See in-network vs. out-of-network.

Example: your plan's negotiated rate for an abdominal ultrasound is $300. If you haven't met your deductible, you pay the full $300. If you've already met it and your coinsurance is 20%, you pay $60. Same scan, very different bills, so check where you stand on your deductible before you book.

Ultrasound cost without insurance

Uninsured and self-pay patients pay the facility's self-pay rate. Many independent imaging centers post or quote cash prices well below hospital list prices, so compare prices at two or three ultrasound providers before you book. Ask for the discounted cash price and whether it includes the radiologist's read.

Under the No Surprises Act, if you're uninsured or choose not to use insurance, providers must give you a good faith estimate of expected charges when you schedule a service at least 3 business days ahead, or when you ask for one. If your bill comes in at least $400 more than the estimate, you can start a patient-provider dispute resolution process within 120 days of getting the bill.

Hospitals must also publish their prices, including discounted cash prices, under the federal hospital price transparency rule. Community health centers funded by HRSA charge on a sliding fee scale based on income and can be a lower-cost place to start.

Financial assistance and payment plans

If the bill is more than you can pay at once, ask the billing office about payment plans. Many hospitals, especially nonprofit hospitals, have financial assistance programs for patients who meet income limits, and some offer a discount if you pay in full at the time of the ultrasound scan.

Ultrasound vs. CT and MRI cost: diagnostic imaging compared

An ultrasound generally costs less than a CT scan or an MRI; see our guide to MRI cost for comparison. Each test answers different questions. Ultrasound is often used for pregnancy, the gallbladder and other abdominal organs, the thyroid, and blood flow, and it doesn't use radiation. Don't swap one test for another to save money without talking to your doctor, because the wrong test can lead to repeat imaging.

Paying for an ultrasound

The IRS defines medical expenses as the costs of diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease (Publication 502). See our HSA vs. FSA guide for how these accounts work, and keep your itemized bill and explanation of benefits for your records.

How to estimate your ultrasound cost before you book

1. Get the CPT code. Ask your doctor for the procedure code on the doctor's order, such as 76700 for a complete abdominal ultrasound or 76856 for a complete pelvic ultrasound.
2. Call two or three facilities. Ask each for the in-network price and the self-pay price.
3. Ask what's included. Confirm whether the quote covers the reading and any facility fee.
4. Check with your insurer. Confirm the facility is in network, whether prior authorization is needed, and what you'll owe after your deductible.
5. Request a good faith estimate if you're paying on your own.
6. Ask about payment plans if the total is more than you can pay at once.

Don't put off an ultrasound your doctor says you need because of cost. With your CPT code and a few phone calls, you can usually find a clear, realistic price.