diff --git a/include/mxnet/c_api.h b/include/mxnet/c_api.h
index e0ed316a1bdc..657b32452cd3 100644
--- a/include/mxnet/c_api.h
+++ b/include/mxnet/c_api.h
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ MXNET_DLL int MXAggregateProfileStatsPrint(const char **out_str, int reset);
  * \param out_str will receive a pointer to the output string
  * \param reset clear the aggregate stats after printing
  * \param format whether to return in tabular or json format
- * \param sort_by sort by avg, min, max, or count
+ * \param sort_by sort by total, avg, min, max, or count
  * \param ascending whether to sort ascendingly
  * \return 0 when success, -1 when failure happens.
  * \note
diff --git a/python/mxnet/profiler.py b/python/mxnet/profiler.py
index 373a11592f86..7dbc060ed60f 100644
--- a/python/mxnet/profiler.py
+++ b/python/mxnet/profiler.py
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ def dump_profile():
     dump(True)
 
 
-def dumps(reset=False, format='table', sort_by='avg', ascending=False):
+def dumps(reset=False, format='table', sort_by='total', ascending=False):
     """Return a printable string of aggregate profile stats.
 
     Parameters
@@ -160,9 +160,9 @@ def dumps(reset=False, format='table', sort_by='avg', ascending=False):
         can take 'table' or 'json'
         defaults to 'table'
     sort_by: string
-        can take 'avg', 'min', 'max', or 'count'
+        can take 'total', 'avg', 'min', 'max', or 'count'
         by which stat to sort the entries in each category
-        defaults to 'avg'
+        defaults to 'total'
     ascending: boolean
         whether to sort ascendingly
         defaults to False
@@ -170,12 +170,13 @@ def dumps(reset=False, format='table', sort_by='avg', ascending=False):
     debug_str = ctypes.c_char_p()
     reset_to_int = {False: 0, True: 1}
     format_to_int = {'table': 0, 'json': 1}
-    sort_by_to_int = {'avg': 0, 'min': 1, 'max': 2, 'count': 3}
+    sort_by_to_int = {'total': 0, 'avg': 1, 'min': 2, 'max': 3, 'count': 4}
     asc_to_int = {False: 0, True: 1}
     assert format in format_to_int.keys(),\
             "Invalid value provided for format: {0}. Support: 'table', 'json'".format(format)
     assert sort_by in sort_by_to_int.keys(),\
-            "Invalid value provided for sort_by: {0}. Support: 'avg', 'min', 'max', 'count'"\
+            "Invalid value provided for sort_by: {0}.\
+             Support: 'total', 'avg', 'min', 'max', 'count'"\
             .format(sort_by)
     assert  ascending in asc_to_int.keys(),\
             "Invalid value provided for ascending: {0}. Support: False, True".format(ascending)
diff --git a/src/profiler/aggregate_stats.cc b/src/profiler/aggregate_stats.cc
index 98ac5e96b761..86791ebf3074 100644
--- a/src/profiler/aggregate_stats.cc
+++ b/src/profiler/aggregate_stats.cc
@@ -56,6 +56,9 @@ inline std::priority_queue<pi>
     const AggregateStats::StatData& data = iter.second;
     double value = 0;
     switch (static_cast<AggregateStats::SortBy>(sort_by)) {
+      case AggregateStats::SortBy::Total:
+        value = data.total_aggregate_;
+        break;
       case AggregateStats::SortBy::Avg:
         if (data.type_ == AggregateStats::StatData::kCounter)
           value = (data.max_aggregate_ - data.min_aggregate_) / 2;
diff --git a/src/profiler/aggregate_stats.h b/src/profiler/aggregate_stats.h
index b9634250b82a..fe7521adc544 100644
--- a/src/profiler/aggregate_stats.h
+++ b/src/profiler/aggregate_stats.h
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ class AggregateStats {
   void clear();
   /* !\brief by which stat to sort */
   enum class SortBy {
-    Avg, Min, Max, Count
+    Total, Avg, Min, Max, Count
   };
 
  private:
diff --git a/tests/python/unittest/test_profiler.py b/tests/python/unittest/test_profiler.py
index d04f390f219b..e5fdd2b1798a 100644
--- a/tests/python/unittest/test_profiler.py
+++ b/tests/python/unittest/test_profiler.py
@@ -243,11 +243,12 @@ def test_aggregate_stats_valid_json_return():
     debug_str = profiler.dumps(format = 'json')
     assert(len(debug_str) > 0)
     target_dict = json.loads(debug_str)
-    assert "Memory" in target_dict and "Time" in target_dict and "Unit" in target_dict
+    assert 'Memory' in target_dict and 'Time' in target_dict and 'Unit' in target_dict
     profiler.set_state('stop')
 
 def test_aggregate_stats_sorting():
-    sort_by_options = {'avg': "Avg", 'min': "Min", 'max': "Max", 'count': "Count"}
+    sort_by_options = {'total': 'Total', 'avg': 'Avg', 'min': 'Min',\
+        'max': 'Max', 'count': 'Count'}
     ascending_options = [False, True]
     def check_ascending(lst, asc):
         assert(lst == sorted(lst, reverse = not asc))
@@ -258,9 +259,11 @@ def check_sorting(debug_str, sort_by, ascending):
         for domain_name, domain in target_dict['Time'].items():
             lst = [item[sort_by_options[sort_by]] for item_name, item in domain.items()]
             check_ascending(lst, ascending)
-        for domain_name, domain in target_dict['Memory'].items():
-            lst = [item[sort_by_options[sort_by]] for item_name, item in domain.items()]
-            check_ascending(lst, ascending)
+        # Memory items do not have stat 'Total' 
+        if sort_by != 'total':
+            for domain_name, domain in target_dict['Memory'].items():
+                lst = [item[sort_by_options[sort_by]] for item_name, item in domain.items()]
+                check_ascending(lst, ascending)
 
     file_name = 'test_aggregate_stats_sorting.json'
     enable_profiler(file_name, True, True, True)