Salaries are developing for radiologist technicians.
Radiologist technicians, also called radiologic technologists, radiographers and radiologic technicians, work in the medical field to create and translate X-rays. A single day may include protecting a patient from harmful X-ray beams, analyzing computer scans (called tomography) of cross-sectional X-rays and working specialty radiology equipment such as magnetic resonance imagers.
The Facts
Radiologic technicians are usually paid on an annual salary basis. Laboratories (both medical and diagnostic) were the largest employers of technicians as of May 2008, with an average salary of $55,210 per year. That salary is slightly above the general national average of $52,210. Other places radiologic technicians find employment include outpatient care centers (average salary $50,840) and doctors' offices (average salary $48,530).
Location
For radiologic technicians looking to earn the highest salary, certain states are better than others. As of May 2009, the highest-paying state was Massachusetts, topping out at an average of $68,530. Nevada ($66,420) and Maryland ($65,820) were close behind, far above the national average. Both Hawaii ($63,470) and the District of Columbia ($63,270) also paid higher than average. Technicians looking for the best place to break into the field may want to explore West Virginia, South Dakota and Kentucky, offering (respectively) the highest number of radiologic technicians employed per capita.
Considerations
The first step in earning a salary as a radiologic technician is to complete a training program in the field of radiology, available through short-term certificates, two-year associates degrees and four-year bachelor's degrees. Each state in the country has a separate licensing board for radiologic technicians and employers may require certification through the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists.
Radiologic technicians can increase their salaries by studying specializations such as bone densitometry, mammography and CT scans. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics cites another option for increasing radiologic technician salary, becoming the chief technologist or supervisor, which traditionally requires a master's degree in business or healthcare administration.
Outlook
Like the images on their X-rays, salaries in the radiologic technology field are continuing to develop. The Bureau of Labor Statistics anticipates a 17 percent growth in the number of jobs in this field through 2018, higher than many other professions. This is partially due to an aging population who will require more scans and healthcare as well as an increasing reliance on X-rays as diagnostic tools.
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