X-ray techs work in clinics and laboratories doing diagnostic imaging.
X-ray technicians, also known as radiologic technicians, produce radiographs of patients for physicians and surgeons to use in diagnosing injuries and illnesses. The average salary of an X-ray technician varies according to a number of factors, including employer, location, experience, and level of training and certification.
Average Salary
The average X-ray technician salary in the United States was $54,180 as of May 2009, according to a survey by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Salaries ranged from $35,700 to $75,440, with the median salary at $53,240. Those in the bottom 25 percent earned up to $43,510, while those in the top 25 percent earned $64,070 or more.
Medical Facilities
Most X-ray technicians work in hospitals and clinics, according to the bureau. The average salary for a tech in general hospitals was $54,770, while those working in specialty hospitals earned $58,320. In the offices of physicians, X-ray technicians earned an average salary of $50,860, and in outpatient care centers the average was $52,950. Medical and diagnostic laboratories also employ X-ray techs, where the survey found that the average salary was $57,250 a year.
Other Employers
The federal executive branch is one non-medical industry that employs X-ray technicians, and offered an average salary of $56,140 per year as of May 2009. Techs working in office administrative services or through employment services earned $58,360 and $59,620, respectively, while those in management, scientific and technical consulting services earned an average of $61,970. At an average salary of $64,800, the industry of scientific research and development services was the highest paying industry for X-ray techs.
Location
The highest salary average in the U.S. for X-ray technicians was in San Jose, California, at $78,300 a year. Oakland, California, followed with an average of $72,790, and Boston, Massachusetts, was third at $72,540. Massachusetts was also the highest paying state overall for X-ray technicians, with a salary average of $68,530, followed by Nevada and Maryland, with salary averages of $66,420 and $65,820, respectively.
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