The use of diagnostic imaging is growing in the medical field, which creates job opportunities or computerized tomography scan radiologists. These are technicians who use CT technology to create cross-section images of a patient's internal organs that a doctor can then use to make a diagnosis. They prepare and operate the equipment to get images of the organs that the physician needs. They must be aware of the proper safety procedures to follow when dealing with radiation.
National Pay
The average pay for CT scan technicians in 2009 was $26.05 an hour or $54,180 a year for the more than 213,000 technicians in the United States, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle 50 percent of CT scan technologists earned between $43,510 and $64,070 a year in 2009.
Pay by State
The top-paying state for CT scan technologists in 2009 was Massachusetts where they earned an average of $68,530 a year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Other top-paying states were Nevada, Maryland, Hawaii and Washington D.C. The state where CT scan technologists had the greatest chance of employment was West Virginia where there were 2.867 radiology technologists per thousand workers.
Pay by City or Region
The top-paying area for CT scan technologists in 2009 was San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California, where they earned an average of $78,300 a year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Other top-paying areas were Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, California; Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Massachusetts; Vallejo-Fairfield, California, and Peabody, Massachusetts. The area where CT scan technologists had the greatest chance of employment was Punta Gorda, Florida, where there were 5.399 radiology technologists per thousand workers.
Job Outlook
Radiologic technology positions are expected to grow faster than average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, with technologists with experience in diagnostic imaging like CT scans having the best opportunities. Between 2008 and 2018, the number of positions in the field is expected to grow by 17 percent. The growth will be driven in part by an aging population that requires more health treatments.
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