Most X-ray technicians work in hospitals, doctors' offices or laboratories.
X-ray technicians and technologists provide vital diagnostic assistance to doctors by providing them with images of internal structures and injuries, such as broken bones. These images help doctors decide on the correct course of treatment.
Salaries
The average wages for X-ray technicians, who are included in the radiologic technologists and technicians category by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), were $26.05 per hour or $54,180 yearly as of May 2009. PayScale reports that X-ray technicians made hourly wages between $15.42 and $23.13 and salaries from $33,132 to $50,503, based on a survey updated in September 2010 of 811 workers in this occupation.
Top Industries
PayScale lists health care, hospitals, orthopedic surgery, medical offices and medical services as popular industries for X-ray technicians, with hourly wages ranging from $14.59 to $23.76. General medical and surgical hospitals are the largest employers of radiologic technologists and technicians, according to the BLS, and pay an average salary of $54,770. Other top employers include doctors' offices, medical and diagnostic laboratories, outpatient care centers and the federal government.
Best-Paying Areas
BLS figures show that Massachusetts, with an average salary of $68,530, was the highest-paying state for radiologic technologists and technicians, followed by Nevada, Maryland, Hawaii and the District of Columbia. PayScale's survey shows that Philadelphia had the highest wages, from $22.19 to $31.54 per hour, with the other top five highest-paying areas including New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Phoenix.
Tags: X-ray technicians, radiologic technologists, radiologic technologists technicians, technologists technicians, average salary, doctors offices
