Radiographers may specialize in various areas, resulting in different wages.
Radiographers or radiologic technicians prepare patients for X-rays and scans, perform the imaging and pass the results on to radiologists for diagnoses and treatment. Because they deal with radiation, training and procedures for radiographers are strict. The salary range for a radiographer is based on the type of facility he works for, his location and his level of training and experience.
Salary Range
On the salary scale, the median wages for radiographers is $53,240. Techs in the 10th percentile earn $35,700, those in the 25th percentile earn $43,510, those in the 75th percentile earn $64,070, and those in the 90th percentile earn $75,440. The average salary for all radiographers in the U.S. is $54,180, or $26.05 an hour. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2009)
Type of Facility
Radiographers are most frequently employed by hospitals, physicians' offices and medical and diagnostic laboratories. Of those, medical and diagnostic laboratories offer the highest pay at $57,250 a year on average. Hospitals, which employed 127,820 radiographers and had the highest level of employment as of May 2009, offers $54,770, and techs at the offices of physicians earn $50,860 annually on average. Radiographers at outpatient care centers earn $52,950, while those at specialty hospitals earn $58,320. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2009)
Area
Massachusetts and California share the top five highest-paying metropolitan areas for radiographers. In Massachusetts, the average salary in Boston-Cambridge-Quincy is $72,540, while techs in Peabody earn $69,760. In California, Vallejo-Fairfield offers an annual salary average of $70,030 to radiologic techs, while techs in the Oakland-Fremont-Hayward area earn $72,790. The highest paying area in the country is California's San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara area at $78,300, but Massachusetts has the highest state average at $68,530. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2009)
Specialties
Radiographers can advance in their field and earn higher on the salary range by specializing in specific areas. All Allied Health Schools states that radiographers can specialize in diagnostic imaging technologies such as tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Other promotion opportunities include moving on to becoming a supervisor, chief radiologic technologist or department administrator or to enter the educational field by becoming an instructor at a radiologic technology program.
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