Radiology Technician Average Salaries

If you’ve ever had an x-ray, did you ever wonder about that technician’s annual salary? Were you curious as to whether those technicians were stuck in that one area doing that one job forever? Radiographers, or radiologic technologists, can make a variety of salaries depending upon the environment they work in and the type of technology they use to diagnose patients.

No matter the environment, radiographers make about the same salaries nationwide; however, you may make more money working as a radiographer in a Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) than you would working the same occupation in a physician’s office.

The state in which you work also can influence the amount of money you might make as a radiographer. For instance, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, radiographers in Massachusetts take home a mean average annual salary of $67,240, compared to the same salary of $41,660 in West Virginia, where there is a surplus of radiographers. Top pay for radiographers by city focuses on the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California area, where radiographers can make $76,580 per year, compared to Johnson City, Tennessee at $44,960 per year. Once again, the proliferation of radiologists in Tennessee accounts for the lower salary.

If you learn more about radiologists, however, you may understand that a degree and certification in this field does not limit your expertise. You also can become an expert in nuclear medicine, and the salaries for nuclear medicine technologists currently sit at about $10,000 more per year than radiographers. California remains top in the annual mean wage at $81,070 per year, whereas South Dakota pays only $55,690 per year annual mean wage. The highest paying city for this occupation is the Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, California metropolitan division with 90 nuclear medicine technologists averaging $100,390 per year.

Other occupations related to radiography include cardiovascular technologists and technicians, clinical laboratory technologists and technicians, diagnostic medical sonographers, radiation therapists and respiratory therapists. Of these, the radiation therapists may equal the salaries made by nuclear medicine technologists; otherwise, the salary ranges are similar, depending upon location and type of facility.

On average, median annual earnings of radiologic technologists were $48,170 in May 2006. The middle 50 percent earned between $39,840 and $57,940. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $32,750, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $68,920. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of radiologic technologists in 2006 were as follows:

Medical and diagnostic laboratories: $51,280
General medical and surgical hospitals: $48,830
Offices of physicians: $45,500

Increases in salaries over the next decade will depend mainly upon advances in technologies and the ability of a radiographer to keep up with those advances. Often, continuing education is a necessity to advance into a new field or even to maintain a current career. Fortunately, radiologists often are the first to learn about new technologies and, if working for an environment that wants to keep up with the latest and best equipment, will often obtain the needed skills through work or through continuing education offered through employers.

Radiology Technician and Health Science Programs

Having an associate's degree is the most common educational qualification among radiology technicians and technologists. No matter which career options in the radiology technician field you may be pursuing, the health degrees listed here will have you on your way to fulfilling your dreams.

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AS in Health IT	Hodges University — The Associate of Science degree in health information technology from Hodges University prepares students for entry-level positions within hospitals, X-ray clinics, and other healthcare settings. Knowledge of medical technology and equipment and medial recordkeeping is learned within this convenient, two-year program.
AOS in Radiography BS in Radiologic Science	Pima Medical Institute — A student in Pima's AOS in radiography degree program will learn the necessary skills to provide high quality diagnostic imagery to patients. The BS in radiologic sciences program will give you the academic insight into radiologic health care administration to evaluate and understand the diagnostic imagery performed on clients. This program is highly relevant in today's expanding medical field.
BS in Radiologic Science	Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences — Florida Hospital College offers an accredited online BS degree in radiological sciences that offers medical imaging technologists and radiologic technicians the opportunity to learn more skills to advance their careers in the healthcare field. Earning this degree ensure that its graduates are wholly prepared for the fast-paced and quickly adapting environment of medical imaging clinics and hospitals.
AAS in Health IT	Rasmussen College — Rasmussen College offers an AAS in health information technology that is designed to prepare students for entry-level positions in healthcare. Aspiring radiology technicians will learn the ins and outs of cutting edge medical technology and computer systems.
AAS in Health IT	Lincoln College — At the Lincoln College AAS in health information technology degree program, students are able to take courses in Pharmacology, Pathophsyiology, Health Systems and Procedures, and Healthcare Data Applications. The program includes an internship module, which teaches students the tools for personal and professional development needed for success in the workplace.
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