Online Radiology Technician Schools

With any career path, your salary is highly dependent on where you live. This is as true in the medical world as in any industry, with some states and cities have vastly higher average salaries than others. After you complete your radiology technician degree, choosing where you want to live should be, in part, based on the salary you can expect in certain areas, as well as the job openings for your position.

First, it is important to remember that salary always needs to be compared to cost of living. Cost of living is the total amount of money you’ll need, in general, to live in a certain area. Usually, cost of living will be highest in cities, where rent, food, transportation, and other livings costs are more expensive. To make living in such an area possible, jobs pay higher amounts, so what you really need to look at it your income versus your cost of living in terms of a percentage. It might make more sense to take a job where you’ll be earning less if it means you’ll have more money in your savings account at the end of the year because cost of living is so low.

That said, the national average annual wage for radiology technicians is $53,230, and the top five states in terms of annual salary are as follows, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics:

• Massachusetts: $67,240
• Nevada: $64,560
• Maryland: $63,810
• New Jersey: $62,380
• California: $61,780

If, instead, you want to go to one of the states that has the most number of radiology technician jobs in relation to overall state population, the top five states are as follows:

• West Virginia
• Rhode Island
• South Dakota
• Kentucky
• Tennessee

Average salaries in this states range from $41,660 to $60,970. You can also look at employment opportunities in terms of cities. The following metropolitan areas had the most radiology technician jobs, as related to total population, in 2008:

• Punta Gorda, Florida
• Huntington – Ashland, West Virginia/Kentucky/Ohio
• Jackson, Tennessee
• Tyler, Texas
• Johnson City Tennessee

Of course, just because a state or city has a high number of jobs doesn’t necessarily mean that they have a high number of job openings. These are good places to start, but careers in radiology don’t have as high of a turnover rate as many other careers in the medical world, as employers tend to hire for advanced positions from within their own pool of employees.

The bottom line is that if you’re job hunting for a position as a radiology technician, you should start with states that employ the most people in this field, but widen your search to include states that have the best average salaries in relation to cost of living, as well as states that have other positive attributes, like proximity to people you care about or weather you enjoy. Getting a job in the radiology field is becoming more and more competitive, so apply to a number of positions, comparing locations only after you’ve received job offers.

Top Online Radiology Technician Degree Programs

	DeVry University — DeVry University's B.B.A. in Health Services Management is an online bachelor's degree with courses that provides radiology tech students with the pre-requisites they need to enter a radiology clinical program upon graduation. DeVry works with top business and health care industry leaders to design programs that produce graduates who meet their needs.
	South University — The A.S. in Allied Health Science degree programs online are designed to expose students to a broad education in general studies combined with an emphasis on life science subjects such as anatomy and physiology, chemistry, nutrition, and pathophysiology. These programs offers student a knowledge base from which they may pursue their professional goals as radiographers.
	Ashford University — The BA in health care with a concentration in medical technology from Ashford is ideal for the working professional who wants to prepare for a career in radiology or other medtech field. Students in this program will learn the fundamentals of the different bacteriological, microscopic, and chemical procedures used in diagnosis and treatment of disease.
	Herzing College — The Associate of Science degree in medical assisting from Herzing provides students with an introduction to how a physician's office operates. Students of this program are trained to assist the doctor in the exam room, to perfom routine lab procedures such as radiological procedures, and to handle various administrative tasks. Upon completion of the program, graduates will be ready for entry-level employment as a medical assistant.
	Penn Foster College — Penn Foster's associate's degree in health information technology will teach a basic understanding of skills in subjects such as anatomy, medical terminology, data coding, legal aspects of health information, and database management. Upon completion of the program, graduates will be prepared to work within numerous healthcare settings, including nursing home, hospital, home heath agencies, health clinics, and more.
	American InterContinental University — The AABA degree program in healthcare administration offered by American InterContinental University is designed to prepare students for organizational tasks and clerical work within a healthcare office. The program is taught entirely online, making it convenient for anyone who wants to study at his/her own pace or complete the degree as quickly as possible.
	Keiser University — Keiser University's Associate of Science in Medical Assisting is an online degree that prepares students to perform medical assisting duties under direction of a physician/practitioner. Medical assistants also learn to function in an administrative capacity, which prepares radiographers for medical exams and for career advancement.
	Virginia College Online — Virginia College online offers a bachelor's degree in health services management for individuals looking either for entry-level positions within healthcare or a promotion within a current medical career. This program prepares students for management in hospitals, private practices, home health centers, and other types of healthcare organizations.
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