Radiologic Technologists
Overview
Introduction
Radiologic technologists operate equipment that creates images of a patients body tissues, organs, and bones for the purpose of medical diagnoses and therapies. These images allow physicians to know the exact nature of a patients injury or disease, such as the location of a broken bone or the confirmation of an ulcer.
Before an X-ray examination, radiologic technologists may administer drugs or chemical mixtures to the patient to better highlight internal organs. They place the patient in the correct position between the X-ra...
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
Salaries for radiologic technologists compare favorably with those of similar health care professionals. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, median annual earnings of radiologic technologists and technicians were $60,510 in May 2019. The lowest paid 10 percent, which typically includes those just starting out in the field, earned less than $41,480. The highest paid 10 percent, which typi...
Work Environment
Full-time technologists generally work eight hours a day, 40 hours a week. In addition, they may be on call for some night emergency duty or weekend hours, which pays in equal time off or additional compensation.
In diagnostic radiologic work, technologists perform most of their tasks while on their feet. They move around a lot and often are called upon to lift patients who need help in ...
Outlook
Overall, employment for radiologic technologists is expected to grow faster than the average through 2028, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Major reasons for this growth are the passage of the Affordable Health Care Act, which has allowed more people to become eligible for health insurance; the development of new technologies, which are making many imaging modalities less expensive an...