Studies and statistics performed by different institutions such as Bureau and Labor Statistics and others show that the profession of Radiologist Technicians can expect to look forward to a healthy job market in the coming years. A 28% growth rate is predicted in the period 2010-2020 and as much as 61,000 new jobs are expected to be created in addition to the existing positions. This high demand has predictably translated in attractive salaries for professionals in the area. A radiologic technologist performs tasks such as taking CAT scans and X-rays, interpret the images and data that are produced, administer non-radioactive material into the patients’ body, etc. They may also go for specializations in the fields of pediatrics, geriatrics, computed tomography, magnetic resonance, ultrasound, etc.
Radiologists working in the medical health sector accordingly receive attractive wages as compensation. However, average hourly incomes and annual salaries do vary from state to state. According to one salary research, radiologist technicians were earning $54,200 a year as median wage (which gives us an hourly rate of $26.13) back in 2010. Another good thing with the profession is that one need only obtain an Associates Degree to be able to start work professionally as a radiologist. Some of the job requirements may include on-facility training, but there are many others where you can start off right after you have obtained the degree. About 60% of the jobs are located at local, state and private hospitals, while the rest come from offices of the physicians, diagnostic clinics and outpatient care centers.
Best Paying States for Radiology Technician
| Index | STATE | Annual Salary | Hourly Wages | Total Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $72,030 | $33.95 | 14,740 |
| 2 | Alaska | $68,920 | $33.25 | 420 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $68,890 | $32.99 | 4,790 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $67,860 | $32.88 | 670 |
| 5 | Hawaii | $66,580 | $32.34 | 640 |
| 6 | Washington | $66,040 | $31.27 | 3,880 |
| 7 | New York | $65,770 | $31.71 | 12,660 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $64,800 | $31.21 | 5,400 |
| 9 | Nevada | $64,760 | $30.27 | 1,430 |
| 10 | Oregon | $64,440 | $30.88 | 1,940 |
This list is prepared from a huge database of job listings collected from a large number of unique sources. Of course, there are many job listings which do not specify the salary, but there are also many who do and they suffice to give us a decently reliable picture of the market, according to the agencies that have carried out the surveys. We have prepared the above list comparing the surveys done individually by four agencies—Simply Hired, GlassDoor, PayScale and Indeed. The Indeed Survey, for instance, took into account as many as 50 million job postings over the period of one year to extract their results.
The one thing the above lists show is that the payscale for a radiologist may vary considerably depending on the state he is working in. However, there are also other factors involved, apart from skill levels and experience. For example, if you are working in a metropolitan area, you can expect higher salaries. Again, hospital jobs generally pay higher than jobs at care centers and private clinics. Another good point is that the different states do not require different educational qualifications. As long as you obtain your degree from an approved Radiologist Technician College, your certificate will be held as valid no matter what state you choose to work in.