Job Description of Radiology Technician

If you are looking to become a Radiology Technician and need to know what it entails, here is the job description of Radiology Technician. The Radiology Technician produce accurate and clear images of the body so that the doctor can diagnose and treat any medical conditions that would be hard to find otherwise.

The technician operates multiple equipment such as mammography, x-ray, positron emission tomography, and computerized axial tomography. While using the machines, the technician lets the patient know what is going on and what he will be doing so that the patient can feel comfortable and won’t move during the procedure.

The technician prepares the patient before the procedure and lets him or her know what is going to happen. He will instruct the patient to remove clothing, jewelry, or anything that might interfere with the equipment. He will position the person on the equipment and cover parts of the patient’s body to protect him or her from overexposure of radiation. The technician will then focus the equipment on the part of the body that needs to be looked at and capture the image on film or digital file. The technician may also update patient records and make sure that the equipment is working properly.

The technicians can work in many different work environments. They may work in hospitals, imaging centers, clinics, mobile imaging service centers, and private physician offices. The leading job providers for this job are hospitals. Hospitals though tend to be more busy than outpatient clinics. The technician will usually work 40 hours per week but some may require technicians to work the weekend or on-call.

There are skills that one must have to be in this type of field. They must be able to focus on detail, have good communication skills, and have attentive to procedure protocols. The person must be strong enough to position the patient on the equipment and also to lift the patient on the examination table. Also, the technician should have high ethical standards, empathy, and cultural sensitivity.

As far as opportunities for advancement go, technicians are technologists in training. They can advance after they finish training requirements and certification that will place them higher on the experience and knowledge chain.

The job outlook for this type of position is good. It is rising higher than average and continues to look good. The median wage for a radiology technician as of May 2013 was over $55,000. The salary for this type of career can range from $37,570 to $78,440. Diagnostic laboratories and hospitals pay on the higher range than physician offices. Those who have been trained to handle more equipment are also paid better than those who haven’t been trained on a lot of equipment. Salaries may also be different in different states. One state may pay more than another. Also rural areas may pay less than busy cities.

So as you can see, there is quite a lot that one needs to know and do as a technician. It can be demanding but fulfilling also.