What Does it Take to Be a Radiologic Technician?
Career Description Maintain and use equipment and supplies necessary to demonstrate portions of the human body on x-ray film or fluoroscopic screen for diagnostic purposes.
List of Radiologic Technician Job Duties
- Complete quality control activities, monitor equipment operation, and report malfunctioning equipment to supervisor.
- Provide students or other technicians with suggestions of additional views, alternate positioning, or improved techniques to ensure the images produced are of the highest quality.
- Position x-ray equipment and adjust controls to set exposure factors, such as time and distance.
- Make exposures necessary for the requested procedures, rejecting and repeating work that does not meet established standards.
- Coordinate work of other technicians or technologists when procedures require more than one person.
- Maintain a current file of examination protocols.
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What Every Radiologic Technician Should Know
Radiologic Technicians state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Types of Radiologic Technician
- X Ray Operator
- Radiation Technician
- Special Procedures Technician
- Computed Tomography Scanner Operator
- Interventional Technician
Is There Job Demand for Radiologic Technicians?
There were about 127,800 jobs for Radiologic Technician in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 19.6% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 25,100 new jobs for Radiologic Technician by 2026. There will be an estimated 11,000 positions for Radiologic Technician per year.
The states with the most job growth for Radiologic Technician are Utah, Arizona, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in Illinois, Rhode Island, or Kansas. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Radiologic Technician Average Salary
The typical yearly salary for Radiologic Technicians is somewhere between $28,130 and $72,720.
Radiologic Technicians who work in New Mexico, Alaska, or Washington, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Radiologic Technicians in different U.S. states.
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $46,230 |
Alaska | $62,580 |
Arizona | $48,840 |
Arkansas | $42,300 |
California | $50,150 |
Colorado | $46,270 |
Connecticut | $55,450 |
Delaware | $48,900 |
District of Columbia | $54,210 |
Florida | $42,730 |
Georgia | $46,960 |
Hawaii | $54,660 |
Idaho | $48,750 |
Illinois | $47,590 |
Indiana | $49,300 |
Iowa | $42,590 |
Kansas | $49,180 |
Kentucky | $51,780 |
Louisiana | $38,370 |
Maine | $51,500 |
Maryland | $44,590 |
Massachusetts | $55,950 |
Michigan | $45,640 |
Minnesota | $55,940 |
Mississippi | $36,900 |
Missouri | $46,580 |
Montana | $42,630 |
Nebraska | $45,370 |
Nevada | $45,980 |
New Hampshire | $50,390 |
New Jersey | $53,570 |
New Mexico | $60,690 |
New York | $55,700 |
North Carolina | $39,230 |
North Dakota | $46,370 |
Ohio | $42,780 |
Oklahoma | $43,960 |
Oregon | $54,520 |
Pennsylvania | $43,070 |
Rhode Island | $55,490 |
South Carolina | $42,820 |
South Dakota | $54,290 |
Tennessee | $64,010 |
Texas | $43,990 |
Utah | $41,150 |
Vermont | $50,140 |
Virginia | $48,050 |
Washington | $59,950 |
West Virginia | $43,490 |
Wisconsin | $44,080 |
Wyoming | $51,120 |
What Tools do Radiologic Technicians Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Radiologic Technicians may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- MEDITECH software
- Electronic medical record EMR software
- GE Healthcare Centricity EMR
- Practice management software PMS
- Information systems integration software
- Diagnostic image review software
- Structured data entry software
- Internet or intranet image distribution software
- Film processor tracking and management software
- Information management subsystem software
- Digital Imaging Communications in Medicine DICOM software/modality management software
- Virtual reality computed tomography CT imaging software
How do I Become a Radiologic Technician?
Individuals working as a Radiologic Technician have obtained the following education levels:
How many years of work experience do I need?
Radiologic Technicians Sector
Radiologic Technicians work in the following industries:
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Career changers with experience as a Radiologic Technician sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
References:
Image Credit: Ryan Conroy via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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