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Radiologic Technology

Types of Degrees Radiologic Technology Majors Are Earning

Those studying Radiologic Technology have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	1,428
Associate’s Degree	7,973
Bachelor’s Degree	1,605
Master’s Degree	736
Doctor’s Degree	2

What Radiologic Technology Majors Need to Know

Programs in Radiologic Technology emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Radiologic Technology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Radiologic Technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Radiologic Technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Radiologic Technology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Radiologic Technology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.5 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 7
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public	3.8 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.8 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Radiologic Technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Medical condition coding software	Medical software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Medical procedure coding software	Medical software	—
Electronic medical record EMR software	Medical software	—
Diagnostic and procedural coding software	Categorization or classification software	—
Information management subsystem software	Medical software	—
Virtual reality computed tomography CT imaging software	Medical software	—
Structured data entry software	Data base user interface and query software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Radiologic Technology graduates include:

• Interventional Radiologic Technologist
• 3D Technologist
• X-Ray Technician (X-Ray Tech)
• Radiology CT Technologist (Radiology Computed Tomography Technologist)
• Skiagrapher
• Registered Radiologic Technologist (RT (R))
• Medical Imaging Technician
• Radiology Specialist
• Travel Interventional Radiology Technologist
• Limited Radiology Technician
• CT Tech (Computer Tomography Technician)
• Mammographer
• Imaging Specialist
• Interventional Technician
• Radiology Therapist

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Radiologic Technology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	53.2%
Postsecondary certificate	12.6%
Bachelor’s degree	11.2%
Master’s degree	10.3%
Doctoral degree	7.2%
Post-doctoral training	5.5%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Radiologic Technology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 75.6% of Radiologic Technology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	8,901	75.6%
Men	2,876	24.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Radiologic Technology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	6,384	54.2%
Asian	646	5.5%
Hispanic or Latino	3,056	25.9%
Black or African American	787	6.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	74	0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	26	0.2%
Two or More Races	378	3.2%
Race Unknown	384	3.3%
International Students	42	0.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Radiologic Technology Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Radiologic Technology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$67,845
4 years	$61,295
5 years	$69,015

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $69,015 — roughly 2% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Radiologic Technology Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for Radiologic Technology. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	6	16
Bachelor’s	11	14
Master’s	1	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Radiologic Technology Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Radiologic Technology graduates earn a median of $61,295 four years after completion — roughly 61% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions	51.09
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions, Other	51.0999
Athletic Training/Trainer	51.0913
Cardiopulmonary Technology/Technologist	51.0915
Cardiovascular Technology/Technologist	51.0901
Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician	51.0910
Electrocardiograph Technology/Technician	51.0902
Electroneurodiagnostic/Electroencephalographic Technology/Technologist	51.0903
Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic)	51.0904
Gene/Genetic Therapy	51.0914
Hearing Instrument Specialist	51.0918
Hyperbaric Medicine Technology/Technician	51.0921

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.