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Industrial Radiologic Technology

Types of Degrees Industrial Radiologic Technology Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Industrial Radiologic Technology have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	92
Associate’s Degree	29
Master’s Degree	92

What Industrial Radiologic Technology Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Industrial Radiologic Technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Public Safety and Security — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Physics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Mechanical — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a Industrial Radiologic Technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Monitoring — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Industrial Radiologic Technology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.5 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.2 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Processing Information	4.0 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Industrial Radiologic Technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software	Industrial control software	—
Structured query language SQL	Data base user interface and query software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Azure software	Development environment software	—
Connectivity software	Platform interconnectivity software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
RESRAD	Analytical or scientific software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Industrial Radiologic Technology graduates include:

• Radiochemical Technician
• Nuclear Technician
• Radiation Safety Technician (Radiation Safety Tech)
• Instrumentation Control Specialist
• Radiation Monitor
• Systems Protection Technician
• Radiation Protection Technician (RPT)
• Nuclear Chemistry Technician
• Health Physics Technician (HP Tech)
• Radiation Safety Specialist
• Metallographic Technician
• Radiation Control Specialist
• Chemical Radiation Technician
• Radiation Protection Monitor
• Nuclear Worker Technician

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Industrial 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)	29.4%
High school diploma or equivalent	27.1%
Postsecondary certificate	16.6%
Bachelor’s degree	15.9%
Some college courses	11.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Industrial Radiologic Technology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 83.1% of Industrial Radiologic Technology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	36	16.9%
Men	177	83.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	116	54.5%
Asian	3	1.4%
Hispanic or Latino	21	9.9%
Black or African American	58	27.2%
Two or More Races	15	7.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Industrial Radiologic Technology Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Industrial Radiologic Technology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$42,486
4 years	$80,722
5 years	$98,073

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $98,073 — roughly 131% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Industrial Radiologic Technology Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Industrial 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	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 Industrial Radiologic Technology Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Industrial Radiologic Technology graduates earn a median of $80,722 four years after completion — roughly 112% 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
Nuclear and Industrial Radiologic Technologies/Technicians	41.02
Nuclear and Industrial Radiologic Technologies/Technicians, Other	41.0299
Nuclear/Nuclear Power Technology/Technician	41.0205

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.