What Is the Average Salary for a Radiography Tech in the U.S.?
Radiography techs use high-tech machinery, like x-rays, to help doctors diagnose patients. Read on to learn more about radiography techs and how much they get paid.
Job Description
Radiography techs are typically referred to as radiologic technologists and technicians. In this occupation, you'll use radiographic equipment to capture diagnostic images of parts of the human body, like internal organs and bones. First, you'll greet patients and explain the procedure to them thoroughly. During this time, you'll make sure patients meet all the necessary requirements to have the procedure performed, including removing jewelry and loose articles of clothing.
Next, you'll position them on or in front of the machine correctly in order to perform the radiography procedure. There are many different types of examinations and machines, such as mammography, x-ray, computer tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. This career requires you to wear protective materials and follow safety procedures in order to minimize risk to yourself and your patients.
Important Facts About Radiology Technologists and Technicians
| Required Education | Associate's degree |
| Professional Certification | Exam provided by the state or through the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) |
| Key Skills | Attention to detail, strong mathematical foundation, clear communication, reading comprehension, physical endurance, computer competency |
| Similar Occupations | Radiation therapists; nuclear medicine technologists; diagnostic medical sonographers; cardiovascular technologists and technicians |
Salary Overview
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), radiologic technologists earned a mean hourly wage of $29.59 and a mean annual wage of $61,540 in May 2018 (www.bls.gov). Those within the top 10% made $41.51 or more per hour, which comes out to $86,350 or more yearly. Those within the bottom 10% made $19.53 or less per hour, which comes out to $40,630 or less yearly.
Salary by Industry
If you're interested in a career in the top-paying industry, pursue a job in scientific and research development, which offered radiography techs a mean hourly wage of $39.03 or a mean annual wage of $81,190 in May 2018. Other high-paying employers included management of companies and enterprises ($77,250), specialty hospitals ($68,440), specialty hospitals ($68,440) and office administrative services ($66,040).
Average wages for industries with high employment levels included $62,650 for general medical and surgical hospitals, $55,990 for the offices of physicians, $61,800 for medical and diagnostic laboratories, $65,740 for outpatient care centers and $66,790 for the federal executive branch of the government.
Salary by Location
As of May 2018, the BLS reported that California, Texas, Florida, New York and Pennsylvania had high radiologic technologist employment levels. The average annual wages for these locations at that time were $81,060, $58,760, $56,650, $69,250 and $53,640, respectively. California also had the highest average wages in the country at that time.
States with high average pay included California ($81,060), the District of Columbia ($77,990), Hawaii ($76,230), Massachusetts ($74,820) and Oregon ($73,720). Workers in states that included South Carolina, Alabama, Kansas, Iowa and Louisiana made much lower wages that averaged $40,630-$86,350.
Salary by Experience
Radiology technologists with 0-5 years of work experience earned salaries ranging from $30,000-$70,000, according to April 30 2019 figures from PayScale.com. Annual earnings were $36,000-$76,000 with 5-10 years of experience (May 2019) and $40,000-$90,000 with 10-20 years of experience (May 2019).
Job Outlook
Radiography techs were expected to see faster-than-average job growth in the coming years, according to the BLS. Employment of radiography techs was expected to grow 12% from 2016 to 2026. This projection is due to an increased demand for healthcare - specifically diagnostic imaging - spurred by an aging and growing population. If you specialize in several different types of diagnostic imaging procedures, you may see better employment opportunities than radiography techs who specialize in only one type of diagnostic imaging.