How to Become an MRI Assistant in 5 Steps

Explore the career requirements for MRI assistants. Get the facts about job duties, education requirements, certification and employment outlook to determine if this is the right career for you.

What Does an MRI Assistant Do?

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) equipment is used by trained medical professionals to produce images used to help diagnose patients. MRI assistants, also known as MRI technologists, use these scanners and provide the results to physicians. They then determine if more images are needed or if they have sufficient information for the physician to make a diagnosis. As part of their duties they may have to adjust the equipment, perform basic maintenance on the equipment, and prepare patients prior to performing the MRI scans. MRI technologists use computer equipment to produce the scans. They are required to have an associate's degree. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of 2020, 57% of MRI technicians worked in hospitals; 18% worked in medical and diagnostic laboratories.

Degree Required	Associate's degree
Education Field of Study	MRI technology, radiography
Key Responsibilities	Interview patients, perform MRI exams, help physicians evaluate results, calibrate & maintain equipment
Licensure/Certification	License &/or certification required by some states
Job Growth (2020-2030)	8% (for all magnetic resonance imaging technologists)*
Median Salary (2020)	$74,690 (for all magnetic resonance imaging technologists)*

Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

What Is an MRI Assistant?

An MRI assistant is a medical technologist who captures diagnostic images of a patient's internal organs using magnetic resonance imaging equipment. Your primary duties include calibrating MRI machines; interviewing patients to discover potential risk factors; explaining procedures to patients; injecting gadolinium contrast dyes into patients; connecting monitoring leads to patients; positioning patients on exam bench; and monitoring patients during an exam.

After an exam, you might develop or produce film of images, create backups of digitized exam images and perform light maintenance on equipment.

Step 1: Prepare in High School

Although high schools are unlikely to offer MRI training, you can choose courses that provide background preparation. Physics, chemistry, biology and electronics are relevant subjects for the content you can expect to encounter in an MRI program. Familiarizing yourself with basic medical terminology could also be helpful down the road.

Step 2: Earn an Associate's Degree

Associate's degree programs in magnetic resonance imaging train you to operate an MRI machine and care for patients during an imaging session. Courses cover such topics as cross-sectional anatomy, MRI physics, imaging procedures and MRI safety. In addition to classroom instruction and labs, most programs include a clinical internship. Associate's degrees may be earned in two years.

Step 3: Pursue a Job

A majority of job opportunities are in hospitals; as of May 2020, more than half of MRI technologists were employed by hospitals, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Medical imaging centers and physician offices provide a smaller but significant share of jobs.

In addition, the BLS expects jobs to increase about 8% over the 2020-2030 decade. Two factors in this job growth are the aging U.S. population, which will require more medical testing, and the increased access to medical insurance created by federal health legislation.

Step 4: Consider Certification

Certification can provide proof of your competency and dedication but is otherwise voluntary. You can obtain MRI certification from the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists, if you've completed an approved MRI program in the past five years and pass their certification exam. The exam consists of 200 scored and 20 practice questions covering sound imaging physics, data processing, patient care and imaging procedures.

Step 5: Advance Your Career

Experience and a willingness to further your education define your advancement options. With enough experience, you could be promoted to a position supervising other MRI assistants. Earning a bachelor's degree could enable you to become chief technologist or chief assistant, and earning a master's degree in health administration could lead to positions as department supervisor or administrator. Transitioning out of patient care into positions as an instructor or sales rep for an equipment manufacturer are also possibilities.

What Are Some Related Alternative Careers?

Diagnostic medical sonographers and cardiovascular technologists and technicians, including vascular technologists, also use specialized medical equipment to produce images a patient's body for the purpose of diagnosing their condition. They can also conduct tests with this equipment. Like MRI assistants, they are required to have an associate's degree. An associate's degree is also required to become a nuclear medicine technologist. Nuclear medicine technologists use radioactive medicine and equipment to produce images of a patient. Physicians use the results to diagnose patients. Radiation therapists need an associate's degree, but their focus is not on producing images or conducting tests to diagnose patients. They perform radiation treatments for patients with cancer and other diseases.