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Radiologic Technician

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What Do Radiologic Technician Do?

Radiologic Technician Example Maintain and use equipment and supplies necessary to demonstrate portions of the human body on x-ray film or fluoroscopic screen for diagnostic purposes.

Life As a Radiologic Technician: What Do They Do?

  • Transport patients to or from exam rooms.
  • Make exposures necessary for the requested procedures, rejecting and repeating work that does not meet established standards.
  • Position x-ray equipment and adjust controls to set exposure factors, such as time and distance.
  • Use beam-restrictive devices and patient-shielding techniques to minimize radiation exposure to patient and staff.
  • Perform procedures, such as linear tomography, mammography, sonograms, joint and cyst aspirations, routine contrast studies, routine fluoroscopy, or examinations of the head, trunk, or extremities under supervision of physician.
  • Operate digital picture archiving communications systems.

What Every Radiologic Technician Should Know

When polled, Radiologic Technicians say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:

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

  • Computed Tomography Scanner Operator
  • Radiation Technician
  • EEG Technician (Electroencephalographic Technician)
  • Interventional Technician
  • Electroneurodiagnostic Technician (ENDT)

Job Outlook 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. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 11,000 job openings in this field each year.

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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.

How Much Does a Radiologic Technician Make?

Radiologic Technicians make between $28,130 and $72,720 a year.

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Radiologic Technicians who work in New Mexico, Alaska, or Washington, make the highest salaries.

How much do Radiologic Technicians make in each U.S. state?

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 & Technology do Radiologic Technicians Use?

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Radiologic Technicians:

  • 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?

What education or degrees do I need to become a Radiologic Technician?

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How Long Does it Take to Become a Radiologic Technician?

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Who Employs Radiologic Technicians?

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Below are examples of industries where Radiologic Technicians work:

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Similar Careers

Those interested in being a Radiologic Technician may also be interested in:

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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