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MRI Technician

What MRI Technician Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing MRI Technician emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a MRI Technician program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to MRI Technician careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, MRI Technician graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.5 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.1 / 7
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public	3.9 / 7
Processing Information	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by MRI Technician professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
GE Healthcare Centricity EMR	Medical software	—
Radiology information systems (RIS)	Medical software	—
Electronic medical record EMR software	Medical software	—
Appointment scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
eClinicalWorks EHR software	Medical software	—
Teleradiology systems	Medical software	—
MEDITECH software	Medical software	—
Medical image processing software	Medical software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for MRI Technician graduates include:

• MRI Technologist (Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologist)
• MRI Specialist (Magnetic Resonance Imaging Specialist)
• MRI Tech (Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technician)
• MRI Radiographer (Magnetic Resonance Imaging Radiographer)
• MRI Coordinator (Magnetic Resonance Imaging Coordinator)
• MRI QA Coordinator (Magnetic Resonance Imaging Quality Assurance Coordinator)
• MRI Special Procedures Technologist (Magnetic Resonance Imaging Special Procedures Technologist)
• Travel MRI Tech (Travel Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technician)
• Research MRI Technologist (Research Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologist)
• Imaging Technologist
• Podiatry Professor
• Radiologic Technology Teacher
• Optometry Teacher
• Health Diagnostics Teacher
• Associate Professor

What Can You Do With a MRI Technician Degree?

Graduates with a degree in MRI Technician commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary	10.7%	$46,663	$40,304–$53,022

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to MRI Technician 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)	39.4%
Master’s degree	15.3%
Doctoral degree	10.6%
Bachelor’s degree	10.3%
Postsecondary certificate	8.7%
Post-doctoral training	8.1%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.5%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.5%
Some college courses	2.5%

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

How Much Do MRI Technician Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of MRI Technician graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow 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 MRI Technician Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for MRI Technician. 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
Bachelor’s	1	0

^{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 MRI Technician Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, MRI Technician 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	Annual Degrees Awarded
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions	90,379
Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic)	29,337
Physician Associate/Assistant	13,046
Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiographer	11,777
Surgical Technology/Technologist	7,626
Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist	6,686
Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapist	4,111
Athletic Training/Trainer	3,132
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions, Other	2,445
Cardiovascular Technology/Technologist	1,540
Electrocardiograph Technology/Technician	677
Nuclear Medical Technology/Technologist	596

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.