Radiologic Technology

Types of Degrees Radiologic Technology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many radiologic technology graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Associate Degree	6,735
Bachelor’s Degree	1,496
Undergraduate Certificate	1,030
Basic Certificate	423
Master’s Degree	105
Doctor’s Degree	1

What Radiologic Technology Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, radiography majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Radiography Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

Skills for Radiography Majors

radiography majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• 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.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Abilities for Radiography Majors

As you progress with your radiography degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Radiologic Technology Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with radiography:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Radiologic Technologists	12.3%	$59,520

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Radiologic Technology?

The major attracts more women than men. About 79% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of radiography majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	50
Black or African American	83
Hispanic or Latino	207
White	1,015
International Students	12
Other Races/Ethnicities	129

Geographic Diversity

Radiography appeals to people across the globe. About 0.8% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Radiologic Technology Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Radiography majors often go into careers with median salaries of $61,540. This median refers to all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Radiologic Technology

Some degrees associated with radiography may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for radiography careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	23.5%
Some College Courses	4.1%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	63.1%
Bachelor’s Degree	3.1%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	6.2%

Online Radiologic Technology Programs

In 2020-2021, 490 schools offered a radiography program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	36	3
Certificate (2-4 Years)	42	0
Associate’s Degree	380	8
Bachelor’s Degree	2	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	12	2
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	2	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Radiologic Technology Worth It?

The median salary for a radiography grad is $61,540 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 54% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $432,800 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Radiologic Technology

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to radiography.

Major	Number of Grads
Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic)	26,641
Physician Assistant	11,351
Surgical Technology	7,583
Respiratory Care Therapy	6,845
Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician	5,396
Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapy	4,850
Athletic Training	3,767
Other Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions	1,911
Cardiovascular Technology/Technologist	1,405
Nuclear Medical Technology/Technologist	619
Electrocardiograph Technology/Technician	568
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Technology	525
Electroneurodiagnostic/Electroencephalographic Technology/Technologist	379
Polysomnography	302
Perfusion Technology/Perfusionist	138
Mammography Technician/Technology	69
Radiation Protection/Health Physics Technician	51
Cardiopulmonary Technology	40
Hearing Instrument Specialist	32
Gene/Genetic Therapy	31
Orthopedic Technology	15

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.