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Radiologic Technology

A program that prepares individuals, under the supervision of physicians, to provide medical imaging services to patients and attending health care professionals. Includes instruction in applied anatomy and physiology, patient positioning, radiographic technique, radiation biology, safety and emergency procedures, equipment operation and maintenance, quality assurance, patient education, and medical imaging/radiologic services management.

Types of Degrees Radiologic Technology Majors Are Earning

Those studying Radiologic Technology can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	1,428
Associate’s Degree	7,973
Bachelor’s Degree	1,605
Master’s Degree	736
Doctor’s Degree	2

What Radiologic Technology Majors Need to Know

Studies in Radiologic Technology develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Radiologic Technology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Radiologic Technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set built by a Radiologic Technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Radiologic Technology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.5 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 7
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public	3.8 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.8 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Radiologic Technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Medical procedure coding software	Medical software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Medical condition coding software	Medical software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
GE Healthcare ViewPoint Solutions	Medical software	—
Medical software	Medical software	—
Diagnostic image review software	Medical software	—
Information systems integration software	Information retrieval or search software	—
Film processor tracking and management software	Medical software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Radiologic Technology graduates include:

• Imaging Technologist (Imaging Tech)
• CT Tech (Computer Tomography Technician)
• Interventional Radiology Tech (Interventional Radiology Technician)
• Multi-Modality Technologist
• Radiography Technician
• Radiologic Technologist (RT)
• X-Ray Technologist (X-Ray Tech)
• Travel Technician (Travel Tech)
• Radiology Specialist
• Mammography Technologist (Mammography Tech)
• EEG Tech (Electroencephalogram Technician)
• 3D Technologist
• Mammographer
• Imaging Specialist
• Computed Tomography Technician (CT Technician)

What Can You Do With a Radiologic Technology Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Radiologic Technology 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 Radiologic Technology 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)	53.2%
Postsecondary certificate	12.6%
Bachelor’s degree	11.2%
Master’s degree	10.3%
Doctoral degree	7.2%
Post-doctoral training	5.5%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Radiologic Technology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 75.6% of Radiologic Technology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	8,901	75.6%
Men	2,876	24.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Radiologic Technology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	6,384	54.2%
Asian	646	5.5%
Hispanic or Latino	3,056	25.9%
Black or African American	787	6.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	74	0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	26	0.2%
Two or More Races	378	3.2%
Race Unknown	384	3.3%
International Students	42	0.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Radiologic Technology Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Radiologic Technology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb 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 Radiologic Technology Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for Radiologic Technology. 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	6	16
Bachelor’s	11	14
Master’s	1	1

^{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 Radiologic Technology Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Radiologic Technology 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
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
Electroneurodiagnostic/Electroencephalographic Technology/Technologist	374

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.