Radiology techs or technicians perform diagnostic testing, such as X-rays, MRIs and CT scans. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the field of medicine will grow by 15 percent through 2016. Radiologist technicians typically require a state-issued license to treat patients, but many educational options lead to licensure. The average salary of a radiology tech depends upon a number of factors including his length of employment, industry, geographical location and education, reports payscale.com
Experience
A radiology tech's salary depends largely upon how much work experience she has in the field. In September 2009, technicians with less than one year of experience earned between $25,500 and $40,452, while those with one to four years of work experience earned an average salary of between $30,631 and $48,366. For technicians with 10 or more years of experience, salaries ranged from $47,932 to $77,425.
Industry
Some of the largest employers of radiologist technicians as of May 2008 were general medical and surgical hospitals, physicians' offices, medical and diagnostic laboratories, outpatient care centers and the federal government, where techs earned average salaries of between $50,210 and $56,260. In 2008, the highest-paying employers of radiology technicians were scientific research companies, employment agencies, colleges and specialty hospitals, where techs averaged between $56,500 and $63,580.
Geography
The area where a radiology technician worked also affected his salary range, according to BLS reports in May 2008. The states with the highest concentration of techs were West Virginia and Rhode Island, where workers earned average salaries of $41,660, and $60,970, respectively. The states with the highest annual average pay for radiology techs were Massachusetts at $41,660 and Nevada at $64,560. The cities where radiology technicians averaged the highest salaries were San Jose, California; Bangor, Maine; Oakland, California; Boston, Massachusetts; and Bethesda, Maryland.
Education
In terms of hourly rates, the average pay of a radiologist technician depended largely upon the type of degree she held. The lowest-paying techs had medical training certificates in radiology, earning between $11.88 and $21.24. Those with associate's degrees enjoyed higher hourly wages. Associates of Applied Science (AAS) degree holders made only 9 cents per hour less than those with Associate of Science (AS) degrees at $25.34; however AAS recipients had much lower starting wages at $14.74 versus the $15.72 starting wages for those with an AS.
Benefits
Many radiology techs received additional benefits that increased their overall compensation packages. Technicians earned an average of between 1.4 and 3.1 weeks of paid vacation and average annual bonuses of between $500 and $5,600. Other common benefits for radiology techs included paid holidays and sick days, 401(k) retirement plans, life and disability insurance, tuition reimbursement for educational courses, flex-time and malpractice insurance.
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