X-ray Technician Salary Information
X-ray technicians, known formally as radiologic technicians or radiographers, take x-ray images of patients' bodies for the purpose of diagnosing medical conditions. Technicians work under the supervision of physicians in hospitals, private doctors' offices and other health care facilities. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were 214,700 radiologic technicians in the United States as of May 2008.
Annual Salary
As of May 2008, the average annual salary for radiologic technicians in the United States was $53,230, according to the BLS. The median annual wage for the occupation was $52,210 and the middle 50 percent salary range was $42,710 through $63,010. The 10 percent of radiologic technicians who earned the lowest salaries brought home less than $35,100. The highest-paid tenth of technicians made more than $74,970.
Hourly Wage
The average annual salary of a radiologic technician breaks down a $25.59 hourly wage, according to the 2008 salary report by the BLS. The middle 50 percent earned between $20.54 and $30.29. The lowest-paid tenth of radiologic technicians in the United States make less than $ $16.87 hourly, while the 10 percent of technicians who earn the highest salaries make more than $ $36.04 per hour.
Work Experience
The earnings of a radiologic technicians increase the longer he or she has been working. According to an April 2010 salary survey by the private company Payscale.com, the median expected hourly wage range for radiologic technicians with less than one year of work experience fell between $10.28 and $18.10. That wage range increases to $17.13 through $22.12 for those with between five and nine years of work experience. Radiologic technicians who have been on the job for more than 20 years can expect to bring home between $20.00 and $28.73.
Industry
Salaries for radiologic technicians vary by industry. The BLS calculated the average annual salaries of radiologic technicians in the four industries with the highest levels of employment for the occupation and found that those working in medical and diagnostic laboratories earned the highest salaries. They brought home $56,260 per year on average. Those working in general medical and surgical hospitals earned $53,790 each year. Radiologic technicians working in the outpatient care centers and the offices of physicians made annual salaries of $51,290 and $50,210 respectively.
Location
Geographic location can also impact earnings. Typically, salaries for radiologic technicians are higher in metropolitan areas than they are in non-metropolitan locations, according to the BLS. This is likely due to the relatively higher cost of living in urban centers. Average salaries also vary significantly from state to state. Technicians in the states of Massachusetts, Nevada and Maryland are the highest-paid. They earn more than $63,800 per year, on average. With average annual salaries below $43,800, radiologic technicians working in the states of West Virginia, Oklahoma and Arkansas are on the other end of the earnings spectrum.
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