Radiology technicians must observe strict safety ordnances.
Radiology technicians -- also known as radiologic techs -- perform the practical tasks of preparing patients for X-ray procedures, which may include dressing them in medical gowns, positioning them correctly with relation to the equipment and taking the pictures. Salaries for practical radiology technicians vary by industry and location.
Average Salary
For the purposes of its May 2010 national survey of employment trends, the Bureau of Labor Statistics classified practical radiology technicians alongside their close colleagues, radiologic technologists, who may have experience with other imaging techniques such as MRI or CT scans. The BLS concluded that the mean annual wage across the profession was $55,730.
Salary by Industry
The largest number of radiology technicians work within general medical and surgical hospitals, according to the bureau's figures. It gave the mean yearly wage within this sector of the health-care system as $55,880. Individuals working within the offices of physicians earned slightly less, with a mean of $54,000, while those in medical and diagnostic laboratories were better-compensated, receiving a mean of $58,240 per year. Positions in outpatient care centers paid $53,590, while techs employed by scientific research and development services earned a mean annual salary of $66,910.
Salary by Location
The bureau listed Massachusetts as the state in which, across all industry sectors, a radiology tech was likely to earn the highest wages, with an annual mean of $78,920. Maryland and California were also given as comparatively lucrative states, with respective means of $68,940 and $66,040. Rhode Island and Delaware were listed with similar wage rates -- $62,890 and $61,460, respectively -- while West Virginia was among the states with the lowest pay levels, a mean of just $42,920.
Prospects
Radiology technicians should experience a 17 percent growth in employment opportunities from 2008 to 2018 if Bureau of Labor Statistics predictions prove correct. This compares to a growth rate of between 7 and 13 percent across all occupations in the U.S. during the same period. An expanding, aging population will see demand for diagnostic imaging rise, spurring demand for qualified personnel to conduct the procedures. As such, wage levels for technicians should remain competitive.
Tags: Bureau Labor, Bureau Labor Statistics, Labor Statistics, mean annual, practical radiology, practical radiology technicians, Radiology technicians