Radiography technologists and technicians help diagnose internal medical problems by using x-rays or MRI scans to image the interior of a patient's body. They set up the equipment, position the patient, run the scans and submit preliminary reports to the physician who ordered the image. The difference between the salary of the highest and lowest paid radiography techs is over 100 percent.
Medians
Radiography techs make a median hourly wage of $25.59 or annual salary of $53,240 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics as of May 2009. The bottom 10 percent earn $17.16 or $35,700 while the top 10 percent make $36.27 or $75,440.
Workplace
Salaries can vary by workplace type. The five with the best salaries are scientific research, where compensation is $31.16 hourly or $64,800 annually; management, scientific, and technical consulting services, where compensation is $29.79 or $61,970; employment services, where compensation is $28.66 or $59,620; office administrative services, where compensation is $28.06 or $58,360; and specialty hospitals, not including psychiatric and substance abuse, where compensation is $28.04 or $58,320.
States
The state in which the job is performed can also affect salaries as with these top five examples: Massachusetts, where pay is is $32.95 hourly or $68,530 annually; Nevada, where pay is is $31.93 or $66,420; Maryland, where pay is is $31.64 or $65,820; Hawaii, where pay is is $30.51 or $63,470; and District of Columbia, where pay is is $30.42 or $63,270.
Metro Area
The metro area can also dictate pay for radiography techs. Three of the highest-paying cities are in California: San Jose, which offers $37.64 hourly or $78,300 annually; Oakland, which offers $34.99 or $72,790; and Vallejo, which offers $33.67 or $70,030. The other two ranked for pay are in Massachusetts: Boston, which offers $34.88 or $72,540; and Peabody, which offers $33.54 or $69,760.
Employment Levels
Though certain areas may have the most numbers of jobs for this position, they do not offer the highest salaries as in the following examples. The workplaces with the greatest job opportunities are general hospitals, where the salary is $26.33 hourly or $54,770; and doctors' offices, where the salary is $24.45 or $50,860.
The states with the highest concentration of radiography techs are West Virginia, where the salary is $19.91 or $41,400; and South Dakota, where the salary is $21.62 or $44,970. Lastly, the cities with the most number of techs per capita are Punta Gorda, Florida, where the salary is $27.28 or $56,730; and Huntington, West Virginia, where the salary is $21.47 or $44,660.
Tags: where salary, where compensation, which offers, hourly annually, services where