Radiologist assistants perform X-rays and help diagnose results.
Radiologists are assisted by radiologic technologists and technicians who are trained to operate the machinery used to take diagnostic images such as X-rays and mammographies. The salaries for radiologist assistants depends on the assistant's level of experience, the type of facility he works in and the location.
Salaries
Salaries for radiologist technicians n the United States ranged from less than $35,700 a year in the 10th percentile to over $75,440 in the 90th percentile as of 2009, reports the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In the 25th percentile assistants earned less than $43,510 a year, while those in the 75th percentile earned over $64,070. The average salary for a radiologist assistant was $54,180 annually and the median salary was $53,240.
Facility
The largest employer of radiologist technicians as of 2009 was general medical and surgical hospitals, where the bureau reports the average salary was $54,770. Assistants for radiologists in the offices of physicians was $50,860 annually, and those working in outpatient care centers earned an average of $52,950. In medical and diagnostic laboratories the average salary of a radiologist technician was $57,250, and those employed by the federal executive branch earned an average of $56,140.
Location
West Virginia was the state with the highest concentration of radiologist assistants as of 2009; the bureau reports the state offered an average salary of $41,400. The highest paying state for this occupation was Massachusetts at $68,530, followed by Nevada at $66,420. Maryland, Hawaii and the District of Columbia also offered higher than average salaries ranging from $63,270 to $65,820 for radiologist assistants.
Advancement
Obtaining voluntary certification from the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists will provide a salary boost for radiologist assistants. Assistants may also pursue training in specific areas of radiology such as CT scanning or bone densitometry to increase their marketability. Radiologist assistants can also seek higher wages outside of medical facilities; those working in management, scientific and technical consulting services earned a salary average of $61,970 as of 2009, and the bureau reports assistants working in scientific research and development earned an average of $64,800.
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