A radiologist is a doctor (MD) who specializes in interpreting radiographs. A radiology technician (sometimes called radiographer) is a health-care professional who takes the X-ray images of patients used by radiologists and other doctors. Radiology technicians follow physician orders to produce X-ray images of various soft tissue body parts for diagnosis purposes. They prep and position patients, take appropriate radiation exposure precautions, keep patient records, and clean and maintain equipment.
Education/Training for a Radiology Technician
Although some radiology technicians do have bachelor's degrees, the large majority just have an associate's degree or a certificate. Most radiology technician programs require a minimum of 48 academic hours and take around two years to complete. Almost all states require that radiology technicians be licensed, with some requiring American Registry of Radiologic Technologists certification for licensure.
Average Starting Annual Salary Range for a Radiology Technician
According to PayScale the starting annual salary range of a radiology technician in the U.S. in 2010 is $29,833 to $49,791. According to the American Society of Radiologic Technologists the starting average salary for radiology technicians is $36,918 per year as of 2008.
Average Annual Salary Range for a Radiology Technician by State
Pay Scale lists the average annual salary range for a radiology technician in California as $35,000 to $75,000, in Georgia as $29,479 to $41,116, in Illinois as $31,000 to $60,000, and in Texas as $39,149 to $50,980.
Employment Prospects for Radiology Technicians
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that radiology technician positions will grow by 17 percent between 2008 and 2018. This rapid growth is largely driven by an aging population requiring more diagnostic tests and better and more effective scanning devices.
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