How much do you make as a radiology technician

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Best-Paying Cities for Radiologic Technologists

The metropolitan areas that pay the highest salary in the radiologic technologist profession are Vallejo, San Francisco, San Jose, Stockton, and Santa Rosa.

Vallejo, California

$120,270

San Francisco, California

$116,250

San Jose, California

$114,850

Stockton, California

$113,130

Santa Rosa, California

$111,940

The 5 Best-Paying Cities for Radiologic Technologists

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Best-Paying States for Radiologic Technologists

The states and districts that pay Radiologic Technologists the highest mean salary are California ($95,010), Hawaii ($82,990), District of Columbia ($82,270), Alaska ($79,330), and Massachusetts ($78,830).

The field of radiologic technology provides opportunities to help others while potentially earning a salary above the US average, with expectations for positive job growth in the coming years.1 As you consider earning a degree in radiologic technology, you should become familiar with the various influences on radiologic technologist pay. These include the type of work environment, geographic area, the tech’s experience and education, and the modality or modalities in which a tech is trained. Continue reading to find comparisons showing how these factors influence earning potential as well as in-depth information on radiologic technologist (RT) salaries by state.

How much do radiologic technologists make?

As of 2019, the national average annual salary for radiologic technologists was $63,120.1 The highest-earning 10% made over $89,760, while the lowest-earning made $41,480 or less.1 Outpatient care centers and federal government agencies were the highest-paying industries for this profession, at $69,140 and $67,400 per year respectively.1

The majority (63%) of radiologic technologists recommend that prospective RTs hold an associate’s degree, while 24% recommend a post-secondary certificate and 6% recommend another type of professional degree.2 However, those with higher levels of education do tend to earn more than their peers with only an associate’s degree. According to the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT), the average salary for a radiographer with an associate’s degree is $53,222, compared to $56,540 with a bachelor’s degree and $71,501 with a master’s degree; the increases in salary with increases in education tend to hold true across modalities.3 At the same time, the modalities in which a radiologic tech specializes during his or her education can also make a noticeable difference in pay. According to the ASRT, staff technologists working in bone densitometry earn an average annual salary of $62,042, compared to technologists working in vascular sonography ($69,794), breast sonography ($73,967), or PET/CT, SPEC/CT ($78,018).3 The table below provides an overview of what radiologic technologists make, on average, by core practice area.

RoleTypical Highest Education Level AchievedNumber Employed in the USAverage Annual Openings10-Year Job GrowthAverage SalaryRadiologic Technologists2,4,9Associate’s degree212,00014,0007%$62,280Diagnostic Medical Sonographers, Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians5,6,9Associate’s degree131,7009,50012%$68,750Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists4,7,9Associate’s degree38,7002,7007%$73,410

Radiologic Technologist Salaries by State

This sortable radiology tech salary and job outlook table provides key data for individuals interested in starting a career as a radiologic technologist. You will find the average annual salary for radiologic technologists in your state as well as the projected growth rate for radiologic and diagnostic tech jobs in all categories from 2018 to 2028. Additionally, you can find the percentage of the median home list price that the average salary buys and the number of radiologic and diagnostic techs employed in each state. The states are ranked based on a combination of the job growth rate and the average salary/median home price ratio. Click on your state to learn about radiologic technology programs in your state.

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