Radiologic Technologist as a Fruitful Career Option

 The career of a radiology technician is highly rewarding as a radiologist plays a crucial role in the diagnosis and treatment of patients. Hence, this is a highly responsible career option. Other responsibilities of a radiologist include handling and operation of radiology equipment, control setting on the machines and guiding the patients with the procedure.

One of the first things that determine the salary of a radiology technician is the level of education that one has acquired. The minimum qualification required to become a radiologist is a certificate program, followed by an associate degree. It is essential that the professional must have acquired the education from an accredited college or university. A professional with an associate’s degree can expect to earn an annual salary ranging between $25,000 to $30,000 or more. However, a professional with a bachelor’s degree can expect to start with a minimum salary of as much as $35,000 annually. However, based on other factors the salaries can increase further.

Similar to other fields, the more the experienced a radiology technician is the higher the salary prospects are going to be. With growth in position, there is always some growth in terms of responsibilities. An experienced radiology technician can expect to earn a minimum salary of $30,000 annually and administrators and in-charges can expect to earn a high-end salary of $90,000.

The area of employment is another key factor that can have a strong effect on the salary of a radiology technician. The salary of technologists working in rural areas is comparatively lesser as compared to those working in towns or cities. For example, the salary of a Radiologic Technologist working in New York can be around $70,000 to $80,000. At the same time a radiology technician with same qualification and experience working in a small town may expect just around half this amount in pay.

Another factor that can have a bearing on the salary of a radiology technician is the organization where one works. The different settings where such a professional can work include hospitals, general medicine, diagnostic centers, physician’s office, outpatient facilities or others. Working in a diagnostic center, a radiology technician can expect to earn an average salary of $50,000 or more, and one working with a physician can expect to earn around $45,000 annually. However, education and experience also need to consider while determining salaries on the basis of area and organization.

Added practice in the trade can help radiology technicians to expect much higher salary. This includes specializing in specific fields such as MRI, sonography, CT scan, nuclear medicine, fluoroscopy and mammography. Most of these specialized fields require sophisticated techniques of handling and operation that demands higher salary.

Hence, the salary of a radiology technician depends on different factors – education, specialty, location, experience, and employment organization. It has been estimated by medical bodies that there is going to be a continuous growth in this field over the next decade. This indicates that the career of a radiology technician is going to be a fruitful employment option for a long time.