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Career Rating and Comparison
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Degrees and Schools
A career in radiologic technology often starts with a two-year associate's degree from a community college or vocational school. Radiologic technicians may pursue bachelor's degrees if they are interested in administrative, supervisory or teaching roles. Certificate programs last one year, and are usually for students who are already healthcare professionals.
The Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) accredits most radiologic technology programs.
Classes
Students in radiologic technology educational programs divide their time between class and supervised clinical experience. Courses typically include:
- anatomy and physiology
- caring for and proper positioning of patients
- the physics of radiation
- safety standards and protection from radiation
- principles of imaging and radiobiology
- pathology
- medical terminology
- ethics
Online Classes and Programs
There are many online degree programs that are accredited by JRCERT. These programs usually work with local healthcare facilities to provide supervised clinical experience, and may provide job placement assistance.
Any distance-learning program should also be part of an institution with regionally or nationally recognized accreditation..
Education and Employment Requirements
A high school diploma or equivalent is required by most schools for admission into a program. They may also require college entrance score exams, previous relevant work experience and prerequisite courses.
State requirements for licensure vary, but most states do require that radiologic technicians be licensed. To obtain a license, most states require graduation from an accredited program and certification through the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT). Even in states that do not require that graduates pass the ARRT exam, being certified can help with landing a job and career advancement.
How to Evaluate Schools
The following questions can be helpful to ask when evaluating radiologic technology degree programs:
- Accreditation - Is the program accredited and in good standing with JRCERT? Does the state in which the student plans to work recognize the program's accreditation?
- Focus - Are courses and practical experience geared towards preparing students for ARRT certification?
- Class structure - Is class size suitable for optimal learning? Are courses difficult to get into?
- Practical experience - Does the program require substantial clinical experience? Are there plenty of good opportunities to choose from?
- Tuition and financial aid - What financial aid options are available for students, including grants, scholarships, work / study and student loans?
- Graduate success - Over the past several years, what percentage of graduates were successfully certified? How effective is the program in job placement?
Radiologic Technician Job Description
When patients get x-rays at doctors' offices, dentists' offices or hospitals, radiologic technicians (also called radiologic technologists or radiographers) work with them to make sure the images are clear and accurate. They follow the orders of physicians to determine locations within patients' bodies that need to be imaged. Specific responsibilities include:
- Carrying out the orders of physicians for specific radiographic images
- Explaining imaging procedures to patients
- Preparing patients by asking them to remove jewelry and other items that can interfere with the imaging process
- Preparing and administering materials such as contrast medium by injection or other methods to help obtain accurate and detailed imaging
- Helping patients get positioned properly for the best view
- Preventing unnecessary exposure to radiation by setting the x-ray beam to a certain size and shielding areas surrounding the location to be imaged
- Setting the x-ray beam to the right angle, height, contrast, density and detail
- Placing x-ray films behind or under patients to capture images
- Taking radiographic images
- Removing x-ray films and developing them
- Following safety standards to protect themselves and others from exposure to radiation
- Documenting patient information
- Maintaining and adjusting equipment
Radiologic technicians may specialize in mammography, which uses low-dose x-rays to take images of breasts. They may also specialize in computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), both of which take many cross-section images for 3-D viewing.
Career Profiles
To help career searchers evaluate their options, BrainTrack has asked hundreds of workers to profile their jobs with a review and ratings. See below for a summary of this career compared to all rated careers and for detailed reviews.
| Category | This Career | All Rated Careers |
|---|---|---|
| Career Satisfaction | | |
| Opportunity for Promotion | | |
| Career Flexibility | | |
| How Cool Is The Career | | |
| How Stressful | | |
| Social Orientation | | |
| Earnings Potential | | |
| Task Variety | | |
| Job Security | | |
Job Title: Radiologic Technologist
Attended: Carrington College • Phoenix, AZ
Studied Radiography (completion in 2014)
Highest relevant degree: Associate's
• Submitted: 3/1/2012
"I love it because it is challenging and very enjoyable. I can see myself in this field for a long time."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 7 | The classes and instructors are great, although the planning and scheduling could be a lot better. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 10 | You can move up to supervisory positions. Also, there are many specialties you can move into. |
| Job Security | 8 | The healthcare field is always growing. There will always be sick people and people dying. |
| Earnings Potential | 10 | The pay is great as most employers pay over 20 an hour. If you are at a good hospital, the raises are limitless. You can live a pretty comfortable life for having an associates degree. |
| How Stressful | 2 | I love the fast paced environment and I thrive on it. Being in the military prior also helps deal with the stress. |
| Task Variety | 10 | You see so much in this field. One day could be broken bones and the next damaged organs. It changes minute to minute, definitely not boring at all. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 10 | You give people an actual view of what is going on with them. What we do is vital in the diagnostic process. |
| Career Flexibility | 8 | I think it is very flexible due to the many facilities you can work at. There is also a lot of temporary work you can do. It's great. |
| Social Orientation | 10 | It is a job where you deal with the general public, so basically you need good customer service skills. I really like it because I am actually helping the customer, not just selling them something. |
Job Title: Radiology Technologist
Attended: AMMED (Army Medical Department) • San Antonio, TX
Studied Diagnostic Radiologic Technologist (completion in 2009)
Highest relevant degree: Certificate
• Submitted: 3/2/2012
"I am very satisfied with my career. I have a job doing what I like to do, which is to help people."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 8 | The excellent thing about my school is that I got paid to be a student. The military does not pay that much, but the other civilian students that went to the hospital when I was in phase 2 of my training had part time jobs on the weekends at Chilli's or Academy. I felt bad because being a student was my job at the time! |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 6 | The opportunities are good. The technologist can get promoted to lead tech or supervisor. Other modalities can be acquired when certain criteria are met. |
| Job Security | 7 | A few years after the X-ray was discovered, the military hired X-ray technologists. I feel pretty secure that my job is good, since it has been a part of the US Army since 1898! |
| Earnings Potential | 8 | Shift differential can turn this job into a great money maker. It is possible to have a full time job at one hospital, while working part time on the weekends at another! |
| How Stressful | 5 | The most stressful part of this job is trauma situations. Everything usually becomes hectic when a patient is in the trauma bay! |
| Task Variety | 6 | The tasks are usually the same. The difference is the patient's situation. Some patients may be able to walk into the clinic, while others need to be rolled in. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 7 | It seems like everyone wants to be an X-ray Tech. The job is in the hospital and it seems to involve less interaction with bodily fluids than other medical jobs. |
| Career Flexibility | 6 | Job flexibility is awesome. There are many options when working as an X-ray technologist. One down fall is so many people are flooding the field. |
| Social Orientation | 10 | People skills will really help in this job field. Patient care is very important in this field. Being professional is key as well. |
Job Title: Radiologic Technologist (R)
Attended: University Of Central Arkansas • Conway, AR
Studied Radiography (completion in 2010)
Highest relevant degree: Bachelor's
• Submitted: 2/28/2012
"I enjoy helping patients and only having to work 4 days a week."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 10 | I learned the information I needed to prepare me to go to work in my field. My school taught me the information needed to be able to pass my registry test after graduation. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 5 | It's harder to be able to climb into a supervisor position in this field. You can switch to a different area of radiography, such as specials or cath lab, and be able to make more money, if that's considered a promotion. |
| Job Security | 7 | I have job security where I currently work, but the field seems to be over saturated with workers. I think it would be hard to jump straight into a job if you were to get laid off or decide to quit. |
| Earnings Potential | 9 | My career has lots of room for advancement in earnings if I move into other modalities. There is less opportunity for advancement in the area in which I am currently working. |
| How Stressful | 8 | Some areas of radiology, such as vascular, can be very stressful and time consuming. Other areas, such as diagnostic, aren't very stressful at all. |
| Task Variety | 8 | My job allows me to perform a wide variety of tasks on a daily basis. I have the ability to perform different daily tasks every day I work. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 6 | Lots of my friends think I have a cool job to go to. Many nurses don't think radiographers do cool work, though. |
| Career Flexibility | 9 | There are a lot of different shifts available in this field. This job has a variety of different areas and modalities available to work in. |
| Social Orientation | 10 | I interact with lots of different types of patients. I also interact with lots of different people that work in different areas of the hospital. |
Job Title: Radiologic Technologist
Attended: Brooke Army Medical Center • San Antonio, TX
Studied Radiologic Sciences (completion in 2011)
Highest relevant degree: Associate's
• Submitted: 3/19/2012
"I'm happy that I got into the medical field at a young age. I don't plan on making this a career, however, as I'm currently pursuing an MD."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 8 | The didactic portion of my course was accelerated and I completed it in 6 months. My clinicals were also 6 months. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 8 | In the military you're guaranteed to get promoted if you work hard. Your first promotions are also based on time spent. |
| Job Security | 8 | I am employed by the military. So unless the government collapses, I'll have a job until my contract is up. |
| Earnings Potential | 7 | Right now I make significantly more than my college peers. However, to further progress in this field takes time and dedication. |
| How Stressful | 5 | Not much stresses me out. The only stressful situations I experience are doing trauma exams in the ER. |
| Task Variety | 7 | Sometimes it can get monotonous, like shooting 100 foot exams in a day. You also get to see patients with a myriad of ailments. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 7 | I would say it's a fairly prestigious job because it's in the medical field. I also get to see people's insides which most people don't get to do. |
| Career Flexibility | 1 | The army sets the schedules. I have no control over my work hours. |
| Social Orientation | 10 | You talk to new patients everyday. Sometimes you're the first person the patient talks to (when on night shift). |
Job Title: Supervisor Of Front Desk And Radiologic Technologist
Attended: Lewis Gale Hospital • Salem, VA
Studied Radiologic Technologist Limited (completion in 2003)
Highest relevant degree: Certificate
• Submitted: 3/19/2012
"I love my job because I enjoy working with the public. My job can be very interesting at times."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 9 | The hospital I learned at was great! They offered a hands on approach I could relate to. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 10 | I have already been promoted to supervisor. There are plenty of opportunities for advancement. |
| Job Security | 10 | Nobody else at my clinic can perform my job. Therefore, I have created great job security for myself. |
| Earnings Potential | 7 | Of course I would like to make more money. But there is a limit on how much one can make in my position, unfortunately. |
| How Stressful | 10 | I have to deal with all the complaints from patients. I feel pressure not to over expose a patient. |
| Task Variety | 9 | I deal with medical scenarios, so my tasks vary substantially. Never the same day twice. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 9 | I am right upfront so I see all the medical drama first. I am in charge and that's always cool! |
| Career Flexibility | 3 | I can not work from home. My hours are set and can not vary. |
| Social Orientation | 10 | There is constant social interaction. I talk on the phone with patients as well and come face to face with them on a daily basis. |
Job Title: Radiologic Technologist
Attended: United States Air Force • San Antonio, TX
Studied Diagnostic Imaging (completion in 2012)
Highest relevant degree: Certificate
• Submitted: 3/22/2012
"It is an easy job and it's entertaining. Patients can be frustrating, however,"
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 9 | I had good instructors and courses. I also had knowledge based training. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 5 | I'm in a saturated area so there is a lot of competition, which makes promotion more difficult. However, I am in the air force, so I have to comply to their standards for promotion. |
| Job Security | 10 | The field is growing quickly, so there are a lot of job opportunities. As I am in the military, I obviously have a very secure job at this time. |
| Earnings Potential | 8 | As I previously said, I am in a saturated area, so the earnings potential is not great. However, in most areas, the earnings potential is very good. |
| How Stressful | 6 | People's lack of compliance in imaging can be frustrating. I think the majority of the stress in my position is due to the lack of cooperation from my coworkers. |
| Task Variety | 2 | As I explained, the military is very departmentalized, so everyone does one specific job. I never really have any fluctuation in my job duties. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 8 | The job is fun, and I get to meet a lot of interesting people. Also the science behind the career is fascinating. |
| Career Flexibility | 1 | Because I am in the military, the training is very departmentalized. For example, certain technologist do MRIs only, while some do radiographs, and others do CTs. |
| Social Orientation | 10 | During down time, I am in contact with physicians, nurses, and other technologists. When it is busy, I am always talking with patients. |
Job Title: Radiologic Technologist
Attended: Brevard Community College • Cocoa, FL
Studied Radiography (completion in 1999)
Highest relevant degree: Associate's
• Submitted: 3/25/2012
"I have worked in a trauma center for 6 years. I am satisfied that I am able to help with diagnosing my patient's diseases and problems. I am happy that some of my patients appreciate what I do. I am starting to experience burnout from dealing with trauma patients and angry and drunk patients."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 10 | Brevard Community College offered everything I needed in 2 years to be ready for the radiography field. I was able to be hired as soon as I graduated. The hours of practical work in the hospitals prepared me well. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 10 | About a month after I graduated, I was given a position in Cat Scan. Radiography has many places that a tech can branch out too. For example, Cat Scan, MRI, administration, lead tech, etc. |
| Job Security | 2 | I know of many Radiologic Technologists, including myself, who are unsatisfied with where they are working and are looking for other jobs in the field, unsuccessfully. The radiologic field is being inundated with too many graduates from schools every year. It is now even difficult to get a job as a traveling Radiologic Technologist. |
| Earnings Potential | 10 | When I started working in 1999, I was making $15/hour. I now make $25/hour. Most hospitals pay more for graveyard shifts, 3-11 pm shifts, and holiday shifts. |
| How Stressful | 8 | Things need to be done by a certain time, otherwise you will have doctors screaming at you. In a trauma, time is crucial. The longer you take, the more critical the patient can become. A radiologic tech is also responsible for scheduling times, in a hospital, that patients are to be brought down for imaging. In a busy hospital, this can be stressful. Sometimes you can have multiple patients lined up in the hall, all waiting to get x-rayed or scanned, and triaging them is necessary. |
| Task Variety | 5 | Day to day tasks vary only in the patients you encounter. Generally speaking, you do the same exams day in and day out. Occasionally, something unusual comes up and you have to figure out what the right approach is for imaging. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 8 | Working in a trauma center is very exciting and an adrenaline rush, at times. Radiographers get to help diagnose people's illnesses, which is very cool. |
| Career Flexibility | 3 | For the most part, outpatient clinics, doctors offices, and hospitals are where a Radiographer can work. There are travel opportunities that pay well, but I have been unable to be hired as one. |
| Social Orientation | 10 | There is constant social interaction between yourself and doctors, coworkers, and patients. There are many phone calls to answer in order for things to run smoothly. |
Job Title: Radiologic Technologist
Attended: Northeast Texas Community College • Mt. Pleasant, TX
Studied Radiology (completion in 2011)
Highest relevant degree: Associate's
• Submitted: 3/27/2012
"I'm still excited about the new career as I just started. However, I don't find it all that challenging."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 8 | Our program was, for the most part, excellent. We were provided hands-on training at multiple clinical sites which allowed for networking opportunities. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 5 | I don't believe I'll be here long enough to get promoted. However, if I am, the chances of it are slim. There just aren't a lot of advancement opportunities for rad techs who are only rad techs. Everyone wants a jack of all trades. |
| Job Security | 4 | The hospital I work at has a high turnover rate, and I'm honestly not very happy here. However, I do need the job experience if I want to move on somewhere else, especially with the radiology market being so flooded. |
| Earnings Potential | 8 | You can earn a lot in the medical field. However, like I said previously, the radiology market is flooded and people don't want someone who can only do radiology. They want a phlebotomist/nurse as well. I think that's where the real money is. |
| How Stressful | 7 | The career can get stressful, especially when you're trying to X-Ray a trauma patient without upsetting their injuries further. It can also be stressful on a high volume day, and the hospital I work at is stressful in the first place just due to the attitudes of my coworkers. |
| Task Variety | 5 | They vary somewhat patient to patient. However, it's the same for the most part. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 7 | I think younger people find it cooler, especially teenage boys. The idea of looking at someone's bones has almost a superhero quality for them. |
| Career Flexibility | 6 | Since there are different types of radiology (CT, MRI, etc.), there are some options for flexibility in the field. However, those few options don't allow for a whole lot of flexibility. |
| Social Orientation | 9 | I'm constantly interacting with doctors and patients. I also get to see and help people I know on occasion. One of my daughter's friend's mother came in the other day with her young son. I got to hear from my daughter that her mother found me extremely helpful. I like that level of interaction...especially when I get to hear praise of my work. |
Job Title: Radiographer
Attended: Florida Atlantic University • Boca Raton, FL
Studied Radiologic Technologies (completion in 2010)
Highest relevant degree: Bachelor's
• Submitted: 4/1/2012
"When I graduated I started working right away. I've been even more successful ever since."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 8 | Very good professor. Good set of peers also. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 7 | I've been promoted twice since I started, and I'm looking to be promoted again by the end of the year. |
| Job Security | 10 | I'm very good at what I do. I learn quickly and it pays off. |
| Earnings Potential | 6 | I grossed about $64,000 last year, and I'm on track for about $68,000 with my new promotion. |
| How Stressful | 1 | I hardly ever stress at work. My patients are never any trouble. |
| Task Variety | 8 | I'm never bored - always something to do in this field. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 4 | Not very cool, but it depends on what's cool to you. |
| Career Flexibility | 5 | As you know, the medical field is always demanding. You still get to have your time off when you need it, but don't make a habit of it. |
| Social Orientation | 5 | There are always people in the hospital, or in any medical setting for that matter. |
Job Title: Nuclear Medicine Technologist
Attended: Fredrick Community College • Fredrick, MD
Studied Nuclear Medicine (completion in 2008)
Highest relevant degree: Certificate
• Submitted: 4/2/2012
"I feel like the material of the courses were tough and fast. I struggled in the beginning but caught on second semester."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 10 | My teacher was very outgoing and understanding and was very straight forward. I also liked the campus in Fredrick, Maryland. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 1 | Nuclear Medicine is a job that doesn't really have any promotions other then being a supervisor. The chances of promotion are very slim. |
| Job Security | 4 | It's particularly difficult to find a job in nuclear medicine. I rated it a 4 because the chances I will find an open position may be low. |
| Earnings Potential | 6 | I am content with my salary, but most of it goes to support my family and it doesn't leave too much for me to spend. If I didn't have a family, I may have rated it higher. |
| How Stressful | 5 | The work environment can be very stressful because it is in a hospital. But there are some days when the workload can be light. |
| Task Variety | 9 | Most days my tasks can include doing different procedures, faxing information, delivering medication, injecting patients with our radioactive isotope, and speaking with doctors. Sometimes they have me do additional tasks. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 8 | I like working in Nuclear Medicine because I get to help people. Nuclear Medicine can teach you a lot about your own cardiac health. |
| Career Flexibility | 1 | I can not perform this job outside of a medical facility. I also rated it inflexible because I would have to take a pay cut if I worked fewer hours. |
| Social Orientation | 2 | I don't have a lot of time to socialize outside of work. I take my work very seriously and like to keep work relationships out of my personal life. |
Job Title: Radiology Technician
Attended: University Of Missouri • Columbia, MO
Studied Health Sciences (completion in )
Highest relevant degree: Certificate
• Submitted: 4/2/2012
"Being a rad tech is no longer for me. I want to become a Physicians Assistant in order to provide more for my patients."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| School Rating | 8 | Univ. of Missouri is great. They are very student oriented. |
| Opportunity for Promotion | 10 | To get promoted you can get a Bachelors and become a director of the department. You can also get certified in other aspects, such as MRI, CT, Ultrasound, or Mammogram. |
| Job Security | 4 | The rad tech field is becoming very overpopulated. Jobs are becoming few and far between. |
| Earnings Potential | 8 | The earnings are very competitive compared to the other medical jobs with Associates degrees. Working in larger cities means a big increase in earnings. |
| How Stressful | 8 | Working in fast paced settings, such as the ER, can get incredibly stressful. Also, working in the OR with very demanding and impatient surgeons is pretty stressful. |
| Task Variety | 8 | If working in fast paced settings like the ER, it varies daily. If working in a place such as an Orthopedic clinic, it can become very repetitive. |
| How Cool Is The Career | 8 | Working in the ER or OR is definitely "cool" given all the gory things that you can see. Being able to see inside of people has a certain glamor to it. |
| Career Flexibility | 10 | Rad techs are needed for any shift, any day of the week, and in many locations. Career options and specializations are very flexible with all the different options to choose from. |
| Social Orientation | 9 | On busy days you may see a new patient every 15 minutes, so that's a lot of social interaction. On very slow days you may only see a few patients the entire day. |
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