Career profile · 29-2034
Radiologic Technologists and Technicians
Take x-rays and CAT scans or administer nonradioactive materials into patient's bloodstream for diagnostic or research purposes. Includes radiologic technologists and technicians who specialize in other scanning modalities.
What the work can involve
- Explain procedures and observe patients to ensure safety and comfort during scan.
- Process exposed radiographs using film processors or computer generated methods.
- Perform procedures, such as linear tomography, mammography, sonograms, joint and cyst aspirations, routine contrast studies, routine fluoroscopy, or examinations of the head, trunk, or extremities under supervision of physician.
- Record, process, and maintain patient data or treatment records and prepare reports.
- Prepare contrast material, radiopharmaceuticals, or anesthetic or antispasmodic drugs under the direction of a radiologist.
- Complete quality control activities, monitor equipment operation, and report malfunctioning equipment to supervisor.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Preparation and entry routes
This broad O*NET group commonly involves vocational training, related experience or an associate-level route. It does not mean every course in a related subject meets the requirements.
Check the route for the specific occupation where you plan to work. Education, employer experience requirements, occupational licensing and industry certification can be separate steps.
Understand the different credentials →Skills used in this occupation
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Knowledge to build
- English Language
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Customer and Personal Service
- Biology
- Physics
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Common work activities
- Assisting and Caring for Others
- Working with Computers
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Documenting/Recording Information
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Training subjects to investigate
The federal education-to-occupation crosswalk connects this role to the subjects below. These links do not endorse a school or guarantee that any particular award qualifies a graduate for the job.
Working conditions to consider
These are the most common published responses to selected O*NET work-setting questions. They describe occupation-level survey findings, not every employer or a particular job.
| Work-setting question | Most common response | Share giving that response |
|---|---|---|
| Contact With Others | Constant contact with others | 78.6%08/2026 · sample 28 |
| Exposed to Contaminants | Never | 50.0%08/2026 · sample 28 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | Every day | 77.8%08/2026 · sample 27 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | Never | 46.4%08/2026 · sample 28 |
| Spend Time Sitting | Less than half the time | 50.0%08/2026 · sample 28 |
| Spend Time Standing | More than half the time | 37.0%08/2026 · sample 27 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | Continually or almost continually | 42.9%08/2026 · sample 28 |
| Time Pressure | Every day | 75.0%08/2026 · sample 28 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | Every day | 67.9%08/2026 · sample 28 |
| Work Schedules | Regular (established routine, set schedule) | 85.7%08/2026 · sample 28 |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, selected topics. Only unsuppressed source responses with sample size at least 10 are shown. A most-common response need not be a majority. Sampling uncertainty applies; source dates vary. Ask employers about actual schedules, accessibility, protective equipment and working conditions.
Software used in the workplace
Use these O*NET examples to ask how a course builds practical digital skills. They are workplace examples, not a required shopping list or confirmation of a school’s curriculum.
- Categorization or classification software: Diagnostic and procedural coding software
- Data base user interface and query software: Structured data entry software
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook
- Information retrieval or search software: Information systems integration software
- Medical software: Diagnostic image review software, Digital Imaging Communications in Medicine DICOM software/modality management software, Electronic medical record EMR software, Film processor tracking and management software
- Object or component oriented development software: R
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word
Selected categories and examples from O*NET 31.0 Software Skills. Products and employer requirements change. These examples are not endorsements; check the complete official occupation profile.
Pay & employment outlook
Salary estimates for radiologic technologists and technicians
The median divides workers into two equally sized groups by pay. It is not a starting salary, a school’s graduate outcome or a promise of employment. Lower percentiles are not automatically new graduates.
National outlook: 2025–2035
- Typical education for entry
- Associate's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- None
BLS national employment projections, 2025–2035. Openings include people leaving occupations or the labor force; these are not advertised vacancies. Education categories describe typical entry, not legal eligibility or a guarantee that any specific program is sufficient.
Compare wages across 51 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $60,700 | $29.18 | 3,500 |
| Alaska | $98,920 | $47.56 | 370 |
| Arizona | $89,200 | $42.89 | 4,670 |
| Arkansas | $63,640 | $30.60 | 2,210 |
| California | $121,260 | $58.30 | 20,900 |
| Colorado | $87,760 | $42.19 | 3,960 |
| Connecticut | $91,970 | $44.22 | 3,230 |
| Delaware | $84,210 | $40.49 | 650 |
| District of Columbia | $102,770 | $49.41 | 660 |
| Florida | $76,750 | $36.90 | 16,470 |
| Georgia | $74,550 | $35.84 | 7,540 |
| Hawaii | $101,700 | $48.89 | 690 |
| Idaho | $80,080 | $38.50 | 1,490 |
| Illinois | $79,930 | $38.43 | 7,650 |
| Indiana | $77,640 | $37.33 | 5,470 |
| Iowa | $65,930 | $31.70 | 2,550 |
| Kansas | $76,070 | $36.57 | 2,270 |
| Kentucky | $69,670 | $33.50 | 3,630 |
| Louisiana | $63,680 | $30.61 | 3,370 |
| Maine | $80,080 | $38.50 | 1,050 |
| Maryland | $85,890 | $41.29 | 3,370 |
| Massachusetts | $103,620 | $49.82 | 5,500 |
| Michigan | $76,420 | $36.74 | 7,220 |
| Minnesota | $83,400 | $40.10 | 4,910 |
| Mississippi | $59,300 | $28.51 | 2,510 |
| Missouri | $73,080 | $35.14 | 5,170 |
| Montana | $77,070 | $37.05 | 850 |
| Nebraska | $72,860 | $35.03 | 1,670 |
| Nevada | $82,910 | $39.86 | 1,840 |
| New Hampshire | $84,910 | $40.82 | 1,240 |
| New Jersey | $95,000 | $45.67 | 6,320 |
| New Mexico | $79,940 | $38.44 | 1,150 |
| New York | $98,470 | $47.34 | 13,450 |
| North Carolina | $74,450 | $35.79 | 9,250 |
| North Dakota | $67,790 | $32.59 | 740 |
| Ohio | $78,320 | $37.65 | 9,570 |
| Oklahoma | $74,160 | $35.65 | 3,640 |
| Oregon | $102,290 | $49.18 | 2,700 |
| Pennsylvania | $76,050 | $36.56 | 8,090 |
| Rhode Island | $85,330 | $41.02 | 660 |
| South Carolina | $69,600 | $33.46 | 3,630 |
| South Dakota | $65,240 | $31.36 | 980 |
| Tennessee | $64,630 | $31.07 | 4,660 |
| Texas | $78,630 | $37.80 | 20,250 |
| Utah | $81,000 | $38.94 | 1,780 |
| Vermont | $94,540 | $45.45 | 470 |
| Virginia | $80,670 | $38.78 | 5,140 |
| Washington | $102,090 | $49.08 | 4,130 |
| West Virginia | $74,150 | $35.65 | 1,810 |
| Wisconsin | $79,140 | $38.05 | 5,010 |
| Wyoming | $77,860 | $37.43 | 430 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 492 published local-area estimates for this occupation. Metropolitan areas can cross state lines; a city’s postal name is not necessarily the statistical area’s name.
Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS public downloads and 2025–2035 employment projections, retrieved September 9, 2026. Unpublished estimates stay unavailable. “+” means BLS’s upper reporting threshold ($239,200 annually or $115 hourly). Wages exclude self-employment and nonwage benefits. How to interpret these figures.
Compare the route and prepare for work
Questions to test the fit
- What does an entry-level working day look like, and how does it differ from the experienced role described here?
- Which tasks, work environments and schedules would I enjoy or find difficult?
- What education, supervised practice and credentials do local employers actually request?
- Can I speak with someone in the occupation or arrange a suitable workplace visit?
- How does the complete training cost compare with my realistic budget and available routes?
Related occupations to compare
- Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary→
- Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other→
- Medical Dosimetrists→
- Neurodiagnostic Technologists→
- Ophthalmic Medical Technologists→
- Patient Representatives→
- Radiation Therapists→
Related through shared training-subject mappings. Entry requirements can differ substantially.
Sources and attribution
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. Trade School Guides selects and organizes the material and adds explanatory guidance. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. Occupation code: 29-2034.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.