Rad tech salary in USA Radiologic technologists are one of the most needed health care professionals in the United States. They help provide clear medical images to physicians and surgeons so that they can detect anything from a broken bone to heart disease or cancer. They do this with machines known as imaging equipment, X-ray machines and CT (computed tomography) scanners. The roughly 100,000 imaging technologists and technicians in the US work either in hospitals or at outpatient facilities such as doctor’s office, diagnostic centers or imaging clinics.
INTRODUCTION
Salaries for tech jobs in the U.S. are getting bigger every year. According to a recent Glassdoor survey, average salaries for software engineers in San Francisco were 19% higher than in New York and more than 25% higher than Austin. The differences in demand for software developers and chances of promotion in different locations can be even greater, as demonstrated by these charts:
How Much Does a Radiologic Technologist Make?
Radiologic Technologists made a median salary of $61,900 in 2020. The best-paid 25 percent made $76,520 that year, while the lowest-paid 25 percent made $50,670.
Radiologic Technologist Salary Data
The average salary nationwide for radiologic technologists is $63,710 (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2020). The equivalent hourly wage is approximately $30.63. There are however wide variations from state to state as the table below shows. Note that the salary shown is the median salary. Entry-level technologists can expect to earn up to 30% less, while highly-qualified supervising rad techs may be able to earn up to 34% more.
We have compared these salaries with the average state house price (Source: Zillow, May 2021), as a means to assess the local cost of living. There will of course be large variations both in salaries and in house prices depending on the location within the state. Expect salaries and house prices to be significantly higher in metropolitan areas.
Employment growth data is from US Department of Labor’s survey data for the period 2018-2028, published originally on CareerOneStop.org.
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| State | Radiologic Technologists 2020 Mean Annual Salary (BLS) | Average House Value 2021 (Zillow) | RadiologyEd.org Cost of Living Index | 2020 Employment (BLS) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $46,920 | $167,810 | 71.8 | 3,510 |
| Alaska | $79,520 | $300,063 | 112.6 | 370 |
| Arizona | $63,610 | $344,718 | 108.1 | 4,970 |
| Arkansas | $50,540 | $146,996 | 68.7 | 1,950 |
| California | $93,650 | $668,300 | 179.4 | 16,670 |
| Colorado | $66,690 | $479,127 | 132.5 | 4,040 |
| Connecticut | $70,210 | $311,309 | 111.8 | 2,090 |
| Delaware | $61,480 | $303,194 | 102.9 | 670 |
| Florida | $57,430 | $289,799 | 98.4 | 14,170 |
| Georgia | $57,780 | $241,218 | 84.8 | 5,080 |
| Hawaii | $82,710 | $718,095 | 212.7 | 620 |
| Idaho | $62,260 | $389,218 | 114.0 | 1,050 |
| Illinois | $62,390 | $229,416 | 85.2 | 8,470 |
| Indiana | $59,640 | $182,770 | 75.2 | 4,860 |
| Iowa | $52,370 | $164,388 | 72.4 | 2,470 |
| Kansas | $55,060 | $175,459 | 72.5 | 1,990 |
| Kentucky | $51,900 | $167,021 | 74.9 | 4,040 |
| Louisiana | $52,410 | $185,376 | 77.3 | 3,010 |
| Maine | $60,710 | $299,219 | 107.9 | 1,080 |
| Maryland | $70,410 | $362,347 | 122.2 | 3,670 |
| Massachusetts | $75,460 | $508,232 | 150.8 | 5,220 |
| Michigan | $59,250 | $205,353 | 80.0 | 6,630 |
| Minnesota | $70,220 | $297,253 | 100.0 | 4,520 |
| Mississippi | $47,340 | $140,771 | 65.6 | 2,280 |
| Missouri | $55,200 | $191,107 | 76.9 | 4,190 |
| Montana | $57,410 | $350,230 | 108.0 | 850 |
| Nebraska | $56,660 | $203,708 | 80.7 | 1,630 |
| Nevada | $71,940 | $358,949 | 112.7 | 1,230 |
| New Hampshire | $64,940 | $357,318 | 113.5 | 930 |
| New Jersey | $71,500 | $400,089 | 123.6 | 5,390 |
| New Mexico | $59,370 | $244,606 | 86.0 | 1,370 |
| New York | $73,550 | $364,328 | 132.8 | 12,170 |
| North Carolina | $59,070 | $243,319 | 88.8 | 7,000 |
| North Dakota | $56,540 | $245,014 | 89.5 | 900 |
| Ohio | $58,880 | $178,863 | 75.4 | 8,860 |
| Oklahoma | $56,700 | $148,986 | 68.6 | 2,720 |
| Oregon | $76,270 | $437,715 | 138.3 | 2,050 |
| Pennsylvania | $55,650 | $228,885 | 90.1 | 9,790 |
| Rhode Island | $73,000 | $365,545 | 119.6 | 760 |
| South Carolina | $55,360 | $220,940 | 83.7 | 3,420 |
| South Dakota | $52,950 | $238,942 | 89.0 | 950 |
| Tennessee | $50,950 | $226,456 | 81.8 | 3,850 |
| Texas | $59,860 | $241,101 | 86.1 | 16,660 |
| Utah | $57,740 | $450,745 | 123.6 | 1,610 |
| Vermont | $63,890 | $294,324 | 106.9 | 440 |
| Virginia | $83,500 | $685,934 | 104.4 | 440 |
| Washington | $62,320 | $323,717 | 191.0 | 5,560 |
| District of Columbia | $75,950 | $503,609 | 139.1 | 3,920 |
| West Virginia | $51,010 | $116,902 | 65.9 | 1,580 |
| Wisconsin | $61,680 | $226,030 | 85.9 | 4,610 |
| Wyoming | $60,280 | $269,791 | 92.5 | 420 |
Radiologic Technologist Salaries and Hiring Outlook
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.
| Role | Typical Highest Education Level Achieved | Number Employed in the US | Average Annual Openings | 10-Year Job Growth | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radiologic Technologists2,4,9 | Associate’s degree | 212,000 | 14,000 | 7% | $62,280 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographers, Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians5,6,9 | Associate’s degree | 131,700 | 9,500 | 12% | $68,750 |
| Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists4,7,9 | Associate’s degree | 38,700 | 2,700 | 7% | $73,410 |
CONCLUSION
The growing interest in Radiology Technology careers is echoed by the increasing salaries of radiographers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs in health technology are some of the highest-paid, with median salaries hovering around $71,790 annually. A Radiology Technologist at the entry level can expect to earn an average salary of $58,120 per year. Experienced workers at this level can earn upwards of $79,280 per year. Radiologists and other technologists also commonly receive bonuses and benefits packages that include health insurance, vacation time, and retirement accounts.
