Radiographers, also known as radiology technicians or technologists, help physicians by taking X-rays, computed tomography scans and mammograms. Some may specialize in other areas of diagnostic imaging like nuclear medicine, magnetic resonance imaging or sonography. Some may also specialize in radiation therapy for cancer and other diseases. An associate's degree is one of the more common educational requirements for many radiography jobs. Those with bachelor's degrees can earn more money through teaching or supervisory positions.
Salary Range
The average annual salary of a radiology technician or technologist was $55,730 per year, or $26.80 per hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics as of May 2010. The 10th percentile made up to $36,510 per year, or $17.55 per hour, and the 25th percentile made up to $44,200 per year, or $21.25 per hour. The median annual salary was $54,340, or $26.13 per hour. The 75th percentile made up to $65,590 per year or $31.53 per hour. The 90th percentile earned at least $76,850 per year or $36.95 per hour.
Bachelor's Degree
The salary range for a radiology technician or technologist can vary significantly, depending on his specialty. The American Society of Radiologic Technologists 2010 salary survey found that 27.9 percent of those surveyed held at least a bachelor's degree. The average salary for those with a bachelor's degree who primarily worked with X-rays was $55,063 per year, and it was $77,419 per year for those in radiation therapy. Nuclear medicine brought an annual average salary for those with a bachelor's degree of $69,980, $69,106 in sonography and $62,898 in mammography. Those in magnetic resonance imaging with a bachelor's degree averaged $63,573 per year, and those in quality management with a bachelor's degree earned an average of $69,818 per year.
Comparison
The overall salaries in each category were sometimes higher and sometimes lower for those with only associate's degrees. For example, those with associate's degrees who worked in mammography earned an average of $60,205 compared to $62,898 for those with bachelor's degrees. The average salary of a radiology technician or technologist with an associate's degree in nuclear medicine was $70,850, while it was $69,980 for those with bachelor's degrees. Other specialties had very little differences between the salary for those with associate's degrees and bacherlor's' degrees, with the difference only being a few hundred dollars per year.
Experience
The ASRT study found that the average starting salary of all technicians and technologists with between zero and two years of experience was $44,439 for those who mostly took X-rays, $57,427 in radiation therapy, $59,441 in nuclear medicine and $42,458 in mammography. Those in magnetic resonance imaging averaged $50,350 with the same amount of experience, and those in sonography averaged $55,921 per year.
Entry-Level Salary with Bachelor's
Radiology technicians and technologists with bachelor's degrees can expect to earn at the lower end of the occupation's overall salary scale in entry-level positions. They may earn somewhat more than job candidates with associate degrees, but this is not guaranteed. Their degrees make them more eligible for management positions as they gain experience. A general starting salary for a radiology technician or technologist with a bachelor's degree is around $44,000 to $44,500 per year.
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