Computed tomography technicians and technologists specialize in a type of radiologic procedure that creates three-dimensional images doctors use for diagnostic purposes. Computed tomography techs have a bright employment outlook, as the scans increasingly are ordered instead of preliminary X-rays, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). About half of all computed tomography technicians earn at least $59,000 per year as of 2011.
Broad Category Salaries
The BLS combines salary data for all radiologic techs, including those specializing in computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The average pay rate for these workers as of May 2010 was $55,730 per year, equaling $26.80 per hour. The median salary was a bit lower, at $26.13 per hour. The bottom 10 percent of computed tomography technicians and other radiologic techs had wages at or below $17.55 per hour, and the top 10 percent made more than $37 per hour.
Computed Tomography Salaries
Computed tomography technologists in particular had a median annual salary of $59,104 as of May 2011, according to Salary.com. That translates to about $28.40 per hour. The middle 50 percent of computed tomography techs were earning $54,174 to $65,096 per year. The bottom 10 percent of the pay scale was at or below $49,686 per year, and the top 10 percent higher than $70,550 per year.
Geography
Radiologic techs in general earn higher salaries in certain parts of the country, as listed by the BLS, and Salary.com confirms some of these locations for computed tomography technicians in particular. The median annual salary for a computed tomography tech as of May 2011 was $60,404 in Albany, New York; $61,764 in Wilmington, Delaware; $62,118 in Providence, Rhode Island; $62,296 in Minneapolis, Minnesota; $64,423 in Washington, D.C.; $66,019 in Boston, Massachusetts; and $70,925 in San Jose, California. The top 10 percent of computed tomography technicians in San Jose earned more than $84,000 per year.
Advancement
With experience, a computed tomography tech may advance to chief computed tomography technologist for a more lucrative salary. The median salary for this profession as of May 2011 was $73,149 per year, according to Salary.com. The top 10 percent of chief computed tomography technologists were earning more than $89,500 per year, and the bottom 10 percent had salaries below $57,950 per year.
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