Why radiology technician

Rather than being tied to a single company, your career as a rad tech is tied to your skills and can move with you across the country. Long-term career Some careers look promising but fade as new findings overtake them. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U. Students who complete all of the required prerequisite and general education coursework at CUKC will be granted preferred admission to the radiologic technology degree program provided that all criteria for program admission and University are met, and all other additional considerations are satisfactory.

How to become a radiologic technologist? A two-year radiologic technologist degree program is a superb fit for someone who wants to Work one-on-one with people Appreciates mastering technology Eager for an in-demand healthcare career in less than two years. Here are 9 Reasons to Become a Radiologic Technologist 1. CUKC welcomes new classes of students into the radiologic technology degree program in spring and fall. Specializations include radiography, nuclear medicine technology, radiation therapy, MRI, and sonography.

Step 4: Maintain ARRT certification every two years : Technologists must renew their certifications every two years, which first requires compliance with all ARRT regulations, adherence to the ARRT standards of ethics, and completion of the required number of continuing education hours. Renewing technologists must either earn 24 credit hours each year to stay current with their certification or be awarded further certifications from the ARRT in other specialties.

The salary ranges for radiologic technologists in the US offer new possibilities for a higher quality of living. Always an attractive choice for those who want to punch up, these great salaries provide an incentive for prospective radiologic technologists to work hard. Here they are broken down into percentiles BLS May :. PayScale is a salary aggregator where radiologic technologists and other professionals report their salaries. The ranges reported here are useful as a comparison to BLS data and are as follows for the more than 4, radiologic technologists reporting:.

In addition to the cost of living, geography impacts how much they will be able to make. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics BLS May once more, the following states are where you will find the highest average annual salaries for this particular profession:.

The highest paying states are not necessarily the ones that have the highest employment levels. Those concentration figures are listed from highest to lowest below. The following states have these amounts of registered radiologic technologists BLS May :.

Of course, a salary can only go as far as living expenses allow, so noting the cost of living in these areas is also essential. Notably, these states correspond almost exactly with the top paying states for radiologic technologists. By contrast, the most affordable states were Mississippi, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri—none of which are among the highest paying regions. The BLS lists the top ten highest paying cities for this profession, and perhaps unsurprisingly, all ten of those cities are in California.

The average annual salaries for those cities are as follows BLS May :. Although the trend for this profession is an expected growth of about 7 percent from to , competition for radiologic technologist jobs will likely still be stiff, particularly in areas with a low concentration of employment. Most radiologic technologists are trained in X-ray and computed tomography CT imaging. But some choose to focus on a specialized area such as mammography or magnetic resonance imaging MRI.

Now you know about the basic duties of a radiologic technologist. While radiologic technologists do have specific duties they perform on the job each day, the nature of the healthcare setting offers plenty of variety and excitement from one shift to the next. Their days are full of assisting different patients with different diagnostic imaging needs, leaving little chance to get bored. Radiologic technologists can also gain cross-training experience within the medical setting and go on to pursue specializations in other types of imaging technology, such as MRIs or tomography.

The opportunity to continually expand your skills is sure to stave off any on-the-job boredom. Escape the rat race and restrictive office culture by finding solace in the healthcare field as a radiologic technologist. Working in healthcare offers plenty of benefits over a traditional 9-to-5 office job. Trade in your button-ups and dress shoes for comfortable scrubs. And forget about the constant pressure to compete with your coworkers for the next promotion.

And then there are the work hours themselves. If a flexible schedule appeals to you, this is a definite advantage to being a radiologic technologist. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics BLS , most radiologic technologists work in hospitals, and lucky for you, hospitals and their trusted employees are needed everywhere.

Radiologic technologists can also find employment in clinics, diagnostic labs and outpatient care centers. The fact that radiologic technologists are needed in all geographic areas is a plus. The BLS projects radiologic technologist positions to increase 12 percent through The BLS attributes part of this growth to the aging baby-boomer population, which will cause an increase in medical conditions that rely on diagnostic imaging.

Radiologic technologists who graduate from an accredited program and obtain certifications will have the best job prospects, according to the BLS. All healthcare careers require tons of education, right? Radiologic technologists reap the benefits of a healthcare career without spending several years of time and tuition in school. According to the BLS, most radiologic technologists earn an associate degree before entering the field.