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Communications Staff
UPDATED OCT. 8, 2020
You’ve researched becoming a radiologic technologist, so you know it’s a top-20 health care support role and has a starting salary of $45,000 or more a year. When you graduate from a radiologic technology program, you’ll be part of a profession that’s allowing physicians to diagnose diseases earlier, more accurately, and avoid the risks of invasive procedures. No wonder The New England Journal of Medicine named medical imaging as one the best medical developments over the past 1,000 years.
A Radiography Career Has a Lifetime Impact
When you become a radiologic technologist – also known as a radiographer or an X-ray technologist – you’ll see the many ways diagnostic imaging is delivering better health care and feel the pride that comes as you realize you’re at the center of improving patient care for years to come.
You’re not only working directly with patients and as part of a medical team, but you’re also helping make health care less expensive. A research report from Harvard Medical School shows that every $385 spent on imaging resources reduced hospital stays by one day.
Imaging Innovation: No Sign of a Slow Down
Medical imaging has advanced dramatically since the discovery of the X-rays in 1895, and the pace of change keeps accelerating.
Ultrasound (Sonography) began in the 1960s. Computed Tomography (CT scanning) started in the mid-1970s. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from the 1980s has evolved into open MRI systems.
Today, increased computing capabilities and accelerated processing speeds are resulting in new technologies such as 3D mammography, 3D ultrasonic holography, and PET scans (Positron Emission Tomography), which can see problems within individual human cells.
Clearly, the future of medical imaging and radiologic technology programs is very bright. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the top four imaging professions all have a growth rate above 7% through at least 2029. Salaries will differ by region and with demand; in the midwest, a rad tech’s starting salary averages between $44,000 and $46,000. With experience, compensation grows.
For example, the survey data from Salary.com says those with a radiologic technology school degree and a few years experience can have an average national salary between $54,701 and $66,201.
You’re a Good Match for a Radiography Career
Becoming a radiologic technologist is a terrific way to care for patients while also getting to use technology. You’ll learn
Best of all, your path to a radiography career opens the door to additional credentials. For example, once you’ve entered the profession as a radiologic technologist (R), you can see about expanding your expertise into fields such as MRI (MR), sonography (S), computed tomography (CT), bone densitometry (BD), and cardiovascular interventional radiography (CI).
More about career options, registration/certification, state licensing, and professional societies within the profession is available through the American Registry of Radiation Technologists (ARRT).
Step Into the Radiologic Technology Program at CUKC
Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC) offers an accelerated, Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in Radiologic Technology degree you can complete in as little as two years. Our A.A.S. degree program combines classwork, lab time, and clinical experiences to prepare you to become a registered radiologic technologist.
CUKC is a nonprofit, private, healthcare-focused university located in Overland Park, Kansas, a suburb of more than 190,000 residents within the Kansas City metro area.
The radiologic technology program at CUKC was designed with the guidance of imaging center professionals, and instructors have real-life experience doing the imaging work they are teaching. In fact, patient care education begins as early as the second semester. The CUKC program puts an equal emphasis on patient interaction skills and technical competency.
Other advantages of starting your radiography career with a degree from CUKC:
For more details on becoming a radiologic technologist, request information here and get the free ebook Your Complete Guide to a Career as a Radiologic Technologist now!
