You’ve researched becoming a radiologic technologist, so you know it’s a top-25 health care support role and salaries ranging from $53,490 to $64,575 a year, according to Salary.com data. 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 of the best medical developments over the past 1,000 years.
When you become a radiologic technologist – also known as a radiographer or an X-ray technologist – you’ll see the many ways diagnostic imaging delivers 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.
Medical imaging has advanced dramatically since the discovery of 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 result 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 US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the top four imaging professions all have a growth rate above 6% through at least 2031. Salaries will differ by region and with demand. In the Midwest, for example, a rad tech’s starting salary averages between $46,000 and $48,000 per year. With experience, compensation grows.
For example, the survey data from Salary.com says those with a radiologic technology school degree and several years of experience can have an average national salary between $53,178 and $67,169.
Becoming a radiologic technologist is a terrific way to care for patients and use advanced 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).
Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC) offers an accelerated Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Radiologic Technology degree you can complete in as little as two years through our full-year schedule. Our AAS degree program combines classwork, lab time, and clinical experiences to prepare you to become a registered radiologic technologist.
CUKC is a nonprofit, private, university in Overland Park, Kansas, a suburb of more than 190,000 residents within the Kansas City metro area. For more than 100 years, CUKC has been educating and developing leaders in health promotion. Our College of Health Sciences provides next-level healthcare programs in life sciences and health promotion.
The radiologic technology program at CUKC was designed with the guidance of imaging center professionals, and our instructors have real-life experience doing the imaging work they are teaching. In fact, patient care education begins as early as the second semester. Our program is accredited by the Joint Review Committee for Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT).
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!
