Radiography Salary Info
The medical profession is not just for doctors and nurses. While many people are attracted by the idea of a medical career, they are unwilling to devote years of their life (plus hundreds of thousands of dollars) to medical school. Likewise, the nursing trade isn’t for everyone. Despite popular beliefs, there are many other professional trades for people who would like to help patients in a hospital setting. As well as being personally rewarding, these career paths can offer excellent salaries plus great working conditions. One of the best choices out there is to work as a radiography technician. A typical radiography salary is quite high and working conditions are excellent. There is also room for personal growth, and this is a real opportunity to help people.
The Job of A Radiographer
Radiographers are trained to perform an important diagnostic medical procedure that creates visual images of internal organs, blood flow and tissues using high frequency sound waves. A radiographer needs to understand the technology being utilized, know how to manipulate the machinery and analyze the results as well as compassionately dealing with the public. These images are essential to doctors as they asses a person’s condition and decide on a curative course of action. By performing their job well, technicians are directly helping to save lives and improve the quality of life for patients.
Average Radiography Salary Data
The average radiography salary is right around $62,000 per year. This is a very healthy salary by any standard, and there is often room for more earning potential in a hospital setting by picking up overtime hours or working on-call. It also goes without saying that working for a hospital is a great way to receive great health benefits. Keep in mind that any individual’s salary will depend on several specific factors including location, education, and experience. Another way to do the math is to consider that the average hourly rate for a radiography technician is around $30 per hour, which adds up to a healthy radiography salary.
Once a person has qualified in this field, it should be easy to find work. First, the medical field is experiencing growth across the board and shows no signs of slowing. This is due in part to longer life spans and new technologies; people are living longer and new treatments are constantly being developed. That means that hospitals will continue to need trained professionals to work the machines. Second, trained radiographers can work anywhere in the country or even in the world. Their specific skill set is universal and there are hospitals everywhere. Consequently, there is an unprecedented amount of job security in the medical field. Even if work is scarce in your area, there are bound to be opportunities somewhere where you can earn a decent radiography salary.
A final note on the benefits of this specialty is that working conditions tend to be excellent. Radiographers work indoors in a warm, well-lit area. They are exposed to stimulating interactions with other medical professionals as well as being able to interact with a wide swath of the public. Hospitals and medical facilities tend to be centrally located, and hours are very flexible. For all these reasons plus a high radiography technician salary, studying to be a radiography technician deserves closer inspection.
How to Become a Radiographer
There is some schooling required to become a qualified technician. As with any field of study, the more education you can afford, the better will be your starting radiography salary. Regardless, all qualified technicians can begin at least half way up the career ladder. Courses can range between 1 and 4 years, with most students completing their degree in 2 years. These are the basic kinds of courses available in order of length and complexity:
- certificate programs
- associate degrees
- bachelor’s degrees
- master’s degrees
An associate degree is the most common course of study for technicians in radiography, though certificate programs are also useful. It is vital to confirm that any potential program is accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology. A bachelor’s degree will offer more extensive exposure to areas of anatomy and physiology, patient care procedures, radiation physics, medical terminology, medical ethics, radiobiology, and pathology. Rarely, students will pursue a master’s degree, but this is not usually necessary. Most technicians eventually advance in a specific area by gaining professional experience as well as pursuing ongoing educational opportunities.
Most employers prefer a technician who is certified. This means that they have taken a course approved by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) and passed their certification exam. In order to maintain this certification, technicians must complete 24 hours of continuing education every 2 years.
whichever course of study you choose, it is always a good idea to engage in a summer internship if possible. This will let you experience the workplace firsthand and can place you in front of otherwise equally qualified job applicants. Perhaps more importantly, it can help you make contacts and connections. As in any professional field, who you know can be just as important as what you studied.
The US department of Labor Statistics reports that employment for radiographers is expected to increase in demand through 2012 and should experience increased growth once the new health care bill goes into full effect in 2016. While a high radiography salary is an important motivating factor, interested students should pursue this career because they are interested in medicine and want to help people get better. If this sounds like you, then becoming a radiography technician may be an excellent career choice.