Radiologic technologists and technicians
Take x-rays and CAT scans or administer nonradioactive materials into patient's bloodstream for diagnostic or research purposes. Includes radiologic technologists and technicians who specialize in other scanning modalities.
Radiologic technologists and technicians take x-rays and CAT scans or administer nonradioactive materials into patient's bloodstream for diagnostic or research purposes. Includes radiologic technologists and technicians who specialize in other scanning modalities. The role reports a median annual salary of $77,660 in the US and is projected to grow 4% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Entry typically requires a Associate's degree, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.44 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include Active Listening, Social Perceptiveness, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Service Orientation.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £48,439 a year for Medical radiographers (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £39,854 to £54,805 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 2254). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Technicians and associate professionals” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Radiologic technologists and technicians, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 3. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
How to get here in India
The usual route into this career in India. Each step links to the official page it comes from.
- 1 · Qualification Bachelor of Medical Radiology and Imaging Technology (B.MRIT), 4 years after Class 12[1]
- 2 · Registration Enrolment on the allied and healthcare professionals register under the NCAHP Act[2]
Rules change: check the exam body's and regulator's current notice before you apply.
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Administrative
- Education and Training
- Public Safety and Security
- Psychology
A day in the life
You start your shift in the imaging department checking the X-ray equipment and radiation protection gear. Your first patient has a suspected broken wrist, so you explain the procedure, position her arm carefully and set the exposure before stepping behind the screen. You check the image right away and repeat it when the angle is not quite right. Next you take a chest X-ray for a patient with a cough, then help with a CT scan, keeping a nervous man calm and still. Mid-morning you are called to the emergency department to take bedside images of a patient who cannot be moved. You follow strict safety steps with every scan, shielding patients and staff and keeping doses as low as possible. After lunch you work in the fluoroscopy room with a doctor. You finish by reviewing the day's images for quality. The pace can be hectic, but your images guide the whole team's decisions.
Illustrative: one typical day, written from the O*NET task statements for this occupation. Real days vary by employer and seniority.
What you'd actually do
- Position imaging equipment and adjust controls to set exposure time and distance, according to specification of examination.
- Position patient on examining table and set up and adjust equipment to obtain optimum view of specific body area as requested by physician.
- Monitor patients' conditions and reactions, reporting abnormal signs to physician.
- Explain procedures and observe patients to ensure safety and comfort during scan.
- Use radiation safety measures and protection devices to comply with government regulations and to ensure safety of patients and staff.
- Review and evaluate developed x-rays, video tape, or computer-generated information to determine if images are satisfactory for diagnostic purposes.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Radiologic technologists and technicians do?
Take x-rays and CAT scans or administer nonradioactive materials into patient's bloodstream for diagnostic or research purposes. Includes radiologic technologists and technicians who specialize in other scanning modalities.
What does a typical day look like in Radiologic technologists and technicians?
You start your shift in the imaging department checking the X-ray equipment and radiation protection gear. Your first patient has a suspected broken wrist, so you explain the procedure, position her arm carefully and set the exposure before stepping behind the screen. You check the image right away and repeat it when the angle is not quite right. Next you take a chest X-ray for a patient with a cough, then help with a CT scan, keeping a nervous man calm and still.
How much does Radiologic technologists and technicians earn?
The median annual salary for Radiologic technologists and technicians in the US is $77,660.
What is the job outlook for Radiologic technologists and technicians?
The role is projected to grow 4% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Current US employment is approximately 228,000 workers.
How do I become radiologic technologists and technicians?
The typical entry education is a Associate's degree. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Radiologic technologists and technicians need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Active Listening, Social Perceptiveness, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Service Orientation, Monitoring. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Radiologic technologists and technicians?
Our AI-durability model gives Radiologic technologists and technicians a score of 0.44 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Radiologic technologists and technicians has moderate barrier to entry — moderately gated — a bachelor's degree or equivalent training is typically required.