An x ray technician is also referred to as a radiologic technician.
His main duties and responsibilities involve using an x ray machine to take images of a person’s internal body.
X ray images are very useful in the diagnosis and treatment of certain diseases and illnesses.
X ray images are also use to detect injuries to the body such as bone fractures.
Other duties an x ray technician may perform on a day to day basis are talking to patients about the x ray procedure and administering the dyes used in radiology for diagnosis.
X Ray Technician Salary Outlook
The X ray technician salary is one of the fastest growing salaries in the medical field today.
This is directly attributable to the increase in the demand for x ray technicians.
They do play a very important role in medicine which is the help in the diagnosis of illnesses or disease.
Anyone interested in becoming an x ray tech should be pleased to know that even in adverse economic times, an xray technician should expect some job security.
An x ray technician salary can vary greatly. It can range from $30,000 to $100,000 per annum.
The wide range is due to a number of factors.
Key Factors That Determine X Ray Technician Salary
One factor that will affect the x ray technician salary is the number of years of experience.
Newbie x ray techs should typically expect to earn lower salaries than more qualified ones.
Another determinant to an x ray tech salary is the educational qualifications.
An x ray tech can either get a certificate, an associate degree or a bachelor’s degree in radiography.
A certificate course will generally last one year and can be done at a vocational school or at a community college.
An associate degree will last two years while it will take four years to earn a bachelor’s degree.
Most people opt for an associate degree. However, the more education you have, the higher the salary you are likely to command.
Another factor, which is related to educational qualifications, is the number of specializations the x-ray tech has.
There are a number of different specializations in the field of radiography which include MRI, mammography, sonography and CT scans.
These are the different types of medical imaging used in treatment today.
An x ray technician qualified in using more than one of these medical imaging techniques will definitely earn a higher x ray technician salary than the one who can only use of technology.