Medical Radiologic Technology

Types of Degrees Medical Radiologic Technology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many medical radiologic technology/science - radiation therapy graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Associate Degree	2,483
Bachelor’s Degree	1,153
Undergraduate Certificate	202
Basic Certificate	150

What Medical Radiologic Technology Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to medical radiologic technology/science - radiation therapist were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapist Majors

Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapist majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills for Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapist Majors

A major in medical radiologic technology/science - radiation therapist prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities for Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapist Majors

As a medical radiologic technology/science - radiation therapist major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

What Can You Do With a Medical Radiologic Technology Major?

People with a medical radiologic technology/science - radiation therapist degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Radiologic Technologists	12.3%	$59,520

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Medical Radiologic Technology?

The major attracts more women than men. About 77% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of medical radiologic technology/science - radiation therapist majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	134
Black or African American	173
Hispanic or Latino	403
White	1,601
International Students	20
Other Races/Ethnicities	152

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapist, too. About 0.8% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Medical Radiologic Technology Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $61,540 to $122,320 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to medical radiologic technology/science - radiation therapist. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Medical Radiologic Technology

Some careers associated with medical radiologic technology/science - radiation therapist require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to medical radiologic technology/science - radiation therapist have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	13.5%
Some College Courses	3.0%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	45.6%
Bachelor’s Degree	18.3%
Master’s Degree	7.8%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	2.5%
Doctoral Degree	5.4%
Post-Doctoral Training	4.2%

Online Medical Radiologic Technology Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	27	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	7	0
Associate’s Degree	192	1
Bachelor’s Degree	9	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	11	1
Post-Master’s	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	2	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Medical Radiologic Technology Worth It?

The median salary for a medical radiologic technology/science - radiation therapist grad is $86,730 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 117% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $936,600 after 20 years!

Trades Related to Medical Radiologic Technology

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to medical radiologic technology/science - radiation therapist.

Major	Number of Grads
Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic)	27,240
Physician Assistant	12,000
Radiologic Technology	10,633
Surgical Technology	7,412
Respiratory Care Therapy	6,569
Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician	6,160
Athletic Training	3,408
Other Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions	2,012
Cardiovascular Technology/Technologist	1,367
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Technology	773
Electrocardiograph Technology/Technician	652
Nuclear Medical Technology/Technologist	575
Electroneurodiagnostic/Electroencephalographic Technology/Technologist	391
Polysomnography	233
Perfusion Technology/Perfusionist	147
Mammography Technician/Technology	109
Cardiopulmonary Technology	51
Radiation Protection/Health Physics Technician	48
Hearing Instrument Specialist	18
Orthopedic Technology	17
Gene/Genetic Therapy	10

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.