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Medical Radiologic Technology

Medical Radiologic Technology

Types of Degrees Medical Radiologic Technology Majors Are Earning

Those studying Medical Radiologic Technology may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level Graduates
Certificate 220
Associate’s Degree 2,543
Bachelor’s Degree 1,092
Master’s Degree 225

What Medical Radiologic Technology Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Medical Radiologic Technology emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Medical Radiologic Technology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Medical Radiologic Technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas: Knowledge areas for Medical Radiologic Technology majors

  • Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
  • Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
  • English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
  • Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
  • Education and Training — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Medical Radiologic Technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations: Skills for Medical Radiologic Technology majors

  • Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
  • Speaking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
  • Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
  • Critical Thinking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
  • Social Perceptiveness — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Medical Radiologic Technology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations: Abilities for Medical Radiologic Technology majors

  • Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
  • Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
  • Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
  • Written Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
  • Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Medical Radiologic Technology graduates report doing:

Activity Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers 4.4 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information 4.4 / 7
Getting Information 4.4 / 7
Assisting and Caring for Others 4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates 4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge 4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships 4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems 4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events 4.0 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work 3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Medical Radiologic Technology professionals:

Tool / Software Category In-Demand
Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet software
Microsoft Office software Office suite software
Microsoft Word Word processing software
MEDITECH software Medical software
Medical condition coding software Medical software
Microsoft Outlook Electronic mail software
Web browser software Internet browser software
Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation software
Word processing software Word processing software
Medical procedure coding software Medical software
Electronic medical record EMR software Medical software
eClinicalWorks EHR software Medical software

Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Medical Radiologic Technology graduates include:

  • Medical Technologist
  • EEG Tech (Electroencephalogram Technician)
  • Polysomnographic Technologist
  • Radiology Therapist
  • Dosimetrist
  • Patient Services Representative
  • Case Manager
  • Patient Account Representative
  • Patient Care Representative (Patient Care Rep)
  • Patient Advocate
  • Patient Service Specialist
  • Patient Coordinator
  • Patient Resource Coordinator
  • Patient Relations Coordinator
  • Admissions Coordinator

What Can You Do With a Medical Radiologic Technology Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Medical Radiologic Technology commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation Job Growth Median Salary 25th–75th Pctile
Patient Representatives 4.8% $47,419 $38,091–$56,747
Radiologic Technologists and Technicians 13.3% $137,802 $107,537–$168,067
Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other 12.2% $153,940 $132,704–$175,175
Medical Dosimetrists 10.8% $38,128 $29,946–$46,309
Ophthalmic Medical Technologists 9.4% $153,819 $121,211–$186,427
Neurodiagnostic Technologists 14.1% $81,316 $67,093–$95,538

Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Medical Radiologic Technology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level Share of Workers
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) 27.0%
Bachelor’s degree 20.3%
Postsecondary certificate 15.3%
High school diploma or equivalent 10.5%
Master’s degree 10.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate 8.0%
Some college courses 4.4%
Doctoral degree 1.9%
Post-doctoral training 1.5%
First professional degree 0.9%
Education levels for Medical Radiologic Technology majors

Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*

Who Is Earning a Degree in Medical Radiologic Technology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 78.8% of Medical Radiologic Technology degrees.

Gender Graduates Share
Women 3,240 78.8%
Men 871 21.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Medical Radiologic Technology graduates is as follows:

Racial-ethnic diversity of Medical Radiologic Technology graduates
Race / Ethnicity Graduates Share
White 2,574 62.6%
Asian 261 6.3%
Hispanic or Latino 674 16.4%
Black or African American 278 6.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 18 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 8 0.2%
Two or More Races 158 3.8%
Race Unknown 108 2.6%
International Students 32 0.8%

See minority definition below.

How Much Do Medical Radiologic Technology Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Medical Radiologic Technology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out Median Earnings
1 year $67,845
4 years $61,295
5 years $69,015

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $69,015 — roughly 2% above the 1-year mark.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.

Online Medical Radiologic Technology Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Medical Radiologic Technology. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level Distance-Ed Available Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s 2 6
Bachelor’s 5 11
Master’s 2 2

Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.

Is a Degree in Medical Radiologic Technology Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Medical Radiologic Technology graduates earn a median of $61,295 four years after completion — roughly 61% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

4-year median earnings vs national baseline for Medical Radiologic Technology

ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program Annual Degrees Awarded
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions 90,379
Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic) 29,337
Physician Associate/Assistant 13,046
Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiographer 11,777
Surgical Technology/Technologist 7,626
Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician 7,272
Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist 6,686
Athletic Training/Trainer 3,132
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions, Other 2,445
Cardiovascular Technology/Technologist 1,540
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Technology/Technician 1,055
Electrocardiograph Technology/Technician 677

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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