Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 29-2034

Radiologic Technologists and Technicians

Median pay sits 76% below the mid peer in Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations (neighbors include Surgeons, All Other, Psychiatrists, Anesthesiologists, Physicians, Pathologists).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Radiologic Technologists and Technicians: Surgeons, All Other ($414K) , Psychiatrists ($282K) , Anesthesiologists ($391K) , Physicians, Pathologists ($312K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Radiologic Technologists and Technicians publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 29-2034 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Position imaging equipment and adjust controls to set exposure time and distance, according to specification of examination
  2. 2. Position patient on examining table and set up and adjust equipment to obtain optimum view of specific body area as requested by physician
  3. 3. Monitor patients' conditions and reactions, reporting abnormal signs to physician
  4. 4. Explain procedures and observe patients to ensure safety and comfort during scan
  5. 5. Use radiation safety measures and protection devices to comply with government regulations and to ensure safety of patients and staff
  6. 6. Review and evaluate developed x-rays, video tape, or computer-generated information to determine if images are satisfactory for diagnosti…
  7. 7. Determine patients' x-ray needs by reading requests or instructions from physicians
  8. 8. Prepare contrast material, radiopharmaceuticals, or anesthetic or antispasmodic drugs under the direction of a radiologist
  9. 9. Process exposed radiographs using film processors or computer generated methods
  10. 10. Operate mobile x-ray equipment in operating room, emergency room, or at patient's bedside
  11. 11. Make exposures necessary for the requested procedures, rejecting and repeating work that does not meet established standards
  12. 12. Operate or oversee operation of radiologic or magnetic imaging equipment to produce images of the body for diagnostic purposes

Radiologic Technologists and Technicians: O*NET ranks Active Listening first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 29-2034 - lead skill Active Listening at 3.8 ; lead knowledge Medicine and Dentistry. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Active Listening 3.8
  2. 2. Social Perceptiveness 3.6
  3. 3. Reading Comprehension 3.5
  4. 4. Speaking 3.5
  5. 5. Service Orientation 3.5
  6. 6. Monitoring 3.4
  7. 7. Critical Thinking 3.3
  8. 8. Operation and Control 3.3

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Medicine and Dentistry 4.3
  2. 2. Customer and Personal Service 4.2
  3. 3. English Language 4.1
  4. 4. Computers and Electronics 3.9
  5. 5. Administrative 3.5
  6. 6. Education and Training 3.4
Pay vs Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations peers
-76%
vs mid peer median $335,550
This role $80,110/yr
$80K
National median
↑ +4%
Growth 2024-2034
12,900
Annual openings
230,490
Estimated US jobs
Surgeons, All Other
Highest-pay peer · $414K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Associate's degree

Top Paying States for Radiologic Technologists and Technicians

1. Alaska $98,920
2. Hawaii $101,700
3. New Jersey $95,000
4. New York $98,470
5. California $121,260
6. Oregon $102,290
7. Vermont $94,540
8. District of Columbia $102,770
9. Washington $102,090
10. Massachusetts $103,620

Other Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations titles

  1. 1. Anesthesiologists $391,490
  2. 2. Physicians, Pathologists $312,400
  3. 3. Prosthodontists $311,180
  4. 4. Surgeons, All Other $414,010
  5. 5. Psychiatrists $281,870
  6. 6. Orthodontists $289,140

Among Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations peers on this card, Radiologic Technologists and Technicians sits 76% below the mid peer median ($335,550). Its own median is $80,110.

Employment Projections expect +4% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 12,900 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Associate's degree as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Alaska at $98,920. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Surgeons, All Other at $414,010. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Radiologic Technologists and Technicians pay-rank #46 in Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations

Radiologic Technologists and Technicians sits at pay-rank #46 of 71 detailed Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations, the middle third of the major-group median table. ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.

Other mid-table titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

Radiologic Technologists and Technicians pays 76% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Radiologic Technologists and Technicians salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 29-2034

Alaska · top state for Radiologic Technologists and Technicians

$99K published median

Hawaii · #2 state pay

$102K · behind Alaska

Surgeons, All Other

Highest-pay peer vs Radiologic Technologists and Technicians · $414K

Psychiatrists

Lower-pay peer beside Radiologic Technologists and Technicians · $282K

Compare Radiologic Technologists and Technicians

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Radiologic Technologists and Technicians with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Radiologic Technologists and Technicians

Against another occupation

Surgeons, All Other card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Radiologic Technologists and Technicians mid-table among Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations? ▼
Yes: pay-rank #46 of 71 detailed Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations, the middle third. Mid-table neighbors: Chiropractors ($79K), Orthotists and Prosthetists ($81K), Respiratory Therapists ($82K), Therapists, All Other ($78K). ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.
What do radiologic technologists and technicians do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Radiologic Technologists and Technicians. Leading ones include: 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. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for radiologic technologists and technicians? ▼
For SOC 29-2034, O*NET importance scores lead with Active Listening (3.8), Social Perceptiveness (3.6), Reading Comprehension (3.5), Speaking (3.5). Knowledge areas emphasize Medicine and Dentistry, Customer and Personal Service, English Language. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Radiologic Technologists and Technicians? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $80,110 as the national median for Radiologic Technologists and Technicians. The published 10th-90th range is $55,980 to $118,660. Beside Surgeons, All Other ($414,010), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Radiologic Technologists and Technicians? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Radiologic Technologists and Technicians is +4%. Projected annual openings: about 12,900. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Radiologic Technologists and Technicians? ▼
BLS assigns Associate's degree as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Radiologic Technologists and Technicians. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Radiologic Technologists and Technicians? ▼
Alaska ($98,920), Hawaii ($101,700), New Jersey ($95,000) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Radiologic Technologists and Technicians card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 29-2034. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Radiologic Technologists and Technicians. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics