Radiologic Technologist
Radiologic Technologist
Career Overview
Radiologic technologists use advanced medical-imaging equipment to create diagnostic images of the body, primarily through X-rays and CT scans. They prepare and position patients, operate imaging systems, monitor image quality, and work with healthcare professionals to produce the images needed for diagnosis and treatment.
Education
A postsecondary program in diagnostic radiography or medical radiation technology is the typical pathway. Programs combine classroom study with supervised clinical training and cover subjects such as anatomy, patient care, radiation safety, imaging techniques, and equipment operation. Professional certification, registration, or licensing may be required depending on where you practise.
Work Environment
Radiologic technologists work in hospitals, diagnostic imaging centres, clinics, physicians’ offices, and outpatient healthcare facilities. The job combines direct patient care with sophisticated imaging technology. Technologists may spend much of the day on their feet and may need to help position or move patients. Some roles include evenings, weekends, or overnight shifts.
Future Outlook
The outlook is positive. Medical imaging remains an essential part of modern healthcare, while advances in CT, digital imaging, 3D image reconstruction, AI-assisted image analysis, and other technologies continue to expand what imaging professionals can do. Demand for skilled technologists is expected to remain strong as diagnostic imaging becomes increasingly important in detecting and monitoring disease.
Recommended High School Courses
- Biology
- Math
- Physics
- English
- Health science
- Computer Studies
- Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- 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.
- Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
- Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
- Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- 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.
- 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.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
- 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.
- Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
- Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
- Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
- Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
- Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
- Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Finger Dexterity - The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
- Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
- Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
- Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Perceptual Speed - The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
- 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.
- Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
- Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
- Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
- Static Strength - The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
- Trunk Strength - The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
- Visual Color Discrimination - The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
- 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.
- Check quality of diagnostic images.
- Operate diagnostic imaging equipment.
- Verify that medical activities or operations meet standards.
- Monitor patient conditions during treatments, procedures, or activities.
- Adjust settings or positions of medical equipment.
- Explain medical procedures or test results to patients or family members.
- Collect medical information from patients, family members, or other medical professionals.
- Enter patient or treatment data into computers.
- Position patients for treatment or examination.
- Prepare medical supplies or equipment for use.
- Inform medical professionals regarding patient conditions and care.
- Administer medical substances for imaging or other procedures.
- Prepare medications or medical solutions.
- Monitor video displays of medical equipment to ensure proper functioning.
- Prepare reports summarizing patient diagnostic or care activities.
- Record patient medical histories.
- Collaborate with healthcare professionals to plan or provide treatment.
- Assist patients with hygiene or daily living activities.
- Process x-rays or other medical images.
- Measure the physical or physiological attributes of patients.
- Supervise patient care personnel.
- Maintain medical equipment or instruments.
- Repair medical facility equipment.
- Train medical providers.
- Manage healthcare operations.
Schools
Atlanta Technical College
Austin Community College...
Bakersfield College- Pano...
Bluefield State College-...
Carrington College- Spoka...
Central Arizona College
Cleveland University- Kan...
College Of Central Florid...
Concordia College- New Yo...
Delaware Technical And Co...
El Camino College
Everett Community College
Ferris State University
Franciscan Missionaries O...
Massachusetts Bay Communi...
New York University
North Central Texas Colle...
Northwest Iowa Community...
Northwestern Health Scien...
Northwestern State Univer...
Pennsylvania State Univer...
Portland Community Colleg...
Red Rocks Community Colle...
Roane State Community Col...
Suny Mohawk Valley Commun...
Suny Monroe Community Col...
Suny Nassau Community Col...
Suny Niagara County Commu...
Suny North Country Commun...
Suny Orange County Commun...
Suny Westchester Communit...
University Of Alaska Fair...
University Of Louisiana-...
York Technical College
Brandon University
College Of The North A...
Dalhousie University
Fanshawe College- Lond...
Mcmaster University
Saskatchewan Polytechn...
University Of Alberta
Approx Salary Expectation
Low End:
$52,000.00 /yr
Avg/Med:
$780,000.00 /yr
High End:
$107,000.00 /yr
Related Careers
References
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/.
Trend Analysis - Explorer the Market, Labour Market Information, Government of Canada https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis.
O*NET OnLine, National Center for O*NET Development, https://www.onetonline.org/.
Trend Analysis - Explorer the Market, Labour Market Information, Government of Canada https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis.
O*NET OnLine, National Center for O*NET Development, https://www.onetonline.org/.