Is there a demand for Rad Techs?

AddisonLawrence03 · Nov 24, 2011

Is it possible for a Rad Tech to make $80,000 a year or more?

MTAC0915 · Nov 24, 2011

Ok, i am a rad tech and have been for the past 6 years and i am in nursing school. first i would say it depends on what state you work in and how much you are willing to work that determines ur salary....someone on here said you have to be a rad tech to be a nuclear med tech and thats not true, at least not in Alabama where i live. The university i graduated from had their own seperate nuclear medicine program. Some of our classes overlapped, meaning we were all in there together, like cross sectional anatomy and radiation physics...other than that, their classes were completley seperate from ours. They are higher paid than a radiologic technologist.

I don't know where you live, but if you live in a licensed (ARRT) state than you will get paid more. Alabama is not a licensed state therefore i get paid less than i would if i lived in Georgia or Texas...starting here in a hospital you may get like $18-20/hr. If you specialize in CT, or MRI you would start higher. i know CT techs that make $80-000-90,000 a year bc they take call, they work overtime, they LIVE at the hospital pretty much. Their base pay is not 80k tho, so if hustling is not in you and you don't like working holidays or weekends, than 80k may not happen for you if you live in an unlicensed state. A Cardiovascular tech is just a rad tech that works in the cath lab using a C-arm. They assist the doctors with putting stents and caths in. At my hospital they make $60,000-70,000 i believe. They also take call and would have to work overtime.

There isn't a demand for it here in Alabama bc there are too many schools and they let too many students in their programs knowing good and well more than half of those kids won't be able to find jobs...its robbery. I would look in ur local paper and job market and research if there are a lot of openings in ur area and find out if ur state is licensed. That alone can really change the amount of money you will bring home. X-ray is definitley a less involved job as far as patient care is concerend when compared to nursing, however i wouldn't say that bc of that is easy and all we do is "press buttons" i can't stand that mentality. At my facility we are very busy and not every patient is a "walkie-talkie", we get quadrapalegics, amputees, morbidly obese, people with PTSD that have to have their dogs with them to function...all kinds of people. you have to know how to work with these people and figure out how to get an optimal diagnostic image regardless of the patients condition. it's not always just pushing a button...u have to think and do whats best for ur patient. we do just as much lifting and tugging and pulling and manuerving as nurses, and if its portable work, u can almost bank on the fact that most nurses (in my experience) are not gonna run over there and help u even if they see u struggling. The job is monotonous also...let me know if u have other questions.

AddisonLawrence03 · Nov 27, 2011

thank you mta. I live in Michigan is that a licensed state?

MTAC0915 · Nov 27, 2011

From what I could find, Michigan is not licensed for x-ray. They are licensed for mammography and you might do well with that. I forgot to mention radiation therapy. Even in Alabama where we are not licensed, they make good money...starting is prob around 68,000 maybe even higher. It is very difficult to find a job here in AL, bc radiation therapists do not leave their jobs most of them absolutely love it and stay for years. The turnover rate is pretty much nonexsistent. I have had several friends that either gave up searching and moved on to a different career or decided to move to where there were job opportunities. If working with cancer patients is an issue for u than u might not be up for the job. See if you can find out if there are openings in your area for radiation therapy or mammo if money is your main concern. You might have a higher cost of living up there so x-ray techs may get paid a decent salary there. It's up to you...but do i think you will make 80k right out of school without taking call or working holidays and weekends or anything like that? no i don't.

AddisonLawrence03 · Feb 25, 2012

I got into the Rad Tech program. I see that there is a bit of physics involved and I've never taken a physics class before. Will this be a disadvantage for me?

MTAC0915 · Feb 26, 2012

yeah there is definitley radiation physics involved in any modality of Radiology. i don't think you are at a disadvantage. i didn't have any prior physics classes besides the basic stuff you learn in high school. it's doable you will be fine.

AddisonLawrence03 · Feb 26, 2012

yeah there is definitley radiation physics involved in any modality of Radiology. i don't think you are at a disadvantage. i didn't have any prior physics classes besides the basic stuff you learn in high school. it's doable you will be fine.

what was the level of difficulty?

MTAC0915 · Feb 27, 2012

I can't tell u specifically. Every program and curriculum is different. Is it painful, pull out ur hair hard? no. Does it require effort and study time? yes. I think I got a "B" in that class. I came to class prepared to learn, went home and studied, didn't procrastinate and wait to the last minute, studied with friends, learned all the formulas and practiced problems and knew the notes like the back of my hand. It's not calculus! Now THAT to me was nearly impossible, lol. Did some people fail the program bc of that class? Yes, but I don't know what study habits practices they had or what went wrong, but I didnt think it was that bad to where I would completely fail. I had an excellent teacher who loved to teach and was a great teacher, and that made all the difference in the world. He also offered study sessions before tests which were helpful and I attended every single one. Just put in the effort, learn all the formulas, do practice problems, learn and understand the principles and u will be fine. Seriously, it's not that bad.

AddisonLawrence03 · Feb 27, 2012

thanx. may I ask why you decided to leave the RT field and go into nursing?

allnurses Guide · Feb 28, 2012

I think in the current economy it is safe to say pretty much all the jobs that used to be in demand are struggling. There just is no magic bullet right now.

MTAC0915 · Feb 28, 2012

Your welcome. Well, I'm leaving bc I prayed about it and believe there are more opportunities for me in nursing. I'm x-ray and MRI registered and it has been pretty much impossible to find a job in MRI so I have been doing X-ray or almost six years. I'm interested in advancing myself, feeling like I'm making a difference, more opportunities and respect. I just don't see myself pushing a portable X-ray machine around at 40 yrs. old. It's time to move on.