Xray tech~ more $$$ than RN???

Nurses Career Support

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Hi everyone. I'm a little confused about something. I know this girl, let's call her Miss Braggart. Anyhow, she's a friend of a friend of a friend and after speaking to her a few times i've come to the conclusion that I don't like her and I like just about everybody and anybody. She and her husband are those obnoxious type people who brag about EVERYTHING. Example- My son wears this brand, what does your kid wear? We have a boat, do you? Etc... Anyway, to my point...she is an x-ray tech (for 3 years, oh and don't let me forget to mention she has a best-friend relationship with all the doc's at the hospital, they all love her and say she's the best ...EVER! ) and when I told her I was going to school to be an RN (I'm taking my pre-req's now) she laughed in my face and said "I'm in x-ray and I make more money then most nurses that work there, besides nurses get no respect" Of course I just smiled because I was so shocked by her blunt comment I didn't know what else to say. This can't be true can it? A big part of me thought she is one of those "try too hards" , you know those people who try so hard to impress they leave the opposite impression? If I remember correctly she said she made $18 an hr. Well, of course I'm not following my dreams for money....BUT...I do have 4 children and a husband who is the breadwinner and I want to know that if something ever happened where I'd have to support my boys I could. I'm sure most of you can relate. My question is....will I go to school and bust my rump for 3 and a half years in nursing school to make less income than someone who finishes school in a lot less time? (Not that an x-ray tech is a bad thing, please don't get me wrong, but money does come into play when you're poor and eating beans and cornbread so you can pay for college.) I live in KY and I'm not sure what the starting salary is for new nurses here. Can anyone shed some light on the average pay for new nurses in your state/area please? :confused:

Thanks,

Christy

ALSO.............Just wanted to make sure my prior comment was not construed as Radiology bashing :-) There is no 1 superstar in the healtcare profession, but many unsung heros. I realize that each specialty has it's own challenges, and that they worked hard to get where they are also. But, in general, I feel nursings responsibilies, hrs, workload, etc, is not inline with our salaries. MoNurse

Hey guys,I am new to this site... I did not read the entire thread, but did read SOULSHINE75's initial post. I am an RN ('99) living in the St. Louis subarbs and my husband is retired Navy, about to graduate from RAD TEC school. My first job as an RN in Texas, on a VERY difficult floor, paid $13.41 and hr!!!!!! Unbelievable to me, made more than that before the degree with far less responsibility and stress. My husband has friends that have graduated that are making $17.00 - $26.00. hr. Now the high end pay is with no bene's or are PRN. With 5-6 yrs exp a major hospital here would only pay me $19 an hr and some change. That is inconceivable to me. I have to work agency here to make more money. Now I am not complaining about what RAD TECS make, to the contrary, I am happy, as my husband is about to graduate. But there is no comparison between our jobs, RN most certainly should make more. IMHO

MOnurse,

I totally agree. Nurses in the country do not get paid enough for all that they have to deal with. Right up there with teachers. (my sis teaches 4th grade and you wouldn't believe some of the stuff her students have come up with!)

Also, congrats to your husband for completeing his rad tech program! I can't wait to be in his place next year!

A

I agree. RN's are definitely not fairly compensated for all that we do! I have a couple of friends who are ultrasonographers and they make over $6/hr more than I do. I understand that they have to be sure to get accurate scans and I'm not saying that any other field in healthcare is not important but RN's literally have patients lives in our hands. We are never just looking at one specific issue with a patient. We always have to consider the whole patient and constantly apply critical thinking skills that ultimately affects their outcome. It just doesn't seem right that we get less pay. :o

Most physical therapists and dental hygienists that I know make considerably more than RNs do.

As far as the comment about X-Ray Techs "standing there" during codes, well, perhaps it is out of their scope of practice to be assisting. Just like codes in the OR where I work. The PACU RNs have to run in and assist with the code because the OR RNs are not ACLS/PALS certified and assisting would be considered out of their scope of practice. Heck, we can't do it all.

Most physical therapists and dental hygienists that I know make considerably more than RNs do.

As far as the comment about X-Ray Techs "standing there" during codes, well, perhaps it is out of their scope of practice to be assisting. Just like codes in the OR where I work. The PACU RNs have to run in and assist with the code because the OR RNs are not ACLS/PALS certified and assisting would be considered out of their scope of practice. Heck, we can't do it all.

I read the first post, then a few pages of post on this topic......... I find it interesting that the pay seems to vary so much from what the Salary.com / Salary Wizard or Americas Career Info Net web sites say that RN's make.

I have checked them for my Area DFW Texas and the salaries I am reading on these post do not seem to match the figures they say!! They base them on first 25% of them 50% of RNs 75% of Rns and 90 % etc......meaning top 10% 25% 50% etc of RNs working.......

Salaries of 50% of the working RN's in my area shows to be 49's- $50s yearly for my area according to them.......with a few making a less and a few making more....... so is this not for beginner RNs? They do not say RN's with 10-20 yrs experience... the implication is a RN period.....Its enough to make me call the Human Resource Dept. of a few Major hospitals in Dallas and see what they start a RN at, I wonder if they would tell you that?........ I must admit I am most curious to the accurate answer at this point.......... Myself I will be working for a paycheck to make a living, as well as to do something I feel is very worthwhile!! But on the same hand I would hate to go thru all this school to then find out I was very wrong about what the salary is..... the only research I did on salary was check the web sites that are set up for finding salaries...... I think I should do more now! Some of the hourly wages for RN's I have read on this thread seem very low to me :uhoh21:

Specializes in Hematology/Oncology.
Just a week or so ago, a patient arrested in MRI and was wheeled down to ER (without warning) per stretcher by one transport person. Guess you can figure he didn't make it! :uhoh3:

At the hospital I've done my clinicals at..just graduate june 10 with my ADN, they have had codes in x-ray...but they don't have 1 person wheel them to ER. They call a code with the location so the code team can get there and the person possibly have a chance. Sounds like negligence on the MRI persons part IMO.

Jamie

Specializes in ER (new), Respitory/Med Surg floor.
If your hospital is calling transporters radiology techs, then something is very very wrong there. I would never work at a hospital that gave transporters that title. It's like calling a CNA a nurse, which we all know is not appropriate.

Wow jeepers! That's a little harsh isn't it? I'm sorry I like my community hospital even with it's flaws! And I'm not going to commute 1.25 hours a day back and forth to work. And at this supposedly excellent teaching hospital they called nursing student techs "professional student nurse assistant" and duped me to work there thinking it was an externship when it was a fancy title. So well i see the point but not working there for that? I said I could have had it wrong and so what even if it is like that!

Well I'm going to ask them. I think it my unit or myself mixing the title up since they come from xray but I could of sworn some said they were. And they are very young I mean HS just out of or one was in her last year. They are TRANSPORT i'm pretty sure. Maybe some are transport and sometimes if no transport the radiology techs themselves that's confusing me. I'll ask them. I didn't realize the people giving the iv contrast in radiology could be these technicians. I'm not BLAMING anyone but a big pet peeve of mine is sending someone down to radiology with their prescribed fluids on a pump and getting a call to come down and stop it beeping. arghhh! Or I know other people that the pt would come off and the lines clotted off. Double argh! And just the other night the pt came back with the heplock not clamped!!!!!!! It's to the point if it's not an emergency or I can probably risk disconnecting the line for the test I do it quite frequently. 1. Because it's easier to transport, and 2. the main reason so if something happens say air gets in the line from moving around all over I don't have to be called down. Apparently a nurse is down there with the radiology dep but not 3pm on. I guess we're lucky to get a call. I tell others to hl ivs when going down for tests unless it's necesary. However comming back when I hl it and the clamp off that ticks me off big time. Agh I'm venting and sounding degrading i'm not at the people personally just the situation and fixed it I think the best i can by HL the iv. And you know I'm sure technicians may be riled when we send pt's with no iv or 20gauge ivs in my hospital! I learned that the hard way by god! My poor pt needed spiral ct of chest r/o pe, had sever osteoporosis, constant pain. Saw she had i think a 24 gaugue needle. Though well she's got access not even thinking oh she needs a large gauge 20 or more for the iv contrast! Next thing i know the pt's back and stat test not done! Plus poor stick and that's not why I sent her i didn't realize it but now i know sheeshe!

simbasig.jpg

Which states typically pay X-ray techs the highest salary? I'm in NYC, and the cost of living is way too high, and I am willing to relocate. I know that the salary wizards on the internet are way off, so I would like to hear from those in the health care field already, that can verify the salaries with their place of employment(ie- hospital, clinic, etc.), rather than look it up on the web, thanx!!;)

Specializes in MSc in Anesthetics.

hi there

every one gets paid more than the nurses in the NHS even porters who tranfser patients in bed to tests get a pretty decent wage and some even come out more than the nurses in the hospital i work out!!! exactly where is the logic!!!!!!!! considering the fact that patients lives are quite Literally in our hands on a daily basis how can the government put such a CRAP price on that!!

WELL DONE TO ALL THE NURSES WHO DO THERE JOB WELL, ITS A HARD PROFESSION AND A STREESFULL JOB!! SO GO US!!!!!!!

hi there

every one gets paid more than the nurses in the NHS even porters who tranfser patients in bed to tests get a pretty decent wage and some even come out more than the nurses in the hospital i work out!!! exactly where is the logic!!!!!!!! considering the fact that patients lives are quite Literally in our hands on a daily basis how can the government put such a CRAP price on that!!

WELL DONE TO ALL THE NURSES WHO DO THERE JOB WELL, ITS A HARD PROFESSION AND A STREESFULL JOB!! SO GO US!!!!!!!

Yes, you definitely earn your paychecks, you are angels in scrubs!!

I have nothing but respect for nurses!! :bow:

Just my 2 cents worth, but I went to x-ray school right out of high school. I always respected nurses and I always believed and knew that nurses made more money than x-ray techs. I am also a registered sonographer and have done C.T. in the past. Having said that, I am also a paramedic and an R. N. so I have been in both carreer fields. It is my experience that a new grad R.N. makes a couple of dollars more than a new grad x-ray tech. However, if you add on the additional educational requirements for CT, sonography, Special procedures, MRI, etc., then that person will make more than a new grad R.N.. Also an R.N with critical care/specialty experience will make more than a new grad x-ray tech and in some cases more than MRI, sono specialized techs. All of that said to say that right out of school, nurses make more, after additional experience in either carreer field, it is a toss up.

Just my 2 cents worth, but I went to x-ray school right out of high school. I always respected nurses and I always believed and knew that nurses made more money than x-ray techs. I am also a registered sonographer and have done C.T. in the past. Having said that, I am also a paramedic and an R. N. so I have been in both carreer fields. It is my experience that a new grad R.N. makes a couple of dollars more than a new grad x-ray tech. However, if you add on the additional educational requirements for CT, sonography, Special procedures, MRI, etc., then that person will make more than a new grad R.N.. Also an R.N with critical care/specialty experience will make more than a new grad x-ray tech and in some cases more than MRI, sono specialized techs. All of that said to say that right out of school, nurses make more, after additional experience in either carreer field, it is a toss up.

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