Radiologic Technologists and Technicians

Take x-rays and CAT scans or administer nonradioactive materials into patient's bloodstream for diagnostic or research purposes. Includes radiologic technologists and technicians who specialize in other scanning modalities.

Most important skills

Reading Comprehension
Active Listening
Social Perceptiveness
Service Orientation
Speaking
Critical Thinking
Monitoring
Operations Monitoring

Key knowledge

English Language
Medicine and Dentistry
Customer and Personal Service
Biology
Physics
Computers and Electronics
Mathematics
Chemistry

What the work involves

Review and evaluate developed x-rays, video tape, or computer-generated information to determine if images are satisfactory for diagnostic purposes.
Operate or oversee operation of radiologic or magnetic imaging equipment to produce images of the body for diagnostic purposes.
Position patient on examining table and set up and adjust equipment to obtain optimum view of specific body area as requested by physician.
Process exposed radiographs using film processors or computer generated methods.
Use radiation safety measures and protection devices to comply with government regulations and to ensure safety of patients and staff.
Position imaging equipment and adjust controls to set exposure time and distance, according to specification of examination.
Explain procedures and observe patients to ensure safety and comfort during scan.
Determine patients' x-ray needs by reading requests or instructions from physicians.

Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Conventional, Investigative.

Qualifications and licensing

Most common education: Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree (60.7% of expert ratings)
Related experience: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (39.3%)
On-the-job training: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months (42.9%)
Preparation level: O*NET job zone 3: Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Licensing: Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.

Check before planning

Licensing for Radiologic Technologists and Technicians is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.

Limits

Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0

Work environment

How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).

Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.

Rankings compare typical U.S. occupation-level work conditions; individual jobs and employers vary. Data: O*NET 31.0 Work Context and BLS wages (May 2025).
Condition	Level	Compared with other occupations	Most common answer (O*NET survey)
Contact with others	High	Higher on contact with others than 77% of occupations compared	79% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others”
Dealing with the public	High	Higher on dealing with the public than 77% of occupations compared	63% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important”
Teamwork	Moderate	Lower on teamwork than 50% of occupations compared	54% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important”
Freedom to make decisions	Low	Lower on freedom to make decisions than 72% of occupations compared	39% of surveyed respondents chose “A lot of freedom”
Time pressure	Very high	Higher on time pressure than 86% of occupations compared	75% of surveyed respondents chose “Every day”
Conflict situations	Very high	Higher on conflict situations than 86% of occupations compared	36% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week”
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people	Very high	Higher on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 95% of occupations compared	43% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day”
Consequence of error	Very high	Higher on consequence of error than 89% of occupations compared	46% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely serious”

Work-pressure profile

Time pressure: very high
Conflict situations: very high
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: very high
Consequence of error: very high

Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.

Full answer distributions