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The differences between diagnostic technicians and radiologic technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a diagnostic technician and a radiologic technician. Additionally, a radiologic technician has an average salary of $50,622, which is higher than the $49,571 average annual salary of a diagnostic technician.
The top three skills for a diagnostic technician include patients, patient care and CPR. The most important skills for a radiologic technician are patients, ARRT, and radiologic technologist.
| Diagnostic Technician | Radiologic Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $49,571 | $50,622 |
| Hourly rate | $23.83 | $24.34 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 70,089 | 58,797 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 41% | Associate Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Diagnostic Technicians are specialists in the inspecting, maintenance, and repair of equipment or service. Diagnostic Technicians can be working in the automotive sector, inspecting and repairing cars, to performing ultrasound procedures in the healthcare industry. Their duties include analyzing and collecting data, calibrating equipment, performing diagnostic tests and repairs, and organizing work records and reports. A Diagnostic Technician must have sound knowledge in using technical equipment and adheres to safety regulations when handling any tools.
A radiologic technician is responsible for testing and treating patients with radiology machines under the assistance of a radiologist. Duties of a radiologic technician include performing radiology procedures, monitoring the equipment's safety and stability, assisting the patients with the guidelines, detecting and resolving possible system malfunctions, and preventing excessive radiation exposure. A radiologic technician must have excellent technical skills and excellent knowledge of the medical industry to support the patients and provide additional assistance.
Diagnostic technicians and radiologic technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Diagnostic Technician | Radiologic Technician | |
| Average salary | $49,571 | $50,622 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $77,000 | Between $32,000 And $79,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fresno, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Waymo | TALENT Software Services |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a diagnostic technician and a radiologic technician in terms of educational background:
| Diagnostic Technician | Radiologic Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 41% | Associate Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Medical Technician | Medical Technician |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Texas A&M University |
Here are the differences between diagnostic technicians' and radiologic technicians' demographics:
| Diagnostic Technician | Radiologic Technician | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.0% Female, 34.0% | Male, 33.9% Female, 66.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 6.0% White, 73.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 9.9% White, 58.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 10% |