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The differences between echo technicians and x-ray technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an echo technician and an x-ray technician. Additionally, an echo technician has an average salary of $75,952, which is higher than the $51,642 average annual salary of an x-ray technician.
The top three skills for an echo technician include patients, BLS and echocardiography. The most important skills for an x-ray technician are patients, ARRT, and radiologic technologist.
| Echo Technician | X-Ray Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $75,952 | $51,642 |
| Hourly rate | $36.52 | $24.83 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 14,522 | 60,780 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 54% | Associate Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 45 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An echo technician is responsible for operating specialized equipment to develop ultrasound images of patients' hearts, diagnosing possible illnesses, and monitoring their conditions. Echo technicians carefully explain the process to the patients, assist the physicians in data interpretation, and ensuring that the image document was stored and developed properly for reference. They also inspect the machine and equipment's efficiency for operations and immediately call for repairs for any defects and malfunctions that may cause inaccuracies in the results.
The job of X-ray technicians, or X-ray technologists, is to detect medical issues that may need urgent medical treatment using cutting-edge imaging methods. The pictures they generate aid physicians in diagnosing and treating injuries and illnesses with better accuracy. They use a wide range of imaging technologies such as the traditional X-ray machines, computerized axial tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging. X-ray technicians may also perform some office work that includes preparing work schedules, managing radiologic departments, and setting up physicians' stations.
Echo technicians and x-ray technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Echo Technician | X-Ray Technician | |
| Average salary | $75,952 | $51,642 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $117,000 | Between $32,000 And $81,000 |
| Highest paying City | Springfield, OR | Fresno, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | University of Maryland Medical System | Stability Healthcare |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an echo technician and an x-ray technician in terms of educational background:
| Echo Technician | X-Ray Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 54% | Associate Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Medical Technician | Medical Technician |
| Most common college | Duke University | Texas A&M University |
Here are the differences between echo technicians' and x-ray technicians' demographics:
| Echo Technician | X-Ray Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 32.4% Female, 67.6% | Male, 40.3% Female, 59.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 3.3% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 13.9% White, 58.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 9.3% White, 57.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 10% |