How To Become An Imaging Specialist: What It Is and Career Path

What is an imaging specialist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

If you have a keen eye for detail and can creatively optimize images and other documents to look their very best, then this is the position for you. Imaging specialists are sometimes referred to as modern-day darkroom assistants. As a imaging specialist, you improve or repair images and other related documents.

Some of the duties and responsibilities that you will execute in this position include editing, retouching, optimizing, and improving digital images for presentation purposes, keeping in mind the client's requirements. In addition, you interpret various specifications and guidelines to optimize images so that they meet organizational standards, and you deftly use different software to crop, alter, and retouch images. Essential skills required for this role are creativity, attention to detail, communication, and knowledge of various software, such as Adobe Photoshop, Corel Paint Shop, and others.

Although no formal education is required for this position, having a high school diploma or a GED helps. Moreover, certifications may increase your chances of landing a job. The average hourly salary for this position is $16.81, which amounts to more than $34,000 annually.

ScoreImaging SpecialistUS Average

Salary

2.7

Avg. Salary $34,003

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

4.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.51%

Asian 11.99%

Black or African American 6.24%

Hispanic or Latino 8.82%

Unknown 4.70%

White 67.73%

Gender

female 57.38%

male 42.62%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

5.8

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.2

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.3

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an imaging specialist

Explore imaging specialist education requirements

Most common imaging specialist degrees

Bachelor's

43.5 %

Associate

26.4 %

High School Diploma

16.2 %

Start to develop specific imaging specialist skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	23.41%
Patient Care	13.22%
Radiology	10.73%
Customer Service	9.29%
Data Entry	5.28%

Complete relevant imaging specialist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New imaging specialists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an imaging specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real imaging specialist resumes.

Research imaging specialist duties and responsibilities

Support ISO audits for process documentation and software/ literature distribution, managing follow-up corrective action plans as needed.
Schedule meetings for users and troubleshoot share screen/audio issues.
Perform mobile diagnostic imaging and maintain a high QA score.
Process requests for patient health information following the guidelines for HIPAA.

Prepare your imaging specialist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your imaging specialist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an imaging specialist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable imaging specialist resume templates

Build a professional imaging specialist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your imaging specialist resume.