How To Become A Medical Imaging Technician: What It Is and Career Path

What is a medical imaging technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Karen Bubb

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a medical imaging technician. For example, did you know that they make an average of $23.7 an hour? That's $49,295 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 17,000 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a medical imaging technician?

Karen Bubb

Department Head, Assistant Professor, Diagnostic Medical Imaging, Oklahoma State University - Oklahoma City

In the fields of Radiologic Technology and Medical Sonography, continuous learning is the key to a long-term career. Never assume you know it all because there is always something new and innovative to learn. New technological advancements are continuously being released and it is vital to keep up with the newest techniques. The more you know and the more relevant you are in the professions; the more employers will seek you out and compensate you for your expertise. Also, do not get into bad habits when it comes to ergonomics. Musculoskeletal injuries are common in sonographers and can ruin a budding career fast.

ScoreMedical Imaging TechnicianUS Average

Salary

3.9

Avg. Salary $49,295

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.6

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

9.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.80%

Asian 12.00%

Black or African American 10.38%

Hispanic or Latino 17.45%

Unknown 5.13%

White 54.23%

Gender

female 61.02%

male 38.98%

Age - 44

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 - 44

Stress level

6.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

8.7

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a medical imaging technician

Explore medical imaging technician education requirements

Most common medical imaging technician degrees

Associate

50.4 %

Bachelor's

29.6 %

Master's

9.6 %

Start to develop specific medical imaging technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	24.43%
Radiology	19.68%
Patient Care	18.76%
ARRT	14.72%
Radiographic Procedures	6.52%

Complete relevant medical imaging technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New medical imaging technicians 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 a medical imaging technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real medical imaging technician resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming a licensed medical imaging technician usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed medical imaging technician in most of states. 32 states require medical imaging technicians to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

State	Education	Exam	License url
Alaska	Specific course required	Third-party exam required	Radiologic Technologists
Arkansas	Degree required	Both state and third-party exams required	Radiologic Technologist (Radiographer)
California	Degree required	Third-party exam required	California Radiologic Technologist (CRT)
Colorado	Specific course required	Third-party exam required	Radiologic Technologists
Connecticut	Specific course required	Third-party exam required	Radiographer

Research medical imaging technician duties and responsibilities

Perform all aspects of lab work done by a small rural hospital including EKG's and ER call.
Participate in surgery setup and injury care by presiding physician on daily basis.
Advocate and represent patients, effectively resolving issues to ensure quality care and excellent patient relations.
Handle and direct incoming correspondence, ensure timely attention to sensitive matters, schedule orders receive and direct patients.

Prepare your medical imaging technician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your medical imaging technician 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 a medical imaging technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable medical imaging technician resume templates

Build a professional medical imaging technician 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 medical imaging technician resume.