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The differences between radiologic technicians and respiratory therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a radiologic technician, becoming a respiratory therapist takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a respiratory therapist has an average salary of $55,617, which is higher than the $50,622 average annual salary of a radiologic technician.
The top three skills for a radiologic technician include patients, ARRT and radiologic technologist. The most important skills for a respiratory therapist are patients, respiratory care, and BLS.
| Radiologic Technician | Respiratory Therapist | |
| Yearly salary | $50,622 | $55,617 |
| Hourly rate | $24.34 | $26.74 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 58,797 | 33,980 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.33 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 69% | Associate Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 43 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
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.
A Respiratory Therapist is responsible for the healthcare of a patient's Cardiopulmonary system. A Respiratory Therapist specializes in assessing, recommending procedures or precautionary measures, and treating infections, diseases, and even viruses that can cause dysfunction to a patient's breathing. Most duties will depend on the workplace or the condition of a patient. However, they must have extensive expertise, passion, and presence of mind as they work with patients of all ages, and the daily tasks are vital and unpredictable.
Radiologic technicians and respiratory therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Radiologic Technician | Respiratory Therapist | |
| Average salary | $50,622 | $55,617 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $79,000 | Between $33,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Lancaster, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | TALENT Software Services | Heartland Home Health Inc. |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a radiologic technician and a respiratory therapist in terms of educational background:
| Radiologic Technician | Respiratory Therapist | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 69% | Associate Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Medical Technician | Medical Technician |
| Most common college | Texas A&M University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between radiologic technicians' and respiratory therapists' demographics:
| Radiologic Technician | Respiratory Therapist | |
| Average age | 43 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.9% Female, 66.1% | Male, 37.5% Female, 62.5% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.4% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 9% |