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The differences between radiologic 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 a radiologic technician and an x-ray technician. Additionally, an x-ray technician has an average salary of $51,642, 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 an x-ray technician are patients, ARRT, and radiologic technologist.
| Radiologic Technician | X-Ray Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $50,622 | $51,642 |
| Hourly rate | $24.34 | $24.83 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 58,797 | 60,780 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 69% | Associate Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
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.
Radiologic technicians and x-ray technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Radiologic Technician | X-Ray Technician | |
| Average salary | $50,622 | $51,642 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $79,000 | Between $32,000 And $81,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Fresno, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | TALENT Software Services | Stability Healthcare |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a radiologic technician and an x-ray technician in terms of educational background:
| Radiologic Technician | X-Ray Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 69% | Associate Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Medical Technician | Medical Technician |
| Most common college | Texas A&M University | Texas A&M University |
Here are the differences between radiologic technicians' and x-ray technicians' demographics:
| Radiologic Technician | X-Ray Technician | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.9% Female, 66.1% | Male, 40.3% Female, 59.7% |
| 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, 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 | 10% | 10% |