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The differences between radiologists and radiologic technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a radiologist, becoming a radiologic technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a radiologist has an average salary of $298,405, which is higher than the $50,622 average annual salary of a radiologic technician.
The top three skills for a radiologist include patients, pacs and patient care. The most important skills for a radiologic technician are patients, ARRT, and radiologic technologist.
| Radiologist | Radiologic Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $298,405 | $50,622 |
| Hourly rate | $143.46 | $24.34 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 1,536 | 58,797 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 31% | Associate Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 48 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
A radiologist is responsible for interpreting and evaluating medical image results to diagnose medical conditions and refer to medical professionals for immediate treatment plans. Radiologists analyze the patient's medical history to determine their medical conditions before the radiology procedure. They utilize various high-level machinery, requiring them to have strong knowledge of operating the equipment to ensure accurate results and reports. A radiologist must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in discussing the medical processes to the patients and responding to any inquiries and concerns they may have.
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.
Radiologists and radiologic technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Radiologist | Radiologic Technician | |
| Average salary | $298,405 | $50,622 |
| Salary range | Between $124,000 And $714,000 | Between $32,000 And $79,000 |
| Highest paying City | Rochester, MN | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Minnesota | California |
| Best paying company | Allina Health | TALENT Software Services |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a radiologist and a radiologic technician in terms of educational background:
| Radiologist | Radiologic Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 31% | Associate Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Medical Technician | Medical Technician |
| Most common college | Texas A&M University | Texas A&M University |
Here are the differences between radiologists' and radiologic technicians' demographics:
| Radiologist | Radiologic Technician | |
| Average age | 48 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 41.4% Female, 58.6% | Male, 33.9% Female, 66.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 18.6% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 10% |