How To Become A Radiology Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a radiology manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A radiology manager is in charge of a radiology clinic or department, which provides imaging services such as X-rays to patients. Radiology managers make sure that patients get the care they need by operating ultrasound, MRI, or X-ray machines themselves according to patient care standards. Besides operating radiology equipment, radiology managers supervise other technicians that they work with. They also handle the administrative aspects of running a radiology clinic, such as communicating with doctors, updating patient files, and handling payroll. If they are working in a very large location, the radiology manager will probably spend most of their days with the administrative aspect of the job.

Most radiology managers start their careers as radiology technicians. They usually need only an associate's degree in radiology and a license to operate radiology equipment to break into this field.

Once they have several years of experience as a radiology technician, they can get promoted to a management position. With the promotion also comes a boost to the paycheck. Radiology managers earn an average salary of $84,094 a year.

ScoreRadiology ManagerUS Average

Salary

7.4

Avg. Salary $94,783

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.1

Growth rate 28%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.73%

Asian 7.23%

Black or African American 11.20%

Hispanic or Latino 14.86%

Unknown 4.28%

White 61.71%

Gender

female 46.65%

male 53.35%

Age - 47

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 - 47

Stress level

7.1

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.9

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a radiology manager

Explore radiology manager education requirements

Most common radiology manager degrees

Bachelor's

42.8 %

Associate

40.8 %

Master's

9.4 %

Start to develop specific radiology manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	20.72%
Patient Care	13.49%
Ultrasound	7.70%
MRI	5.35%
Nuclear Medicine	4.12%

Complete relevant radiology manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New radiology managers 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 radiology manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real radiology manager resumes.

Gain additional radiology manager certifications

Radiology manager certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific radiology manager certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for radiology managers include Certified Radiology Administrator (CRA) and Certified Radiological Technologist.

More About Certifications

Research radiology manager duties and responsibilities

Manage 36 staff and oversee operations of radiology and cardiology services.
Initiate ACR mammography accreditation with multiple successful renewals
Perform various X-ray/CT scans and/or MRI scans as needed.
Help the department pass state inspections and maintain ACR certifications.

Prepare your radiology manager resume

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

Choose from 10+ customizable radiology manager resume templates

Build a professional radiology manager 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 radiology manager resume.