How to hire an x-ray technician

How to hire an x-ray technician, step by step

Here's a step-by-step x-ray technician hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an x-ray technician job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new x-ray technician
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an x-ray technician do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the x-ray technician you need to hire. Certain x-ray technician roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An x-ray technician's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, x-ray technicians from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents x-ray technician salaries for various positions.

   Type of X-Ray Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   X-Ray Technician	An X-Ray Technician operates the medical equipment used to take radiographic images of specific parts of a patient's body. They also interview the patients, determine their exact medical concerns, collect the surveyed data, and document it in the system.	$15-38
   Sonographer	A Sonographer performs diagnostic procedures using sonographic equipment. Their duties include preparing patients, explaining the exam, and performing the procedure.	$27-60
   Radiation Therapist	A radiation therapist is a medical professional who works in hospitals or cancer treatment centers and treats cancer and other diseases in patients by giving radiation treatments. Radiation therapists are required to explain the treatment plans to patients as well as conduct x-ray tests on patients to determine the exact location of the area that requires treatment... Show more	$30-54

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • ARRT
   • Radiologic Technologist
   • CPR
   • Customer Service
   • Pacs
   • Radiation Safety
   • Tomography
   • Ct Scan
   • Vital Signs
   • EMR
   • Quality Patient Care
   • ALARA
   • Patient Safety

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage day-to-day operation of PACS equipment including image archiving.
   • Train personnel in triage, first aid, and CPR.
   • Put patients into rooms, pull charts, and learned EMR as the office transition to electronic records.
   • Input patient information in to the EMR, room patients, assist the doctor in all in office procedures.
   • Provide mobile x-rays and EKG's for nursing homes, state hospital, and patients unable to leave their homes.
   • Produce quality images using c-arm during surgical procedures.

   More x-ray technician duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the x-ray technician job description is a good way to get more applicants. An x-ray technician salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for an x-ray technician in Kentucky may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level x-ray technician. Additionally, an x-ray technician with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average x-ray technician salary

   $51,642yearly

   $24.83 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level x-ray technician salary

   $32,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average x-ray technician salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$72,706	$35
   2	Washington	$60,997	$29
   3	Massachusetts	$60,683	$29
   4	Oregon	$60,050	$29
   5	Nevada	$58,866	$28
   6	New York	$57,814	$28
   7	Maryland	$57,449	$28
   8	New Jersey	$57,249	$28
   9	Arizona	$56,799	$27
   10	Connecticut	$56,601	$27
   11	Texas	$56,501	$27
   12	Florida	$54,794	$26
   13	Oklahoma	$53,910	$26
   14	Michigan	$53,708	$26
   15	Alabama	$52,090	$25
   16	Georgia	$50,769	$24
   17	Maine	$50,491	$24
   18	Tennessee	$49,922	$24
   19	Louisiana	$47,500	$23
   20	Utah	$44,972	$22

   Average x-ray technician salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Stability Healthcare	$91,458	$43.97	554
   2	Soliant	$90,853	$43.68	56
   3	Baxter Regional Medical Center	$86,641	$41.65	4
   4	University of California-Berkeley	$86,373	$41.53
   5	Favorite Healthcare Staffing	$86,293	$41.49	10
   6	Center for Diagnostic Imaging, Inc.	$85,683	$41.19	108
   7	Accountable Healthcare Holdings Corp.	$85,387	$41.05	2
   8	Schuyler Hospital	$85,091	$40.91
   9	Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego	$83,816	$40.30	3
   10	Akumin	$83,571	$40.18	185
   11	Oculus	$82,620	$39.72
   12	Wellpath	$81,114	$39.00
   13	Lockheed Martin	$80,195	$38.56	7
   14	UofL Hospital	$79,830	$38.38	24
   15	MSO	$78,689	$37.83
   16	Cascade Health	$78,629	$37.80
   17	Siemens Healthineers	$78,209	$37.60	56
   18	Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network	$78,206	$37.60
   19	Bethany Health Care Center, Inc.	$77,934	$37.47
   20	RadNet	$76,545	$36.80	293

4. Writing an x-ray technician job description

   A good x-ray technician job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an x-ray technician job description:

   X-ray technician job description example

   Job DescriptionJob Description A growing hospital in Fairbanks, AK is currently seeking an experienced Radiology Tech / X-Ray Technologist, full-time to join their team! Check out the details below:
   
   Title: X-Ray / Radiology Technologist
   Job Type: Permanent / Direct Hire
   Specialty: Hospital
   Location: Fairbanks, AK
   Schedule: Full-Time, Days or nights available
   Pay: Competitive pay based on experience plus shift differentials and a commitment bonus!
   
   This X-Ray / Radiology Technologist will be responsible for the following duties:
   -Performs radiographic procedures and analysis according to departmental guidelines. Uses independent judgment and applies learned methodologies according to established policy and procedures
   -Educates patients/families regarding procedure and/or treatment to be performed as well as risk factors and prevention. Demonstrates professional behavior/conduct in all interactions; fosters teamwork, efficient use of resources and quality patient outcomes
   -Demonstrates competence in performing prescribed invasive/interventional procedures if applicable in accordance with established policies
   -Performs and evaluates equipment quality control measurements. Demonstrates the ability to trouble shoot and notifies appropriate personnel to maintain equipment performance. Maintains a safe environment for patients, personnel, and visitors
   -Accountable for the ethical, legal, and professional responsibilities related to radiology practice. This includes maintaining confidentiality of all work information
   
   REQUIREMENTS:
   -Certificate or diploma from an approved/accredited school of Radiology program
   -Requires national certification from the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists and licensure by the state regulatory agency if applicable. BLS certification required
   -1 year of experience
   
   APPLY TODAY with an updated resume! Company DescriptionFavorite Healthcare Staffing, part of Acacium Group, takes pride in connecting candidates with jobs that fit their unique needs. We place nursing, advanced practice, and allied healthcare professionals in top-rated hospitals, clinics, and physicians’ offices across the country. With thousands of per diem opportunities, local and travel contracts, or permanent and temp-to-perm placement jobs to choose from, our recruiters will help you discover the perfect position for you. Favorite continues to set the industry standard for quality, service, and integrity in healthcare staffing and services. Join the Favorite Family today!

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find x-ray technicians for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your x-ray technician job on Zippia to find and recruit x-ray technician candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit x-ray technicians, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new x-ray technician

   Once you've selected the best x-ray technician candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new x-ray technician. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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