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Radiologic Technicians

Also called: X-Ray Technician (X-Ray Tech), Radiology Technician, Radiographer, Radiologic Technician (RT)

What they do:
Maintain and use equipment and supplies necessary to demonstrate portions of the human body on x-ray film or fluoroscopic screen for diagnostic purposes.
On the job, you would:
  • Use beam-restrictive devices and patient-shielding techniques to minimize radiation exposure to patient and staff.
  • Position x-ray equipment and adjust controls to set exposure factors, such as time and distance.
  • Position patient on examining table and set up and adjust equipment to obtain optimum view of specific body area as requested by physician.

Knowledge

Business
  • customer service
  • administrative services
Math and Science
  • physics
  • psychology
Health
  • medicine and dentistry
Arts and Humanities
  • English language

Skills

Basic Skills
  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
  • talking to others
Problem Solving
  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Abilities

Verbal
  • listen and understand what people say
  • communicate by speaking
Hand and Finger Use
  • keep your arm or hand steady
  • put together small parts with your fingers
Ideas and Logic
  • notice when problems happen
  • order or arrange things
Controlled Movement
  • quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include
practical, hands-on problems and solutions.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Concern for Others
  • Dependability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Cooperation
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Self Control

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Medical software
  • Digital Imaging Communications in Medicine DICOM software/modality management software
  • Electronic medical record EMR software
Data base user interface and query software
  • Structured data entry software
Information retrieval or search software
  • Information systems integration software

Education

Education: (rated 3 of 5)
associate's degree or
some college
usually needed

Get started on your career:

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Job Outlook

Average Outlook
New job opportunities are likely in the future.
Salary
$38,080
per year, on average
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See more details at O*NET OnLine about radiologic technicians.