Radiologic technologists' salaries have increased by 1.7 percent over the last three years, and now average $62,763, according to the 2013 American Society of Radiologic Technologists Wage and Salary Survey.
The rate at which salaries are increasing slowed substantially over the survey period between 2010 and 2013. According to ASRT, the average salaries of radiologic technologists grew slightly more than 20 percent during the last nine years--an average of 2.28 percent per year--with the greatest growth occurring between 2004 and 2007, when salaries increased by an average of 12.6 percent.
"The slowing wage growth between 2010 and 2013 seems to be a reflection of the larger economy as the country continues to recover from the recession," ASRT Chief Academic Officer Myke Kudlas said in a statement. "Economic data show that wages have been stagnant for many American workers during the past few years. R.T.s aren't immune to that trend, even though we saw modest gains in several medical imaging practice areas."
Technologists practicing mammography experienced the biggest average salary gains, seeing an 8 percent increase from an average salary of $60,263 in 2010 to $65,101 in 2013. MR technologists saw their salaries increase by an average of 5 percent--from $65,098 to $68,384. CT tech salaries increased by an average of 4.9 percent ($60,586 to $63,454) and cardiovascular-interventional techs experienced increases of 4.3 percent, from $64,614 to $67,379.
Two specialties experienced salary decreases: Radiation therapists saw their salaries drop by 0.7 percent from $79,125 to $78,602, while radiographer salaries declined by 0.5 percent ($53,953 to $53,680).
Geographically, radiologic technologists from California have the highest average salary at $84,162, while techs from West Virginia had the lowest average salary at $51,607.
Slightly more than half (52.7 percent) of radiologic technologists were either very satisfied or satisfied with their compensation levels, while 42 percent said they were in the same position they were in 2010.
More than 10,000 radiologic technologists from across the U.S. and the District of Columbia participated in survey.
Diagnostic Imaging released its radiology compensation survey last month, in which it found that the mean salary for technologists was slightly less than $55,000.
To learn more:
- see the announcement from the ASRT
- look at the survey in Diagnostic Imaging