r/RadiologyCareers

Hello!

I am curious about which sector of radiology pays the most between x-ray, CT, MRI, nuclear, and mammography.

I know there is some nuance so I just want to hear from everyone on this topic because I'm trying to plan for my future right now!

The program I want to get into teaches you x-ray, MRI and CT.

Thanks in advance for all of your input!

Has anyone had their interview for the July Cohort ? Or any past students know what to expect?

Got accepted into ACC (84k). Start in like 2 weeks. I keep seeing posts about how hard it is to get a job in California after graduating. Kinda scaring me a bit as I have to pull loans for the program. How do yall feel about it

Today was the day I received my denial email unfortunately and so I’m depressed and kinda desperate at looking for options. I know there are JCERT accredit programs that only offer a certificate and with that cert I can sit for the exam, but the only stipulation I have is that I’m worried about getting a job with only a certificate.

Has anyone successfully got work with only a certificate when they started out?

I was finally accepted into my dream program in socal. I am set to start in the fall, any tips will be greatly appreciated. I am so excited to start this journey!

Hey guys I got into Pima about to start in July. Pretty nervous didn’t really think I was going to get in so I kinda feel unprepared. My CC GPA was a 3.4 or sum like that. I had sum medical ground EMT-B and MA. Never got a job though sad 😢 percs of a small town. I got an associates in kinesiology which knocked most of my pre recs. Pima has a point system so if ur in school do that. I Volenteer at a fire station once a month, I taught CPR a few times and I talked to the X-ray guy during my MA externship. Looking for people in my cohort so HMU I’m 22 and pretty chill. Feel free to ask anything.

Hi everyone!

I am currently taking my pre-reqs for radiology school. I have gone back and forth deciding between x-ray and nursing (as I can see many have also been conflicted with this decision in the past). I personally feel pulled towards to radiology. My question is— In reality, how was the job market when you were an entry level tech? I have been surfing through various hospitals career sites to get an idea of life after school, but seldom come across rad-tech I positions. Most positions are in specialized areas (Sonography, mammography, etc.)

Were you able to find a job relatively quick out of school? Is it common for hospitals to hire & train entry level techs for these specialized positions? (Some of these positions state “sonography I” and some do not). Should I expect needing additional education to have better luck at landing a career?

For reference, I live in California! But I would be willing to go anywhere the wind takes me. Thank you for any and all advice!

I had a interview for my rad program last
month.

They said over 200 applied, 63 got interview with twenty seats available.

I felt confident during my interview but i got a email saying i was on the wait list cause of my low gpa and teas score.

i feel dejected

I just got accepted into a radiologic technology program that’s ABHES-accredited and allows me to sit for the ARRT exam, but not JRCERT-certified, and the total cost is about $80k; after financial aid covers $53k, I’d still need to pay around $27k out of pocket, including an $8,000 down payment right away plus $794 per month for 23 months, on top of the student loans I’ll have after graduating. At the same time, I’m on the waitlist for a cheaper program with no clear timeline for acceptance, which puts me in a tough spot, I don’t want to lose this opportunity, but I’m worried about committing to such a large financial burden and possibly not finishing the program. I’m tired of working minimum wage jobs and really want to become a rad tech, but I’m nervous about taking this risk without being fully certain I’ll make it through. what would you do?

I was accepted to my campus of choice for fall 2026 only to receive an email saying they will not be enrolling students for the 2026-27 academic year. Because they couldn’t “recruit a qualified program director” I’ve been placed on a waitlist and will be contacted if/when a spot opens up on another campus (there are four others in the system but they’re like 1.5+ hrs away from where I live). I feel like I’m going insane because I did everything right, busted my ass to keep my gpa and teas high, only to lose my spot because of a staffing issue????

Fortunately, I was also accepted into a nursing program so I’ll probably pivot. Even if they informed me I got accepted into the rad program at another school idk if I would go. This whole thing has left a bad taste in my mouth.

EDIT: Slightly embarrassing edit— looks like I misunderstood the situation, another user let me know that accepted students were placed at other campuses. I made an assumption that because I was #2 on the waitlist I would’ve been accepted had my campus of choice been able to fill the program director position. Thanks to everyone for being kind and commiserating with me while I was crashing out. Best wishes to everyone still waiting on a decision! Hopefully the admissions process for all of you is less confusing than it’s been for me 😭

It’s been over a week since I found out and I still just can’t believe it, this was my 3rd attempt. The program only takes in 40 people a year and this year, more than 700 people applied!! I’m very proud of myself and eager to start school again, would anyone have any tips on studying or how to excel in the program?

So my choice is to either go 68 grand in debt or wait for a lottery system to pick me but I’m graduating soon and I wanna get in to rad tech school as soon as possible but should I just wait for my local community college to pull me from the lottery system (Il still be having to complete pre reqs which would take me about a year.)

Hi I’m just curious how much the pay increases for senior techs. Like how much of a difference is there in pay from new grad to 10 years experience? Assuming you are not just staying at the same facility that whole time.

hello! im not sure if this is the right place for me to post this, but i kind of just need some advice. let me know if i should post this somewhere else please. im a junior in hs right now and ive been one hundred percent sure about being a radiography tech for a while now, but ive been feeling some doubt about it recently. i dont know what else im supposed to do with myself if i dont go into this and the concept of not wanting to do it anymore is stressing me out so bad. so i just need some advice and some info from people who’re actually in the field to help me know if it’s right for me. some information about myself if it would help: i would consider myself an empathetic person and i can hold a conversation decently if i need to. one of my biggest concerns is that im not really good at memorization and i have a tendency to forget material that i learn in class after i take the final exam. i also dont really think im good at math if that matters (but i might just be convinced im bad at math because im terrible at calculus and thats what im taking right now). another thing, this might be just TMI and unnecessary for this post i have no clue, but i have a habit of being very negative towards myself and just generally de-motivating myself because of the mindset i have towards myself and what i do. im only putting this here because from what ive read and heard, the process for becoming a radtech is very difficult and needs a lot of motivation and hard work. i know thats not a lot about me but i lowkey dont know myself sorry. im just really scared that this isn’t the right thing for me to do, and i cant tell if im just going to do it because ive been set on it for a long time. another one of my fears is that the schooling is going to burn me out because i know its a lot of work and i sometimes struggle with keeping myself motivated through hard classes and stuff like that. i dont know, sorry this big wall of text is a whole bunch of nothing. im just feeling reallt stressed out and i need some advice. thank you if you read all of this!

Hi! I'm 18 years old and im currently doing the prerequisites to apply to the radiology program at my school spring 2027. I graduated highschool in 2025 so i dont have any experience in the medical field or any prior schooling related to a medical practice. All of this to say, even though I'm excited to work towards a career in radiology, medicine is very uncharted territory for me, and i have so many questions about the professional aspects, what school is like, and quality of life stuff.

I didn't really see people asking these questions, so i wanted to get some clarity on these specific situations, and hopefully help some other people who're in the same boat as me. So for starters, i've noticed that a lot of people are going to RAD school later in life, and just kind of having radiology as a continuancy of their medical career, instead of their square one. So my question is, will i feel like the types of people that are older and "sharper" with their medical knowledge will outnumber me in the classroom? and are there a lot of girls my age in your program? or is it mainly adults? i also am very much a people person so i want to hopefully find a good group of peers to be a sounding board as im going through all of the things that RAD school entails.

Since i haven't started the program, theres so many unknowns to the point that theres a number questions i will have down the line that i can't even form with my current understanding. But that being said, when i do eventually graduate, im hoping to get into travel. I come from a small town, and i've always wanted to immerse myself in the cultural epitomes of my country, so i just think it would be perfect for me. I have a few questions about what travelling as a RAD Tech is like. For starters, do you get to pick where you go? are jobs needed in major cities? ands what is your experience if you're doing travel? I also want to know what it would be like jumping right into travelling starting out, if it adds an extra layer of difficulty to the learning curve? Also, what kinds of different settings can you work in travelling, and are there a lot of options options? I truly know little to nothing about how a travelling job works, so any clarity here would be greatly appreciated. I'm interested in working in pediatrics because working with kids makes me happy but im not entirely sure if thats an option.

Finally, and this i know is controversial so i might get shot down, but what is your experience with seeing people who express theirselves creatively (like piercings, tattoos, or dyed hair) in the settings you've worked in? I've always really loved to express my style on the outside with dying my hair, wearing fun jewelry and makeup, so im just wondering to what extent would be professional to express my personal style in this career field. Most importantly is the hair, i love my pink hair and i would be so sad to dye it brown, but im prepared-- and almost certain i will have to-- make that sacrifice.

I'm certain that i'll have so many more questions in the coming years, but this is all of the things that have been lingering on my mind as of late. Thank you for reading!

ok i forgot to include this, but if you have any study advide to fill my time before i get into the program that would also be greatly appreciated (like a book or textbook or a volunteer job that can help me immerse into the field)

Hi everyone,
I recently moved to LA from South Korea and could use some realistic career advice.
In Korea, I worked as a Radiologic Technologist for about 8 years, rotating through X-ray, CT, and MRI in a university hospital setting. Since I need to go back to school here to get my US certification/license anyway, I’m debating between three paths: Rad Tech, Sonography, and Nursing.
Here are my thoughts on each:
• Rad Tech: To be honest, I’m a bit burnt out on X-rays. In Korea, I was often shooting 500–600 images a day, which was physically exhausting and repetitive. While I have the background, the idea of starting the schooling over for a job I'm tired of is making me hesitate.
• Sonography: I’ve seen many colleagues in Korea transition to ultrasound. If I’m going to study something new, I’m genuinely interested in diving deep into sonography. However, I’ve heard rumors that it can be very difficult for male sonographers to find jobs in certain specialties. I’m wondering how true this is in the current US market.
• Nursing: This is the most recommended path by people around me because of the pay and job stability. However, it would be a completely fresh start in a different field, which feels a bit daunting given my previous medical imaging background.

I would love to hear your honest, "real-world" perspectives on job satisfaction, physical demand, and long-term career outlook for these three in the US.

Hello, I’ve been working in an x-ray talk and an orthopedic urgent care for two years now every Thursday or Friday my boss sends out the new schedule for the next week. I do rotate through three locations in my hours are changing weekly. I do have health issues that require me to go to the doctor and I always have to tell my boss what time I have my appointment so she can work it around the schedule. I just feel like I can’t do the changing hours and changing locations anymore I feel like I don’t have a life and I could never plan anything out. I don’t really wanna go to the hospital either so I don’t know what I even want to do with my life. I also just experienced a rent increase and I’m just tired of working more to pay off the bills like I don’t know what to do. I want to be able to enjoy my life again. I work 36 hours full-time and I literally have no energy and no motivation to do anything I do see a therapist every two weeks because I can’t afford it once a week anymore. My poor parents always get confused on where and when hours I’m gonna work every day.

It’s hard to plan since my parents sometimes wanna go to my brother’s house or somewhere when my hours aren’t consistent I feel like every week they always rely on my schedule to be able to do things.

I'm an older first year student and this field seems very judgemental. Our instructor is very by the book when it comes to our positioning test. However, sometimes if we do it by the book, points off for not collimating. Collimating to the part, points off for not doing it by the textbook.

The clinical setting is not any better. At one site, you're lazy if you're not helping filling or pulling files for mammograms and have to sit and listen to the younger female techs talk about shaving their bh because they are going to have anal later. The older techs, you get judged for not knowing how they been positioning for 30 years.

At another site, which happens to be the same hospital that I work for, forget your student badge and you're considered dumb and unreachable. Even though, I forgot my work badge a handful of times and everything is ok. The rad techs do the same and share their badge. The clinical environment for students is absolutely terrible.