Answer to Question #4672 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Q

I am interested in becoming a radiologist (MRI and CAD scan). I have been researching online for the salary range but am unable to get any consistency. Perhaps my title is not right or there are huge regional differences in salary range. I am referring to a two-year radiology program and an additional six months of education on MRI and/or CAD scan. Some sites call it MRI technologist and others call it MRI radiologist, but I am referring to the position that does not require four years of medical school or residency. On an Internet site I found the salary averages about $60,000 in New York City, but on the government job site, it states only $37,000! I don't want to spend the time and effort to end up with only a $37,000 annual salary. Please advise me on this question and concern on salary rates for an MRI radiologist/technician. What is the average annual salary for an MRI or CAD Scan radiologist/technician in New York City?

A

Our profession of health physics is dedicated to the protection of humans and their environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation while providing for its beneficial uses. Although health physicists are often found at hospitals and clinics as the individuals responsible for the radiation safety program at these facilities, they typically are not involved as technicians operating diagnostic equipment.

Regarding the salary dispersion that you observe, I would speculate that those values are likely to be correct and more than likely they are referring to essentially the same job. Such a large range is not unusual. Often salaries paid in the major coastal cities (e.g., New York City and Los Angeles) are much higher than in other regions of the country. However, the cost of living in these cities is also much higher than in the rest of the country. Probably, the mean income of $37,000 is reflected by what you have referred to as the so-called "government job sites."

I wish you luck with your search. I believe that it may be beneficial to you if I point out that there are many technician jobs that require about the same time of education but which have much higher annual salary potentials and, in general, provide many more interesting challenges and thus may be more rewarding than the job you described. Consider for example the occupation of health physics technician. Health physics technicians generally may enter the job market after a two-year associate degree. Their base pay is in the range of $35,000 to $50,000 but, depending on the amount of overtime they work, they may receive substantially more money, perhaps up to the $80,000 range annually depending on the circumstances and their experience. The demand for health physics technicians far outstrips the supply. I personally know of two different institutions that were trying to hire large numbers of folks without much success. In one instance the facility needed to hire 80 people and was able to hire only about 16; in the other facility they needed 20 individuals and received only 6 viable candidates. Most of the folks hired at these places were not new to the job market. This implies that they presumably left vacancies at other institutions. My point is that if you are driven by maximizing your income for the minimum amount of education, albeit it a substantially rigorous education, you should consider the occupation of health physics technician.

Good luck,

Richard R. Brey, PhD, CHP