X Ray Technician Career

X ray Technician Job Description

The job description of an X-ray technician entails taking X-rays and CT scans to get an understandable and clear-cut image of the various organs of the body and/or administering non radioactive materials in to the patient's blood for analysis.

He will review and evaluate the developed X-rays, and CT scans and decides whether the images are satisfactory for investigation purposes.

He must use radiation safety measures and protective apparatus to adhere to government rules and regulations, norms as well as, to assure the complete safety of the patients and the staff.

The X-ray technician oversees the working of the radiologic and magnetic-imaging machines to produce images of the body. He will supervise the video-display of the organ systems being scanned and will fine-tune the density or the contrast to improve the quality of the image.

X ray Technician Education, Certification and Training

• To begin with, you need to finish high school or an equivalent.

• After high school you need to complete a formal training program, with subjects: anatomy, physiology and medical terminology. As an admission pre-condition, you have to present scores from standardized evaluation exams, like, ACT, SAT, COMPASS, ASSET or HESI.

• Two years Associate's Degree Program or four years Bachelor's Degree Program, accepted by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology is required. The program consists of class room education and supervised clinical experience in anatomy, physiology, pathology, radiology, radiation physics, patient-care procedures, medical terminology, radiation protection, imaging equipment, film-screen image acquisition and processing, basic principles of computed tomography, principles of imaging, and medical ethics.

• After the training program, you need to get certified and licensed. Different states have different license laws, which need to be adhered to.

X ray Technician Jobs

The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that X-ray technician’s jobs are estimated to grow by about 15 %, thus, the job outlook for X-ray technicians looks good.

X ray Technician Salary

The X-ray technician’s salary is approximately $38,900 to $99,200 per year. Like most other professions, the earnings largely depend on the employer, location, qualification, expertise and experience.