Facts

• In 2009, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the annual average salary in the radiology technician field to be $54,180. This compares favorably to the statewide salary averaged by Tennessee's radiologic technicians, which was $48,690 in 2009, a difference of $5,490 per year.
  
  

Ranges

• A segment of Tennessee's 5,900 radiology technicians (as of May 2009) did earn salaries higher than the country's average. In the state's 90th percentile of highest earning radiology technicians, salaries averaged $65,490 per year. At the other end of the range, salaries averaged $33,800 annually in the 10th percentile of earners.
  
  

Considerations

• Tennessee residents interested in earning salaries as radiologic technicians must follow a course of postsecondary education through one of the hundreds of schools accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiology Technology. Tennessee offers 14 accredited schools providing certificates, two-year associate degrees and four-year bachelor's degrees in radiography, including Chattanooga State Community College, East Tennessee State University, Volunteer State Community College, Southwest Tennessee Community College and Roane State Community College.
  
  

Outlook

• The BLS expects a 17 percent growth rate for employment of radiology technicians, adding 37,000 jobs countrywide by 2018. The bureau attributes the demand for radiologic technicians' services in part due to advances in medical imaging technology along with an aging population's greater need for medical care.