Overall the market is becoming somewhat saturated however oddly enough some colleages of mine who work in California claim they have trouble finding people to fill radiological technologist positions.

Radiological techs do much more than just X-Rays. They also do fluoroscopy which involves the intestinal tract and barium the stuff people drink to make them "glow". They also sometimes will assit the radiologist with injecting dyes for evaluation. If you work in hospitals you will most likely also do portable exams in the ICU, CCU, and the Emergency Room. Some techs even do X-Rays in the morgue.

You should and probably will become adept in other modalitites as well such as MRI, CT, and mammography. The training for those modalities does not require any additional formal training, it's generally on the job training. The more licenses you have the more valuable to your employer you are and the more money you will make so take any opportunity that comes along to learn more. If you would like to get into ultrasound that will require additional schooling and formal training.

Some benefits to working in a freestanding imaging center or clinic as opposed to a hospital is your hours would probably be something like Monday through Friday 8-5 or 9-5 and probably no weekends or at the very worst a Saturday.

Hospitals on the flipside have imaging departments that are generally staffed 24 hours a day and you could have to work nights, weekends, evenings, and holidays, pretty much anytime.

I would personally recommend you do observation in a hospital as well as a doctors office or imaging department at a freestanding center. See what the job actually entails and then decide if it's a job you want to do. If you have the chance try to also talk to a radiological technician in your area and pick their brain


One last thing in terms of salary. A few years back I want to say maybe 2007 or 2008 The American Society Of Radiologic Technologists did a salary survey. Do a google search and check out the findings for your state.