Registered radiologic technologists have seen their paychecks increase an average of 20 percent since 1997, according to the results of a nationwide salary survey conducted by the American Society of Radiologic Technologists.  The survey shows that R.T.s now earn an average of $21.26 per hour, up from $17.02 per hour in 1997.
           “The increase may be a result of the personnel shortage, which seems to be driving up salaries for radiologic technologists across the board,” said Allen Terrell, M.S., R.T.(R)(MR), president of ASRT.  “Radiology departments are competing for a limited supply of technologists, and the market is responding with higher wages.”
           The ASRT conducted its survey in January, with additional survey questionnaires sent to sonographers and nuclear medicine technologists in April.  Of the 29,914 surveys mailed, 12,525 were returned, for a 42 percent response rate.  The survey has a 1 percent margin of error at the 95 percent confidence level.
           Names and addresses of survey participants were drawn from a randomized, stratified sample of the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) database.  Results of the 2001 survey were compared to data collected in 1997, the last time ASRT performed a salary survey of the profession, to provide longitudinal information.
           Survey results showed:

•     Medical dosimetrists earn the highest wage in the profession, averaging $28.02 per hour, up from $22.23 in 1997.  Radiation therapists average $24.47 per hour, compared with $19.53 in 1997.  Nuclear medicine technologists make $22.90 an hour, up from $18.51; sonographers earn $22.55 per hour, up from $18.43; and radiographers are paid an average of $17.96 an hour, up from $14.99.

•     The entry-level wage for radiographers now averages $16.26 per hour, up 23.6 percent from the $12.43 average in 1997.

•     In the imaging specialty areas, mammographers earn $19.14 an hour on average, cardiovascular interventional technologists earn $21.68, CT technologists earn $20.39, and MR technologists average $22.32.

•     By worksite, the highest-paid R.T.s work locum tenens, earning an average of $32.65 per hour, or work for temp agencies, making $31.10 per hour.  Technologists employed by not-for-profit hospitals earn an average of $21.61 an hour; those working in for-profit hospitals average $21.11 an hour; and those at government or VA hospitals take home $21.65 per hour on average.  The lowest-paid technologists are those in the military, averaging $18.26 per hour, and those who work in industrial settings, at $16.55 per hour.

•     By level of educational attainment, radiologic technologists with certificates were the lowest paid, earning an average of $20.46 an hour.  The highest paid were those with master’s degrees, averaging $27.38 per hour.  Those with master’s degrees also tended to hold positions in management or education.

•     By job title, staff technologists earn an average of $20.20 and senior or lead technologists average $22.47 an hour.  Among those with educational responsibilities, clinical instructors average $20.25 per hour; clinical coordinators, $22.41; didactic instructors, $23.01; and educational program directors, $23.99.  Among those with management responsibilities, assistant chief technologists reported an average hourly wage of $21.81; supervisors or managers, $23.96 per hour; chief technologists, $24.68; and administrators, $27.61.

•     By geographic region, R.T.s received the highest salaries in Arizona, California and Nevada, reporting an average of $25.01 an hour, followed by New York and New Jersey, where technologists average $23.38 an hour.  The lowest paid R.T.s live in the region comprised of Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming, earning $19.17 an hour on average.

In other survey findings, 87.1 percent of respondents said they had received a raise in the past year, with the average wage increase at 5.29 percent.
           The full survey, which is more than 100 pages long, is available as a downloadable file from the ASRT Web site, www.asrt.org.  In addition to reporting hourly wages, the survey also includes average annual salaries for the profession.  Readers should be careful not to confuse the two figures, said Sal Martino, executive vice president and chief academic officer for the ASRT.  “The annual salaries reported in the survey are not a simple calculation of an annualized hourly rate,” Dr. Martino explained.  “Survey respondents could choose whether to report their wages hourly or annually, and those reporting their wages annually tended to be higher paid and to have positions in management or education.”
           In addition to wage information, the survey also collected demographic data from respondents.  Results show that the “typical” radiologic technologist is female (75 percent of survey respondents), married (70 percent), holds an associate degree (43 percent), has worked in the profession an average of 16 years, and is 41.23 years old.  She currently holds a staff position (59 percent of respondents), works in a not-for-profit hospital (47 percent), is certified in radiography (48 percent), and works an average of 42.78 hours per week.
           When questioned about their level of satisfaction with their careers and their workplaces, most respondents were positive.  Despite reports of stressful working conditions caused by the personnel shortage, the majority of survey respondents said they were pleased with their career choice.  Nearly 39 percent said they were “very satisfied” with their career and 41.8 percent said they were “somewhat satisfied.”  Only 2.3 percent said they were “very dissatisfied” and 8.5 percent described themselves as “somewhat dissatisfied.”  The remainder were neutral.  When asked about their workplace, 22.4 percent rated their workplace as “very good” and 47 percent consider it “good.”
           In addition, 18.9 percent of respondents said they definitely would choose the same career again, 34.1 percent said they probably would choose it again, 25.4 percent said they might or might not choose it again, and 21.7 percent said they would not choose it again.
           Mr. Terrell urged technologists and administrators to analyze the survey data and use it to their advantage.  “This survey isn’t just a collection of numbers and percentages,” he said.  “It contains valuable information that people can use as a tool to make career decisions.  If you’re a technologist, you can learn how your salary compares to the salaries of colleagues who have the same job title, educational background and years of experience as you do and who live in the same geographic region and work in the same practice area,” he said.  “If you’re a department manager, you can determine whether the wages you pay to your staff are in line with the current market.  If they aren’t, you may need to consider making adjustments to improve your recruitment and retention rates.”