Do you sit at the same job day in and day out with no real sense of accomplishment? Or maybe you like your job but there just isn’t any room for growth or job security? If so, why not look into a career as an x-ray technician?
You can help people out everyday and feel secure in knowing that you can find a job in any city. Here are some useful key points on schooling, pay and job locations to help you decide if a career as an x-ray tech is the right one for you.
X Ray Technician Job description
An x-ray technician is a specifically trained person who uses x-ray equipment to take internal pictures of a human body to help doctors diagnose and treat injuries and diseases. There are different environments where an x-ray technician can work. Some of these include hospitals, doctor’s offices, dental offices, hospitals, and radiology clinics.
This field requires a person that has a calm demeanor. Sometimes an x-ray technician has to deal with people who, because of injury, old age, or illness cannot sit, stand, or lie down in different positions. These people may seem uncooperative so an x-ray technician has to remember they are there to be helpful. The main thing a x-ray technician has to remember is that they cannot, under any circumstances, discuss findings with the patient. A skilled x-ray technician may be able to identify abnormalities on x-ray images, but interpreting these x-rays is the job of a doctor, radiologist, or nurse practitioner.
Working as a x-ray technician is not with out its risks. Frequent exposure to x-rays has been linked to the development of different cancers. But, these risks can be minimized be following certain safety procedures like the blocking of vulnerable body parts with lead sheets or walls while the x-rays are being taken.
X-ray Technician Schooling
There is a variety of places an x-ray technician can complete their schooling. Some of these places are community colleges, four year universities, technical institutes, and hospitals. Also, different branches of the Armed Forces are able to train people to become x-ray technicians.
How long will it take someone to complete their training to become an x-ray technician? Training can take as long as a person desires. Basically, a person can complete a one year training course and receive certification, complete a two year program and receive an associates degree, or complete a four year program and receive a bachelors degree. Most people choose to complete the two year program at a technical school or community college. Completing the four year program and receiving your bachelors degree better prepares a person for an immediate job as an administrator, supervisor, or a specialists. This way to go is becoming more and more popular as it allows a person to earn more income.
How important is it to become a “registered” x-ray technician? Well, in the most simple of terms, it is very important. Most employers and most states will require registration. To qualify for registration, a person must, first, graduate from an x-ray tech program that is accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiology Technology. Second, a person must also pass the ARRT’s national certification exam. Then, every other year, a person must complete 24 hours of continuing education to maintain their registration. This is pretty common in the medical field.
X-ray Technician Salary
The demand for qualified x-ray technicians is on the rise and this means salary and benefit packages should improve as employers will offer more to keep a qualified technician working for them. In today’s market, the estimated salary for qualified x-ray technicians is between $48,689 – $ 72,827. As stated earlier, the more schooling a person competes, the more income he or she can expect to receive starting out. But, another thing that effects salary is how many years a person has been working as a x-ray technician. As with most fields, the more experience a person has, the more they are in demand and their salary will reflect this.
Your jobs location will have quite a pull on how much pay you can expect to see yearly as well. This means both geographically and physical job location, whether it be working for a large hospital, small doctors clinic or the armed forces. An x-ray technician who works out of a large hospital in a large city in New York, California, Texas or Florida can expect to make more money yearly than an x ray tech that is working in a small clinic in a smaller city or town whether it be in the same states mentioned or across the country. This is not always the case however, as it all falls back on supply and demand along with our nations economy. As with any job, there are many factors that play roles in job security, and salary. The average x ray technician salary is only expected to rise in the coming years along with its demand, therefore making the career field of an x-ray tech a great choice.
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