What careers are associated with imaging? Here are the best job opportunities in this medical field.
Also known as radiology or clinical imaging, medical imaging is an essential field of medicine that deals with non-invasive imaging of the body’s interior organs or tissues.
It’s an entire field of study with a wide range of specialties. If you wish to pursue a career in medical imaging, you may want to know some of these careers.
Diagnostic Imaging Careers
Here, we’ve provided relevant information covering these medical imaging careers, including other details that will prove crucial in your quest to become a radiologist.
You can determine or identify what career path seems more rewarding by going through the information provided.
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Earning a Degree in Imaging Sciences Opens up a whole Range of Possibilities.
Is imaging a promising career? Yes.
If you’re wondering what you can do with a degree in imaging sciences, the good news is; that it makes you valuable to the field of medicine in several ways.
First off, you get to work in several medical settings like medical facilities such as clinics and hospitals.
What more? A medical imaging degree broadens your professional horizon and allows you to occupy teaching roles. You get to train students pursuing an associate’s degree.
Also, you can occupy management and consulting positions for medical imaging technology companies.
Your specialization will determine your career path as a medical imaging technologist. Such areas of specialization include CT scans, MRIs, and X-rays.
Others include mobile radiography, angiography, trauma radiography, fluoroscopy, etc.
Medical Imaging Career Opportunities
As mentioned earlier, you may find several medical imaging careers interesting. Each introduces you to a specific aspect of medical imaging, which can be highly rewarding.
Your choice of a medical imaging career will largely be influenced by what you find most interesting about the field.
To help you decide, we’ve identified and discussed the different medical imaging career paths available.
They include diagnostic medical sonography, nuclear medicine technology, cardiovascular technology, radiation therapy, and magnetic resonance imaging.
To provide a comprehensive outlook on these medical imaging careers, we’ll cover the educational requirements, program length, certification & licensure, median annual salary, and the job outlook.
Read on for details on these and more.
i. Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Diagnostic medical sonographers are trained to carry out sonograms, ultrasounds, and echocardiograms on patients.
Also called ultrasound technicians, these professionals use a wide range of devices or equipment that emits high-frequency sound waves to produce images.
Such images may be those of unborn fetuses, muscles, and internal body organs. It’s a diagnostic measure to determine the state or health of targeted organs.
To become a diagnostic medical sonographer, you’ll need to obtain an associate’s degree.
The program length for such a degree is around two years. What more? Diagnostic medical sonographers need to obtain certification and licensure. Such requirements may vary from one state to the next.
The American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) offers such.
Another authorized licensing body includes the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT). The median annual salary for diagnostic medical sonographers is about $67,530.
Regarding the job outlook, this medical imaging career is deemed to have faster-than-average job growth of 46% compared to all occupations.
ii. Nuclear Medicine Technology
Another medical imaging career path you might find interesting is nuclear medicine technology.
This involves administering radioactive drugs, which help highlight abnormalities in the body. Such drugs or compounds are called radiopharmaceuticals.
It’s a well-paid medical imaging career specialization with faster-than-average job growth of about 20% compared to all occupations.
The program length required for becoming a nuclear medicine technologist is about two years, and you get to earn an associate’s degree.
Licensing is necessary for some states and is issued by ARRT and the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board (NMTCB).
Professionals in this field of medical imaging earn a median annual salary of about $72,100.
iii. Cardiovascular Technology
If you’re drawn to cardiovascular technology, you’ll be glad to know it’s equally a rewarding medical imaging career path that deals with diagnosing and treating the cardiovascular system.
Here, both invasive and non-invasive procedures are performed.
There are subspecialties like cardiac sonographers, cardiology technologists, and vascular technologists. To qualify as a cardiovascular technologist, you’ll need to obtain an associate’s degree lasting two years.
The median annual salary is around $57,720.
In terms of licensing, the requirements may differ from one state to the next. Cardiovascular subspecialties include cardiac sonographers, cardiology technologists, and vascular technologists.
iv. Radiation Therapy
As a radiation therapist, you’ll work closely with radiologists to administer radiation therapy. In most cases, such procedures cover a wide range of cancer treatments.
As a natural caregiver or people-oriented person, this is one medical imaging career path that can be highly rewarding.
The minimum educational requirement for radiation therapists is an associate’s degree.
However, a bachelor’s degree is often preferred. The median annual salary for radiation therapists is about $85,560, which translates to approximately $41.14 per hour.
This medical imaging career also involves interaction with persons who have cancer. It can be fulfilling if you want a job that enables you to connect with patients while providing optimal medical care.
v. Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technician
Also called radiologic technology, magnetic resonance imaging technologists conduct a variety of scans.
These include x-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Part of the educational requirements includes completing a 2-year associate’s degree.
Regarding the job outlook, radiologic technologists have faster-than-average job growth of about 21% compared to all occupations. Most states have certification or licensure requirements.
The ARRT also issues voluntary certification.
The median annual salary for radiologic technologists according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is around $55,870. Here, you’ll work in many settings like outpatient care centers, diagnostic labs, and hospitals.
This common medical imaging career path has witnessed tremendous growth over the years. You can take advantage of such to launch your journey into a thriving and rewarding career.
Have you found any of the above medical imaging careers interesting? Each of these career paths has subspecialties that you may be interested in.