X-ray Techs See New Technologies, New Directions
The digital age has revolutionized the x-ray tech position and opened an entirely new set of duties and responsibilities for those with focused training.
by Kelly Richardson
Trade School Columnist
A 360 degree cone beam finds everything from microscopic lesions to cavities. This technology may sound like it's from a blockbuster science fiction movie, but it's actually the latest in x-ray technologies. And it lets technicians see more and do more.
According to the New Mexico Business Weekly, the newest x-ray technology, while intended for the dental industry, may very well spill over into the medical field as a whole. The combination of the Eastman Kodak Company and Los Alamos-based HYTEC Inc. has yielded an x-ray delivery system that creates 3D imagery for diagnosis and treatment. With an expected sales volume of $20 million in 2006 alone, it's just the type of technology that has x-ray technicians anxious to be involved. Here are some x-ray niches that could benefit from the merge.
X-rayTech Trends Converge
- Nuclear Medicine. With an average annual salary of $67,400 a year, nuclear medicine techs use controlled radioactive materials to produce fine-grain images.
- Ultrasonography. Spurred by the population boom and the introduction of new equipment, sonographers are in near constant demand and earn more than $60,000 per year.
- Interventionalists. This focused x-ray niche earns in excess of $63,000 per year. But do to their extreme specialty, they must be on-call and work odd shifts.
According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, x-ray techs are looking at a world of employment opportunity. Formal training programs in x-ray technology vary from 1 to 4 years and lead to a certificate, an associate degree, or a bachelor's degree.
X-ray Tech Career Profile
Radiologic technologists and technicians held about 182,000 jobs in 2004, with more than half of those jobs being in hospitals. Employment of radiologic technologists and technicians is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2014
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About the author
Kelly Richardson covers the local education and technology scenes in major cities across the country. His articles appear in educational journals, periodicals, and e-zines.
