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Any X-Ray Technicians here?

D

DaVortex

Senior member
Right after highschool I went to tech school for networking, the job market now is pretty dead for all aspects of computers. I was told that an X-ray tech is a pretty popular job, and I think working in a hospital is a great way of going because it will include all kinds of benefits.

I wanted to know if anyone here is in this field and could tell me what exactly is involved, how much schooling has to be done, etc.

Thank You
 
My wife was an X-Ray tech. She worked as one for a year and then went to a 15 month Ultrasound program. She preferes ultrasound due to better pay and not having to lift as much. She was having to do a lot of lifting and moving of people in X-Ray. If you don't mind the lifting, X-ray is a great field. You can make a lot of money. Especially if you take call.
 
An X-ray tech? Like someone that gives you the lead vest and presses the button? I would imagine not too much schooling compared to a radiologist that makes the calls. PS, had you gone to med school radiolog would have been a great field to get into. Theres a shortage of them right now and its the second highest paid specialization.
 
Originally posted by: Mo0o
An X-ray tech? Like someone that gives you the lead vest and presses the button? I would imagine not too much schooling compared to a radiologist that makes the calls. PS, had you gone to med school radiolog would have been a great field to get into. Theres a shortage of them right now and its the second highest paid specialization.
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My wife went to school for 2 years straight. no summer breaks. For her standard x-ray lic.

I will tell her about this thread 2nite. She will be able to give your better details
 
Originally posted by: Mo0o
An X-ray tech? Like someone that gives you the lead vest and presses the button? I would imagine not too much schooling compared to a radiologist that makes the calls. PS, had you gone to med school radiolog would have been a great field to get into. Theres a shortage of them right now and its the second highest paid specialization.
Click to expand...
Yeah radiologist is the job to have. My best friend is a general surgeon and he was telling me how radiologist don't even have to come to the hospital much. Almost everything can be sent to them over the Internet and they can make the decision from home.

An x-ray tech is not an easy job. You don't just push a button. You have to know the proper positions for every bone and proper settings for the machine. The certification test isn't a cakewalk either. My wife is taking all her ultrasound certification tests now. She has to take 4 at $200 a piece to be certified at the type ultrasound she does (vascular). She has passed two so far.
 
I did this for two years. Don't do it. The pay is crappy, the hours are even worse, and the THINGS you have to XRay will give you nightmares (severed hands, stab wounds, bullet holes, bashed skulls). Ugh. Pay in NW Ohio 5 years ago averages around $26000-$28000/yr.

I went into PC networking and make twice that now, with no nasty stuff I have to touch (except for our receptionist's keyboard- she eat's while working and gets everything all grimey).
 
I work for a company that makes all kinds of Medical Equipment (XRays, CTs, MRIs, etc) but I'm just the computer guy...
 
Originally posted by: Fritzo
I did this for two years. Don't do it. The pay is crappy, the hours are even worse, and the THINGS you have to XRay will give you nightmares (severed hands, stab wounds, bullet holes, bashed skulls). Ugh. Pay in NW Ohio 5 years ago averages around $26000-$28000/yr.

I went into PC networking and make twice that now, with no nasty stuff I have to touch (except for our receptionist's keyboard- she eat's while working and gets everything all grimey).
Click to expand...

That seems like crap pay for the gruesomeness factor.
 
Originally posted by: djheater
Originally posted by: Fritzo
I did this for two years. Don't do it. The pay is crappy, the hours are even worse, and the THINGS you have to XRay will give you nightmares (severed hands, stab wounds, bullet holes, bashed skulls). Ugh. Pay in NW Ohio 5 years ago averages around $26000-$28000/yr.

I went into PC networking and make twice that now, with no nasty stuff I have to touch (except for our receptionist's keyboard- she eat's while working and gets everything all grimey).
Click to expand...

That seems like crap pay for the gruesomeness factor.
Click to expand...

Yep...plus you get nice shifts like 4pm-1am, or 8pm-4am untill you get at least 5 years on. We worked 4 days on/2 days off too, but I'm sure this varies from hostpital to hospital. I still have a couple of xrays of guys with strange things shoved up their rectums (classic radiology humor), so there were some funny times. Mostly the job is a big hassle though. I quit a week after the ER doctor made me plug up a bullet hole in a young woman with my finger until he could clamp off an artery in her abdomen. Blech...

I love my job now...would never go back. I found it to be a waste of school tuition and a waste of 2 years after than 🙁
 
Originally posted by: Fritzo
Originally posted by: djheater
Originally posted by: Fritzo
I did this for two years. Don't do it. The pay is crappy, the hours are even worse, and the THINGS you have to XRay will give you nightmares (severed hands, stab wounds, bullet holes, bashed skulls). Ugh. Pay in NW Ohio 5 years ago averages around $26000-$28000/yr.

I went into PC networking and make twice that now, with no nasty stuff I have to touch (except for our receptionist's keyboard- she eat's while working and gets everything all grimey).
Click to expand...

That seems like crap pay for the gruesomeness factor.
Click to expand...

Yep...plus you get nice shifts like 4pm-1am, or 8pm-4am untill you get at least 5 years on. We worked 4 days on/2 days off too, but I'm sure this varies from hostpital to hospital. I still have a couple of xrays of guys with strange things shoved up their rectums (classic radiology humor), so there were some funny times. Mostly the job is a big hassle though. I quit a week after the ER doctor made me plug up a bullet hole in a young woman with my finger until he could clamp off an artery in her abdomen. Blech...

I love my job now...would never go back. I found it to be a waste of school tuition and a waste of 2 years after than 🙁
Click to expand...
It definitely varries by hospital then. My wife made in the $40k range and did complain of some of the nasty things they had to do...like barium enamas. She worked PRN though since I carry the health insurance. PRN's usually make more than full time employees. If you don't want to see shooting victims, don't work at a trauma hospital. They always transport gunshot victims to hospitals with some level of a trauma unit.
 
Isnt there two levels of x ray techs

full radiologist and limited x ray techs and to work at a hospital u have to be a full radiologists?
 
Originally posted by: BooGiMaN
Isnt there two levels of x ray techs

full radiologist and limited x ray techs and to work at a hospital u have to be a full radiologists?
Click to expand...

A radiologist is a doctor that reads XRays. They're paid a good $300,000 a year. XRay techs are pretty much photographers.
 
I work in nuclear medicine which is part of radiology. In my opinion this is a great field to get into only if you decide to specialize in something like ultrasound,MRI, etc. The school is only two years but for those two years you are essentially working a full time job for no pay. You will do a lot of the work, while training, and it can be pretty frustrating. You can though, with an RT degree, get into say nuclear medicine and start out making upwards of twenty four dollars and hour with only one more year of schooling. There are definitley a lot of oppurtunities to make good money with an RT degree and the demand in this field never really stagnates. If you like working with people and can show some compassion this is a solid choice if you ask me.
 
Originally posted by: skychief
I work in nuclear medicine which is part of radiology. In my opinion this is a great field to get into only if you decide to specialize in something like ultrasound,MRI, etc. The school is only two years but for those two years you are essentially working a full time job for no pay. You will do a lot of the work, while training, and it can be pretty frustrating. You can though, with an RT degree, get into say nuclear medicine and start out making upwards of twenty four dollars and hour with only one more year of schooling. There are definitley a lot of oppurtunities to make good money with an RT degree and the demand in this field never really stagnates. If you like working with people and can show some compassion this is a solid choice if you ask me.
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Specializing is the way to go. Ultrasound can bring anywhere from 20-30 an hour. You can get in on contract work and make even more.
 
Here are my wife's comments

Well... I went to xray school in 1991. i graduated high school in june and started that september. it was a 2 year hospital based program. the only time off was a two week vacation. we were by all means Techs without checks ! we did all the work ! and i dont regret a day of it. i passed my registry, worked a year at the hospital i trained at. then took a job in family practice.. where i learned EKG, Stress test, vitals, basic wound care and bloodwork and a bunch of other things inbtween still doing xrays. 7 years later i was offered a job doing bone density. i accepted for a much larger salary then i was getting at the other office. i had taken my mammo registry in 1996. i work in an out patient center and cover the OR, mammo, dexa, and xray. of course i am bogged down cause i am the only one to cover those modalites and i am only one person so i set the pace. my best friend is the CT tech there. she helps cover the xray portion when i am in the OR. it is the best career decision i could have ever made. i cant see me ever leaving the medical field. i love xray. and i started young and make a nice salary.

i would recommend doing the program and you will always have a career to fall back on you can specialize in a specific modiality.. like CT, or nuc med. there is pleanty to do .. and you will feel great to know you helped so many people at the end of the day.

our techs are paid 60-80k

I hope this helps.

L8r,
Jetsfanatic 🙂

 
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