Becoming an MRI technologist is a great career choice. The job involves helping healthcare professionals to operate the MRI scanner, which will be used in imaging tests to detect any anomaly within your body. For most MRI technologists, your MRI tech salary is likely to be quite high, and your promotion pattern will be quite clear, allowing you to climb up the echelon with ease.

For beginners in the field, understanding your potential MRI tech salary as well as the factors that can heavily influence it will help you to develop a working strategy that will give you the most benefits in the long run. Here are some important facts to keep in mind about your MRI tech salary.

The potential range of your MRI tech salary is vast

Though MRI tech salaries tend to be higher than the national average, the actual range in which your MRI tech salary might fall is actually quite vast. The bottom 25% of MRI technologists receive just $61, 030 in 2019, while the top 25% earned $87,280 in the same year. Thus, even if your starting MRI tech salary might be a bit disappointing, there are always ways to increase it in the long run.

Your certification plays a very important role in determining your MRI tech salary

Your certification is the proof of your competence in MRI science, so it plays quite an important role in the equation. In general, if your certification is approved by the ARRT, which is the highest authority in MRI science in the US. If the certification you have has already received approvals from the ARRT, you are more likely to be employed in a high-paying position. You might even be eligible for supervisory ones as well!

Where you live also matters

MRI technologists who live near urban areas will have an edge over those living in rural areas. On average, those practicing their trade in a big city tend to earn more, especially if the city is a highly developed urban area. As a result, if you wish to make more while working as an MRI technologist, consider finding employment in a big city. For example, the states of California and Massachusetts boast some of the highest MRI tech salaries.

Clinical training is important

MRI science is filled with theoretical knowledge that will be quite difficult to apply to real-life contexts if the technologists have not been trained. Thus, the more clinical training and years of experience you have, the better your MRI tech salary will be.

These little facts will be your greatest buddy when you need to devise a strategy to improve your MRI tech salary. Education is the most important key in helping you get a better MRI tech salary. If you need help with getting an ARRT-approved certification, don’t hesitate to contact our experts at Pulse Radiology Institute. We offer online classes that award ARRT-approved certifications for busy students who cannot make it to a brick-and-mortar class.