Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists

Median salary

$95,480

Average salary

$96,120

Employment

43,390

Projected growth

7.1% growth

Annual openings

2,600

Typical entry education

Associate's degree

What Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists Do

Operate Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanners. Monitor patient safety and comfort, and view images of area being scanned to ensure quality of pictures. May administer gadolinium contrast dosage intravenously. May interview patient, explain MRI procedures, and position patient on examining table. May enter into the computer data such as patient history, anatomical area to be scanned, orientation specified, and position of entry.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: Less than 5 years
On-the-job training: None
Self-employed: 4.6%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 3 of 5

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Experience: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
Education: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Job training: Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.2/5
English Languageimportance 4.0/5
Physicsimportance 4.0/5
Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.6/5
Medicine and Dentistryimportance 3.5/5
Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.5/5
Education and Trainingimportance 3.4/5
Biologyimportance 3.0/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.8/5
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.7/5
Telephone Conversations4.7/5
Health and Safety of Other Workers4.7/5
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.6/5
Contact With Others4.6/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators94% skill match
Log Graders and Scalers93% skill match
Radiologic Technologists and Technicians93% skill match
Meter Readers, Utilities92% skill match
Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers92% skill match
Forest and Conservation Technicians92% skill match
Dental Assistants91% skill match
Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators91% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Operations Monitoringimportance 3.6/5
Operation and Controlimportance 3.3/5
Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.1/5
Service Orientationimportance 3.1/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.1/5
Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
Instructingimportance 3.0/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.0/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

Appointment scheduling software
Electronic medical record EMR software
GE Healthcare Centricity EMR
Medical image processing software
Radiology information systems (RIS)
Teleradiology systems
Web browser software

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Attention to Detail
Dependability
Cautiousness
Cooperation
Empathy
Integrity
Stress Tolerance

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

RealisticHigh
ConventionalMedium
InvestigativeMedium
SocialMedium
EnterprisingLow
ArtisticLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where magnetic resonance imaging technologists make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).