In the United States, radiologists and technicians are referred to as radiographers and they are primarily responsible for operating x ray machinery. In recent years the field of human imaging expanded significantly and today a radiographer can do anything from a simple x-ray to a highly sophisticated magnetic resonance image. Regardless of what they are involved in, radiographers play a crucial role in assisting doctors and helping patients.

As a radiographer one of your main tasks will be to capture images of the human body using a variety of highly sophisticated machines. Although these machines are designed to help us, they can be extremely dangerous and unless you are a very precise and through person, this career might not be for you. There is a lot more to it than merely operating machines though. You will have a lot of one-on-one interaction with patients and the ability to assist and deal with them is a large part of the job. People skills is definitely a must.

The careers prospects are continuously expanding and with more and more sophisticated machines becoming available, the need for more skilled technicians is continuously growing. Getting Qualified as a radiographer is the first step, but it pens up a lot of opportunities once you get qualified and gain a bit of experience. You can choose to specialize and become an Ultrasound technician, a MRI Technician, a Bone Densitometries or even a Mammogram Technician. The potential is endless and the opportunities to advance your careers and your qualification is always there.

The future for Radiological Technicians look really good. With an estimated 15 % growth over the ext 6 years, there is a great demand in both the public and the private sector. With private health facilities demanding a high level of service, the potential for a high paying job in a private clinic is indeed a great lure for any fresh graduate.

The starting salary for a radiologist in the USA is between $30k and $35k per year and is way above the average for medical assistants. If you choose to specialize and qualify for a more advanced career I MRI for instance you can easy expect to earn $55k per year. The real rewards however is not financially. This is a very rewarding job emotionally and like doctors you get to help people - without the emotional trauma that many doctors and surgeons have to deal with.