Online X-ray Tech Schools

X-Ray Tech School: What to Expect

If you enroll in an online X-ray school, you may have the opportunity to take classes on campus as well as online, and you'll probably be required to complete hands-on clinical lab work as well as a diagnostic radiology internship before you receive a degree or certificate for your X-ray technician degree program. Some of the classes you'll probably take are:

• Math
• Medical classes
• Imaging classes specializing in areas like computed tomography (CT scans) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Most states require people performing X-ray technician jobs to be licensed and most employers prefer an X-ray technician with a certificate, associate or bachelor's degree. A certificate program through an online X-ray technician school may take under a year, while an associate degree takes about one year, depending on the program. For more career options, you may also choose to earn a bachelor's degree, or work toward a specialty such as cardiac or vascular X-ray technician.

Career Options for X-ray Tech School Graduates

X-ray school degree programs allow you to specialize, opening up career paths such as:

• Ultrasound technician
• Radiation therapy technologist
• Nuclear medicine technologist
• Diagnostic medical sonographer

Salary Outlook for X-ray Tech School Degree Holders

Job prospects for X-ray technician jobs expected to grow by approximately 17 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The mean annual wage for radiologic technicians in 2009 was $54,180. Opportunities exist to move up the career ladder, by specializing as listed above or working up to MRI, mammography, or cardiac and interventional radiography, and the top 10 percent of radiologic technologists earned more than $75,440 in 2009.