A number of factors will affect medical imaging salaries. A person's level of education has a great effect on the amount of money he or she makes in medical imaging. The location of the medical facility and the experience of the medical imaging specialist will also play a role in determining salary. Radiologists, nuclear imagists, and sonographic imagists may also each earn different salaries, though each of these specialties is within the field of medical imaging.
The type of imaging job that an individual performs has the greatest affect on medical imaging salaries. Some people who work in medical imaging have technical jobs and work with patients to create images. Others may be involved in the interpretation of these images. Nurses and doctors may also work specifically in medical imaging. Jobs that require a greater level of expertise, such as those held by doctors, pay a great deal more than positions that require comparatively little education and training, such as those held by technicians and technologists.
Another thing that can affect medical imaging salaries is the type of imaging performed. Medical imaging professionals usually specialize in radiology, nuclear imaging, or sonography. Though learning how to use the equipment in each of these specialties requires education and training, these three medical imaging specialties do not always receive the same rate of pay. In general, medical imaging salaries are highest for those who work in nuclear imaging and lowest for those who work in sonography.
Education and experience also play a role in medical imaging salaries. Though not all medical imaging jobs require a four-year degree, many will pay higher salaries to people who have more education. Years of experience also affects medical imaging salaries, and many positions offer regular raises to people who remain at their jobs for longer.
The location an imagist works in also affects the amount of money he or she makes. Salaries vary considerably from country to country and, in some nations, from city to city. Though salaries of medical professionals may be set by the government in some nations, in others, each hospital will be able to pay it's medical imaging professionals the amount it sees fit. In regions where the competition for jobs is fierce, salaries may be lower while medical facilities that need to attract professionals may raise medical imaging salaries.