Education

• It is possible to become an x-ray tech with a certificate or an associate degree. The programs leading to these are short, typically around one to two years. However, the salary of someone with only two years of school will be lower than that of someone with a bachelor's degree in medical imaging. For example, the median salary for a tech with a certificate is around $56,000, while a tech holding a bachelor's degree will make closer to $63,000. Entry-level workers can expect to start at less than $40,000 a year. If you want to move into management eventually, you should expect to earn -- either now or in the future -- at least a bachelor's degree.
  
  

Experience

• Your experience in the field of medical imaging plays a huge part in how an employer determines your salary. You will probably earn the minimum offered for your position if you just graduated with a medical imaging degree; depending on where you work, this means your entry-level salary is going to be around $35,000. As your experience increases, you can move into higher-paid positions. With about five years of experience, you should be making over $40,000, and once you get around eight years of experience, you can expect to earn around $55,000. Without higher education, you can expect to hit $65,000 after 10 or 11 years.
  
  

Specialized Training and Job Titles

• Another factor that can affect your salary as a medical imaging technologist is your job title and any specialized training you have. Many programs and degrees are focused on general x-ray technology, but your specific school or the training you get on the job may lead to specialized positions. Examples of specialized positions are techs trained in MRI or CT scan diagnostics. The median salary for an MRI tech ranges between $50,000 to $55,000, while the median CT scan tech salary is between $55,000 and $65,000.
  
  

Location

• Where you work can greatly affect your potential earnings. Not only can the type of work environment dictate your salary, but also your geographical location. For example, the median salary for an x-ray tech working in a diagnostic lab is a little over $55,000. However, when you consider averages by state, an x-ray tech in Florida only makes about $28,000 to $41,000 a year -- about two-thirds the amount an x-ray tech earns in New York.