Maintain and use equipment and supplies necessary to demonstrate portions of the human body on x-ray film or fluoroscopic screen for diagnostic purposes.
U.S. Workers
174,060
Median Salary
$48,790
10-Year Growth
+5.2%
Annual Openings
13,600
Typical entry: Postsecondary nondegree award
21 of 23 tasks have some AI capability
Exposure Trend
This score reflects estimated AI technical capability for tasks in this occupation. It does not predict employment changes, and it does not account for company-specific constraints, regulation, or adoption barriers.
Process exposed radiographs using film processors or computer generated methods.
AI: Fully automatable - Digital image processing, reconstruction and workflow for radiographs are handled end-to-end by software and AI in current film-less environments, so processing can be fully automated.
Determine patients' x-ray needs by reading requests or instructions from physicians.
AI: Fully automatable - AI systems can parse physician orders and map them to standard imaging protocols automatically in most cases, enabling end-to-end determination of x-ray needs for routine requests.
Operate digital picture archiving communications systems.
AI: Fully automatable - Operating PACS is a software-driven task and can be fully automated by AI for image ingestion, routing, retrieval and archiving functions in 2025.
Collect and maintain records of patients examined, examinations performed, patient medical histories, views taken, or technical factors used.
AI: Fully automatable - Automated EHR integration, image/device logs, transcription, and data extraction allow AI to collect and maintain patient/exam records and technical factors fully.
Maintain a current file of examination protocols.
AI: Fully automatable - Protocol files can be versioned, updated, validated against guidelines, and distributed automatically by AI systems.
Provide students or other technicians with suggestions of additional views, alternate positioning, or improved techniques to ensure the images produced are of the highest quality.
AI: Fully automatable - AI image‑quality analysis and positioning guidance can reliably suggest additional views, alternate positioning, and technique improvements in real time.
Perform general administrative tasks, such as answering phones, scheduling patient appointments, or pulling and filing films.
AI: Fully automatable - Phone bots, scheduling systems, and digital file management can fully automate answering, appointment booking, and electronic film retrieval by 2025.
Position x-ray equipment and adjust controls to set exposure factors, such as time and distance.
AI: Partial - AI can recommend exposure factors and assist with presets, but physical positioning of x‑ray equipment and final exposure decisions typically require human radiologic technologists.
Use beam-restrictive devices and patient-shielding techniques to minimize radiation exposure to patient and staff.
AI: Partial - AI can provide dose-optimization guidance, real-time monitoring and automated interlocks but cannot reliably perform the physical placement of beam-restrictive devices and patient shielding by itself in clinical practice as of 2025.
Position patient on examining table and set up and adjust equipment to obtain optimum view of specific body area as requested by physician.
AI: Partial - AI and motorized equipment can suggest and enact some adjustments and provide positioning guidance, but nuanced patient handling and final positioning still require human judgment and hands-on manipulation.
Explain procedures to patients to reduce anxieties and obtain cooperation.
AI: Partial - Chatbots and scripted audiovisual tools can explain procedures and reduce anxiety for many patients, but they lack the full empathy and adaptive bedside communication of a human technologist.
Prepare and set up x-ray room for patient.
AI: Partial - AI can manage digital checklists and control motorized room components, but physical tasks like arranging supplies, shields and preparing the environment still typically require human staff.
Make exposures necessary for the requested procedures, rejecting and repeating work that does not meet established standards.
AI: Partial - Automated exposure control and AI image-quality assessment can make and evaluate exposures and flag repeats, but safe exposure execution and nuanced retake decisions still need human oversight.
Provide assistance to physicians or other technologists in the performance of more complex procedures.
AI: Partial - AI can provide advanced decision support, imaging guidance and workflow assistance during complex procedures, but cannot fully replace hands-on assistance and intra-procedural clinical judgment.
Prepare contrast material, radiopharmaceuticals, or anesthetic or antispasmodic drugs under the direction of a radiologist.
AI: Partial - Automated compounding systems and decision-support can assist and sometimes perform mixing under oversight, but complex radiopharmaceutical handling and regulatory/sterility constraints prevent full autonomous execution in 2025.
Perform procedures, such as linear tomography, mammography, sonograms, joint and cyst aspirations, routine contrast studies, routine fluoroscopy, or examinations of the head, trunk, or extremities under supervision of physician.
AI: Partial - AI can guide parameters, positioning and image acquisition and assist with interpretation, but cannot perform hands‑on procedures or sterile interventions by itself.
Coordinate work of other technicians or technologists when procedures require more than one person.
AI: Partial - AI can assist with scheduling and task coordination, but on‑site leadership, real‑time judgment, and human team management remain necessary.
Assure that sterile or non-sterile supplies such as contrast materials, catheters, films, chemicals, or other required equipment, are present and in working order or requisition materials.
AI: Partial - Inventory systems and predictive alerts can be automated, but physical verification, stocking and some functional checks still require humans.
Complete quality control activities, monitor equipment operation, and report malfunctioning equipment to supervisor.
AI: Partial - Continuous monitoring and anomaly detection can be automated and can report faults, but some quality control tests and hands‑on troubleshooting require human action.
Assist with on-the-job training of new employees or students or provide input to supervisors regarding training performance.
AI: Partial - AI can deliver training content and objective performance analytics, but cannot fully replace hands‑on mentoring and human judgment in on‑the‑job training.
Provide assistance in radiopharmaceutical administration, monitoring patients' vital signs and notifying the radiologist of any relevant changes.
AI: Partial - AI can monitor vital signs, detect anomalies, and trigger alerts or guidance and contrast injectors can automate administration to an extent, but complete autonomous patient handling and injection of radiopharmaceuticals under clinical conditions is not yet routine.
Transport patients to or from exam rooms.
AI: Not automatable - Transporting patients involves safe physical handling, mobility and interpersonal care that AI systems and robots are not broadly capable of performing in clinical settings by 2025.
Operate mobile x-ray equipment in operating room, emergency room, or at patient's bedside.
AI: Not automatable - Operating mobile x‑ray equipment requires physical manipulation, radiation safety judgment, and direct patient handling that AI cannot perform autonomously in 2025.