Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists Salary: $121,690 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 41,530 magnetic resonance imaging technologists nationally earn a mean of $121,690. Projections imply about 4.5% annual growth; CA accounts for about 3,010 jobs in our geographic extract.
Key Statistics
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists: what the data shows
Common questions about magnetic resonance imaging technologists careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a magnetic resonance imaging technologists?
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 29-2035.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 41,530 workers.
What does a magnetic resonance imaging technologists do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Working with Computers, Documenting/Recording Information, Assisting and Caring for Others, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a magnetic resonance imaging technologists make?
BLS national median annual wage: $88,180 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $121,690 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $75,806 |
| 25th percentile | $95,753 |
| Median (50th) | $125,798 |
| 75th percentile | $150,553 |
| 90th percentile | $174,137 |
What education do you need?
For Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Reading Comprehension, Monitoring, Active Listening, Speaking, Operations Monitoring, Critical Thinking, and knowledge areas including Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Physics, Computers and Electronics. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is magnetic resonance imaging technologists in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 4.5% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 24.8%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 55.6%.
Current U.S. headcount: 41,530.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do magnetic resonance imaging technologistss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hospitals | 50,760 | 19.4% |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 49,340 | 18.9% |
| Cross-industry | 41,530 | 15.9% |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 40,020 | 15.3% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 37,960 | 14.5% |
| Ambulatory Health Care Services | 14,630 | 5.6% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | 136,390 | $78,680 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | 75,710 | $155,020 |
| Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | 43,640 | $39,270 |
| Brickmasons and Blockmasons | 53,520 | $60,800 |
| Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians | 36,880 | $52,080 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists workforce.
Employment Over Time
41,530 Workforce in 2023
The Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$121,690 Average Wage
In 2023, Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists earned an average of $121,690.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists.
Salary distribution for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists.
Employment Growth Projections
4.5% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
15,569 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 24.8%
19,422 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 55.6%
This occupation is projected to grow at 4.5% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists.
Wage Trends by Industry
11.8% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 3,010 employees, $122,870 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 800 employees, $116,751 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 350 employees, $112,282 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 340 employees, $106,703 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 270 employees, $119,399 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 240 employees, $145,164 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 220 employees, $136,738 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 210 employees, $158,894 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 110 employees, $135,016 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 100 employees, $111,192 avg wage
- Bakersfield-Delano MSA: 70 employees, $102,235 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists.
Diversity
Demographic information on Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists in 2023 was 41,530 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists in 2023 were Health Sciences, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists workers.
Education level distribution for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists.
Skills
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists need many skills, but most especially Reading Comprehension, Monitoring, Active Listening, Speaking, Operations Monitoring.
Required skills for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists include Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Physics, Computers and Electronics, Medicine and Dentistry.
Knowledge areas required for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists include Oral Expression, Oral Comprehension, Near Vision, Written Comprehension, Problem Sensitivity.
Required abilities for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists.
Daily Activities
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists spend their time on activities such as Working with Computers, Documenting/Recording Information, Assisting and Caring for Others, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Making Decisions and Solving Problems.
Most important work activities for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists.
About
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists
The average yearly wage for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists was $121,690 in 2023.
SOC Code
29-2035 - Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists reports an average salary of $121,690, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 41,530 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 4.5%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.