Side-by-side career matchup

Radiology Technologist vs Pharmacy Technician

One comparison that actually matters: Radiology Technologist sees patients all day; Pharmacy Technician rarely does. Before optimizing for salary, figure out which of those sounds tolerable.

A Healthcare

Radiology Technologist

payments Salary

Radiology Technologist median

$77,660

Pharmacy Technician median

$43,460

Salary edge

Radiology Technologists earn $34,200 more per year at the median. That's roughly $2,850/month before taxes — a gap that compounds over a career but needs to be weighed against any difference in training time or upfront costs.

State-by-state pay

State	Radiology Technologist	Pharmacy Technician	Gap
California	$107,670	$49,640	+58,030
Oregon	$99,530	$51,210	+48,320
Washington	$93,920	$56,140	+37,780
Hawaii	$99,670	$45,380	+54,290
District of Columbia	$99,080	$45,670	+53,410
Massachusetts	$99,910	$44,640	+55,270
Alaska	$85,870	$50,440	+35,430
Nevada	$88,120	$46,670	+41,450
New York	$91,520	$40,840	+50,680
Arizona	$84,480	$47,620	+36,860

checklist Requirements at a glance

Factor	Radiology Technologist	Pharmacy Technician
Typical time	2 years	3-12 months
Est. total cost	—	—
Exam	ARRT Radiography Examination	PTCB (PTCE) or NHA (ExCPT)
License required	Many states	Most states
Education	Completion of an accredited radiologic technology program	High school diploma or GED
CE hours / cycle	23 hrs	14 hrs

Barrier to entry

Timeline differs: Radiology Technologist typically takes 2 years, while Pharmacy Technician takes 3-12 months.

trending_up Job market

Radiology Technologist growth

+4.3%

Pharmacy Technician growth

+6.4%

Annual openings

Radiology Technologist: 12,900

Pharmacy Technician: 49,000

Radiology Technologist AI exposure

Low -0.56

Pharmacy Technician AI exposure

Low 0.01

Market outlook

Growth projections are similar — Radiology Technologist at +4.3% and Pharmacy Technician at +6.4%. If market size matters to you, Pharmacy Technician is the larger field: about 49,000 openings annually against 12,900. That gap shows up most clearly in smaller metro areas where the narrower profession may have zero open positions in a given month. Radiology Technologist carries lower AI automation risk, which matters for long-term career stability.

flag Bottom line

Nationally, Radiology Technologist pulls in roughly $34,200 more per year than Pharmacy Technician. Whether that's enough to justify a different training path depends on your state's specific labor market and how your own earnings scale with experience.

Training timelines differ: Radiology Technologist takes 2 years while Pharmacy Technician takes 3-12 months. If cash flow during training matters, the shorter path wins on that axis alone — salary trade-offs come later.

Frequently asked questions

Do radiology technologists or pharmacy technicians earn more? expand_more

Radiology Technologist has the higher median at $77,660/year. Pharmacy Technician comes in at $43,460.

Is it harder to become a radiology technologist or a pharmacy technician? expand_more

Timeline-wise, Radiology Technologist runs 2 years vs. 3-12 months for Pharmacy Technician. Beyond time, exam difficulty and state requirements also factor in.

How hard is it to switch between radiology technologist and pharmacy technician? expand_more

Many professionals transition between these roles. Some coursework or clinical hours may transfer, but you'll likely need additional training and a separate license. Check your state's specific requirements.

Which career is growing faster: radiology technologist or pharmacy technician? expand_more

Pharmacy Technician has stronger projected growth at +6.4% over the next decade (vs +4.3%). However, Pharmacy Technician has more annual openings overall.

Which states require licenses for radiology technologist vs. pharmacy technician? expand_more

About 86% of states require radiology technologist licensure and 98% require it for pharmacy technicians. State-by-state requirements differ significantly.