Career
Magnetic resonance imaging technologists
Run MRI scans that show inside the body.
$95,480
Median pay
+7.7%
Job growth, 2025–35
2,300
Openings a year
Associate's degree
Typical education
2 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Review physicians' orders to confirm prescribed exams.
- Conduct screening interviews of patients to identify contraindications, such as ferrous objects, pregnancy, prosthetic heart valves, cardiac pacemakers, or tattoos.
- Select appropriate imaging techniques or coils to produce required images.
- Operate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners.
- Provide headphones or earplugs to patients to improve comfort and reduce unpleasant noise.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Review physicians' orders to confirm prescribed exams.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Monitoring, Operations Monitoring.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
2 years of education after high school (associate's degree), for a median of $95,480 a year and 2,300 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Allied Health ProfessionsSee the degree →
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Technology/TechnicianCIP 51.0920
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Radiologic Technologists and Technicians$80,110 · +5.0%
- Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians$74,310 · +3.7%
- Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$96,590 · +13.9%
- Nuclear Medicine Technologists$101,370 · +4.4%
- Neurodiagnostic Technologists
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.