FUTURE U.S. DEMAND

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projections, employment of radiologic technologists is expected to grow as fast as the average for all occupations through 2008, as the population grows and ages, increasing the demand for diagnostic imaging and therapeutic technology. Some promising new technologies may not come into widespread use because they are too expensive and third-party payers may not be willing to pay for their use.

Radiologic technologists who are educated and credentialed in more than one type of imaging technology, such as radiography and ultrasonography or nuclear medicine, will have better employment opportunities as employers look for new ways to control costs. In hospitals, multi-skilled employees will be the most sought after, as hospitals respond to cost pressures by continuing to merge departments.

PRINCIPAL EMPLOYERS

Hospitals will remain the principal employer of radiologic technologists. However, employment is expected to grow most rapidly in offices and clinics of physicians, including diagnostic imaging centers. Health facilities such as these are expected to grow very rapidly through 2008 due to the strong shift toward outpatient care, encouraged by third-party payers and made possible by technological advances that permit more procedures to be performed outside the hospital. Some job openings will also arise from the need to replace technologists who leave the occupation.