From invasive cancer in the brain to a simple broken finger, travel radiology technologists help diagnose and visualize a range of maladies using modalities such as X-ray, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and fluoroscopy. Without their expertise in capturing the most accurate images in a timely manner, doctors and nurses would be flying blind.
At Nomad, we understand the importance of radiology techs and want them to have access to competitive pay and career support throughout their travel journey. Amongst our allied health travel jobs, travel radiology tech jobs are the most popular, with hundreds of unique options nationwide. Additionally, we provide a full breadth of insurance benefits that include medical, dental, vision, and malpractice insurance. As a radiology tech, we know obtaining different state licenses and certifications can be expensive, so we offer reimbursements in certification, licensure, scrubs, and up to $1,000 of one-way travel to your assignment.
Working as a traveling rad tech can be overwhelming at times, so we provide resources to help you succeed. As a radiology tech with Nomad, you have a dedicated team of Navigators to answer any questions in the application process and beyond. While you’re on assignment, our in-house group of expert travel clinicians, the Clinical Excellence team, is also available to help communicate your needs to facilities.
To qualify for a travel rad tech job, you must meet certain criteria. It’s important to note that each rad tech job may have slightly different requirements based on the location and the needs of the facility. The following requirements serve as a general checklist for most travel rad tech jobs.
To become a traveling radiology technologist, the first step is to graduate from an accredited radiologic technologist program; either an associate's or bachelor's degree is acceptable. Technically, certification after graduation is not nationally mandated but is recommended as many healthcare facilities prefer their techs to be certified.
The majority of states require travel rad techs to have an active license in the state they are planning to work in. If you are applying for a job in a state you haven’t worked in before, be prepared to obtain a license in that state.
After graduating from a degree program, obtaining proper certification, and qualifying for any required state licenses, you’re going to want to start gaining experience! Take a minimum of 12 months to two years to gain hands-on experience in whatever radiology specialty you’re licensed to practice under. Think of this time and experience as an investment into your future success. It’s important to feel comfortable and confident with managing different modalities and imaging protocols before becoming a travel radiology technologist.
The gold standard organization for certification is the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT). Depending on the course of study in your degree program, you can qualify to test for a number of radiology certifications. The ARRT offers six different specialties that are considered primary pathways. The most common primary specialty is the ARRT (R).
We are constantly expanding our partnerships to ensure we offer the broadest range of opportunities for our clinicians. Depending on the job, we may accept certification from the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board (NMTCB) or the American Registry of MRI Technologists (ARMRIT).
Aside from facility preference, individual states have licensing requirements that vary greatly; if you intend to work in a specific state, be sure to double check if additional testing and licensing are required. The American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) provides an ongoing list of state requirements.
Travel radiology technologists can test for postprimary credentials with ARRT in order to learn new skills and expand their knowledge in other modalities. The post-primary specialties, with the exception of the ARRT(MR) and ARRT(VS), must be paired with an initial primary pathway certification.
According to the AART, the purpose of certification is to provide greater credibility to the skills of a radiology technologist; it can also signal to future employers, state licensing agencies, and federal regulators that there is a commitment to providing high-quality care.
The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists identifies the following areas as content categories for rad techs seeking their Radiography (R) certification. The following is meant to provide a broad overview of important skills, knowledge, and responsibilities; for the full detailed list of areas of expertise, visit the ARRT website.
Patient care encompasses a lot of different elements, including ethical and legal aspects, interpersonal communications, ergonomics and monitoring, and medical emergencies. In addition, patient care also includes infection control, the handling and disposal of toxic or hazardous material, and pharmacology.
Safety is a critical piece of being a travel rad tech. You must be familiar with radiation physics and the effects radiation has on the body. There is also radiation protection, which includes minimizing patient exposure and personnel protection.
As a rad tech, it’s your responsibility to facilitate high quality image production. Some factors to be mindful of include receptor exposure, spatial resolution, and distortion. Technique charts, automatic exposure control, digital imaging characteristics, image identification, and criteria for image evaluation are also skills within image production. There’s also equipment operation and quality assurance.
Radiologic imaging is used across a wide variety of cases, and has countless applications when it comes to diagnostic work. Rad techs should be familiar with correct positioning and anatomy, and be able to adapt certain procedures to each patients’ individual conditions. There are head, spine, and pelvis procedures, thorax and abdomen procedures, and extremity procedures.
Traveling radiology techs frequently interact with patients, nurses, doctors, and other personnel. Depending on the facility, some travel radiology technologists may be the only ones staffing the department, so having a flexible mindset and knowing how to ask for help from unfamiliar faces is vital. Overall, having a friendly demeanor and a collaborative approach to interacting with others will help travel rad techs be successful in their assignments.
As a travel rad technician or technologist, you may be working with a variety of equipment types, especially if you end up pursuing a post primary subspecialty. It’s your responsibility to ensure high quality images for the team, and have a detailed understanding of how to make that happen.
Not only is it important to communicate well with your colleagues and leadership, but it’s also important to help your patients understand the procedure they’re experiencing. For example, procedures like CT scans or mammograms may be uncomfortable and stress-inducing; you may have an opportunity to provide some education and comfort.
A willingness to problem solve and troubleshoot can be helpful for travel rad techs. You’ll encounter different technologies and patient care situations; staying calm when issues arise will be a valuable asset.
A travel radiology tech specializing in computed tomography (CT) will likely require certification in the ARRT (R) and the ARRT (CT). According to the ARRT, some of the core duties of CT radiology tech travel jobs include positioning the patient properly for a scan, taking a full medical history, and ensuring the patient has adequate IV access if necessary. Techs also administer IV contrast and document any adverse actions, select the correct protocols and perform scans, and notify the right medical staff of any critical findings. Some CT rad techs work in the emergency room and can scan stroke and trauma patients emergently at all hours. Most facilities require techs to have at least 12 months of recent CT radiology experience and their Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, MRI lab techs specialize in using magnetic resonance imaging scanners. The scanners use magnetic fields and contrast agents to produce images that a physician can use to diagnose medical issues. Some tasks that MRI radiology tech travel jobs require you to perform include checking the patients for the presence of contraindicated metal implants, administering intravenous contrast like gadolinium, selecting appropriate imaging protocols, and communicating critical findings to physicians and nurses. For travel MRI radiology techs, most facilities will require at least 12 to 24 months of recent MRI experience and the ARRT (MR), along with BLS.
Travel interventional radiology technologists work primarily in interventional radiology units where minimally invasive procedures are performed with the assistance of computed tomography imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, or x-ray fluoroscopy. Some core duties of an IR tech travel job include assisting the IR physician in preparing access sites on the patient, correctly positioning the patient, selecting the appropriate imaging protocols and contrast agents, and scrubbing in to assist with the procedure. IR radiology technologists will at minimum, need the ARRT (R) certification, BLS, and at least 12 to 24 months of recent IR tech experience Some facilities may require the ARRT (VI) certification.
A travel cath lab tech is a radiology technologist with experience in the cardiac catheterization lab. They will manage the procedural imaging equipment, help position the patient properly, prepare medications according to physician instructions, scrub in to assist during procedures like coronary angioplasties and femoral angiography, and process images post-procedure. Some facilities may require travel cath lab radiology techs to have the ARRT (R) and the ARRT (CI) certifications. Less commonly, some require the Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS) from Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI). Most require at least 12 to 24 months of recent cath lab experience and BLS.
To secure a travel rad tech job, you will need to be up to date on your immunizations according to facility policy. This may include recent flu vaccines, TB tests, and more.
Pre-employment background checks and drug screenings are an important part of obtaining a travel rad tech job. Verifying employment history and reference are also common procedures for each new assignment. Many travel agencies will pay for expenses related to background checks and drug screening.
There are a lot of exciting reasons to consider taking a travel rad tech job. Not only is the job an opportunity to travel to a new place, travel positions can offer great pay and learning opportunities that could boost your career.
Rad tech positions are projected to grow in demand, potentially making it a secure job choice.
Rad tech travel jobs may pay more than staff rad tech jobs. Many things can impact travel pay including your experience, education, location, credentials, and facility needs. When you browse travel rad tech jobs on Nomad, you’ll see a pay breakdown (including travel stipend) of every job so you know exactly what you can earn before you apply.
Taking travel rad tech jobs may put you on the fast track to learn about the latest education, techniques, and equipment used in the field. If you’re interested in getting ahead of the curve, applying for a rad tech travel job might be right for you.
One of the biggest perks of being a travel allied health clinician is the ability to travel to see new places. You get to decide which jobs to apply for, and which states to potentially go to. Accepting travel rad tech jobs in new locations also might expose you to new facilities and patient populations you may not experience in a staff position.
The demand for travel rad tech jobs varies across different states based on factors such as the overall demand for rad tech support, the number of healthcare facilities, and the demographics of the regional population. In addition, states with a larger population and advanced healthcare infrastructure may need more travel rad tech support than others. Make sure you are licensed in the state you are applying for.
The Georgia Department of Human Services states that Georgia has the ninth fastest-growing 60 and older population; an age group that generally has more medical demand as a whole. At Nomad Health, we have rad tech jobs in a number of cities, including Atlanta, Braselton, Macon, and more.
The dense population and high number of healthcare facilities in New York make it a hotspot for travel rad techs. At Nomad, we see a lot of demand in Rochester, Albany, and Brooklyn, but it’s subject to change and fluctuation.
Given its relatively low cost of living, Ohio can be a great place for travelers. Rad techs may find jobs in bigger cities like Columbus or Cleveland, or smaller cities like Beachwood or Cuyahoga Falls.
Similar to New York, Texas has dense, high-growth population areas with a good number of healthcare facilities. While searching for rad tech jobs in New York, you may find opportunities in Austin, Houston, Dallas, and many other cities.
One of the most important topics you can bring up to your hiring manager (or Nomad Navigator!) is the onboarding process at your new job. Knowing how much support you will have at the beginning and during the assignment will help you set realistic expectations for your first week or two on the job.
As a traveler, you will be walking into a new facility with its own nuances and a lot of new faces. You will need to be prepared for possible ambiguity and performing tasks that you may not have much experience with.
Remember to network and build relationships with your new colleagues! Connect with other travel rad techs and learn about their experiences. There may be a lot to learn and their insights, just like yours, is valuable.
As a travel clinician, packing wisely is a must! Remember to pack all the essentials that you will need for the duration of your travel assignment. Do some research as well; how close is your next facility or housing to convenience stores? How easy will it be to get the essentials once you arrive? What kind of weather should I be packing for? We recommend packing extra pairs of scrubs, toiletries, and anything else to make you comfortable during your stay.
To find travel rad tech jobs that best match what you’re looking for, do some research! Each agency will be a little different, and not all will offer travel rad tech jobs.
Deciding which agency to work with in job hunting is a big decision, and one that you want to be confident about. Use a search engine to read testimonials and reviews that other travel rad techs have left about the agency. These reviews should give you a general idea of whether the agency meets your needs and standards.
While pay may be a driving factor in choosing a travel rad tech job, it’s not the only important aspect to consider. Remember to look into additional benefits, such as stipends for scrubs, licenses, and travel, as well as health insurance and the option to invest in a 401(k). While Nomad Health offers all of these benefits, not every agency will, so it’s important to compare perks to find what works best for you.
American Registry of Radiologic Technologists. (n.d.). Home. Retrieved from https://www.arrt.org/
American Society of Radiologic Technologists. (n.d.). Individual State Licensure. Retrieved from https://www.asrt.org/main/standards-and-regulations/legislation-regulations-and-advocacy/individual-state-licensure
American Society of Radiologic Technologists. (n.d.). Home. Retrieved from https://www.asrt.org/
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2021, September 8). Radiologic and MRI Technologists. Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/radiologic-technologists.htm
Cardiovascular Credentialing International. (n.d.). Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS). Retrieved from https://cci-online.org/credentials/registered-cardiovascular-invasive-specialist/
Georgia Department of Human Services. (2021, April 19). Demand for Professionals in the Aging Field Increasing. Retrieved from https://dhs.georgia.gov/spotlight/2021-04-19/demand-professionals-aging-field-increasing
Radiologic Technology Program - Credentialing Success - 2022. (2022). Retrieved from https://assets-us-01.kc-usercontent.com/406ac8c6-58e8-00b3-e3c1-0c312965deb2/c28cf141-f45c-44ef-acde-984929886e01/RAD_CS_2022.pdf