Key Takeaways
- Radiologic technologists earn solidly mid-tier pay in allied health-typically $61,000-$77,660 annually in Kansas-outpacing technician-level roles while requiring only a 2-year associate degree.
- Southwest Kansas cities like Garden City and Liberal report pay $10,000-$40,000 above Wichita averages, driven by acute regional healthcare shortages.
- Specializations in CT, MRI, or mammography can add $10,000-$25,000+ to a base salary, pushing total compensation toward $85,000-$95,000+.
- Newman University’s radiologic technology program expansion into Garden City positions students directly in a high-demand, high-paying region in Kansas-worth considering if return on investment is a priority.
- Compared to physical therapy or occupational therapy, rad tech offers comparable regional pay in rural Kansas with a fraction of the education time.
Choosing a healthcare career often comes down to two questions: How much will I earn? and How long will it take to get there? Radiologic technology-commonly called rad tech-has a compelling answer to both. Below is a clear-eyed look at where it sits in the allied health pay spectrum, what Kansas and the Midwest specifically offer, and why geography can matter just as much as credentials.
Rad Techs Earn Mid-Tier Allied Health Pay With a 2-Year Degree
Radiologic technology pay is solidly mid-tier among allied health careers. Nationally, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a median annual salary of $80,110 for radiologic technologists as of May 2025, with the top 10% earning above $118,660. In Kansas, BLS May 2024 data puts the median at $68,740 and the mean at approximately $71,300, with the 90th percentile reaching $94,970. That is lower than the national median, but consistent with the state’s overall wage scale and a roughly 10% lower cost of living.
What makes this number meaningful is the education requirement: an associate degree-typically completed in about two years. That is the same timeline as respiratory therapy, and significantly shorter than the bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degrees required by higher-paying allied health roles. For anyone weighing return on investment, that ratio of pay-to-education-time is hard to overlook. Newman University’s Radiologic Technology program is built around exactly this pathway, preparing graduates for ARRT certification through a JRCERT-accredited 22-month program.
Where Rad Tech Sits in the Allied Health Pay Scale
Rad tech occupies a comfortable middle ground-not the highest-paying option, but far from the bottom. Understanding where it lands relative to specific roles helps frame the decision clearly.
Allied Health Roles That Out-Earn Rad Tech (and What They Require)
Several allied health careers pay more than general radiologic technology in Kansas, but most come with substantially longer education paths:
- Radiation Therapist – ~$91,970/yr | Associate or Bachelor’s
- Physical Therapist – ~$91,930-$96,200/yr | Doctoral degree (DPT, 3 years post-bachelor’s)
- Occupational Therapist – ~$83,500-$87,030/yr | Master’s or Doctorate
- Diagnostic Medical Sonographer – ~$89,340/yr | Associate plus specialized training
- Registered Nurse (RN) – ~$79,320/yr | Associate or Bachelor’s
- Respiratory Therapist – ~$73,580/yr | Associate or Bachelor’s
Physical and occupational therapists earn significantly more, but doctoral requirements mean 3-4+ additional years of school and substantially higher student debt. Respiratory therapy is the most comparable in terms of education time, with a Kansas median of $73,580-edging out rad tech by roughly $4,840 annually, a relatively small gap for a similar credential level.
Roles That Pay Less or About the Same
Rad tech also out-earns or closely matches several other associate-level roles:
- Physical Therapy Assistant – ~$60,130/yr | Associate
- Occupational Therapy Assistant – ~$60,520/yr | Associate
- Clinical Lab Technician – ~$54,000-$65,000/yr | Associate
- Medical Assistant – ~$37,000-$40,000/yr | Certificate or Associate
Compared to PTA and OTA roles-which require the same education level-radiologic technology pays similarly but with notably better advancement potential through imaging specializations.
What Radiologic Technologists Actually Earn in Kansas
Kansas rad tech salaries cluster around a median of $68,740 and a mean of $71,300 (BLS May 2024), with the 90th percentile reaching $94,970. Entry-level positions typically start in the $50,000-$60,000 range, while experienced techs in metro areas can approach or exceed $80,000. Kansas’s cost of living runs approximately 10% below the national average, which meaningfully stretches those dollars. A $68,000 salary in Wichita carries more purchasing power than the same figure in a higher-cost metro like Denver or Kansas City, Missouri.
How Kansas Stacks Up Against Neighboring Midwest States
Across the Midwest, rad tech pay is broadly similar-most states fall in the $65,000-$80,000 mean range (BLS May 2024):
- Kansas: ~$71,300
- Nebraska: ~$71,500
- Missouri: ~$70,000-$71,000
- Iowa: ~$64,350 (median)
- Indiana: ~$76,600
- Ohio: ~$71,000-$73,000
- Minnesota: ~$83,000+ (driven by more urban, high-demand markets)
Kansas sits right in the Midwest pack. The cost-of-living adjustment narrows the perceived gap further, making Kansas a practical and competitive environment for rad techs entering the field.
Rural Southwest Kansas: Higher Pay, Critical Shortages
The most striking salary data in Kansas does not come from Wichita or Kansas City-it comes from the state’s southwest corner. According to salary aggregator data, Garden City, Liberal, and Dodge City are posting rad tech salaries that significantly outpace the state average:
- Wichita: $79,317-$107,709/yr (avg ~$41/hr)
- Garden City: ~$110,238/yr (avg ~$46/hr)
- Liberal: ~$122,312/yr (~$44+/hr)
- Dodge City: ~$91,000-$100,000+/yr
That represents a gap of $10,000-$40,000 above Wichita averages-for the same credential and job title.
Why Rural Demand Pushes Wages Up
Southwest Kansas has the highest healthcare vacancy rate in the state at 15.5%, according to the Kansas Hospital Association-down from 17% in 2023, but still firmly in crisis territory. For imaging specifically, the numbers are even more striking: 67% vacancy rates for mammography and MRI technologists, and 48% for CT technologists. Employers in Garden City, Liberal, and Dodge City are competing for a much smaller candidate pool than urban hospitals, which forces them to offer premium base pay alongside sign-on bonuses, housing stipends, and relocation assistance. Travel radiologic techs in Dodge City are earning approximately $2,304-$2,500 per week (~$120,000-$130,000 annually), compared to ~$1,693-$2,010 per week in Wichita. That rural premium is structural-not a temporary blip.
Specializations Add $10K-$25K+ to Your Base Salary
General radiography is the entry point, not the ceiling. Radiologic technologists who pursue additional certifications in advanced modalities see meaningful pay increases:
- MRI certification: Kansas median ~$78,580; national median ~$88,180 (BLS May 2024)-a bump of $10,000-$20,000 over standard rad tech
- CT (Computed Tomography): +$15,000-$25,000 in some Kansas markets
- Mammography or interventional radiology: Typically +$5,000-$15,000
- Nuclear Medicine Technologist: Kansas median ~$84,210-well above general rad tech
With specialization, earnings in the $85,000-$95,000+ range become realistic across Kansas, and even higher in Southwest Kansas markets where those specialties carry 48-67% vacancy rates. The career ladder is short and well-defined.
Job Growth and Vacancy Rates Create Real Opportunity
The BLS projects 5% employment growth for radiologic technologists from 2024 to 2034-sustained by structural forces that are not going away. Kansas specifically sees about 150 annual job openings statewide, driven by a combination of new demand and replacement needs from retirements and career transitions. The current statewide vacancy rate for rad techs sits at 14.8%, ranking it among the top five most in-demand allied health positions in Kansas. Aging population trends are accelerating demand for diagnostic imaging, and rural healthcare expansion is creating new imaging capacity backed in part by state and federal grants.
Newman’s Garden City Expansion Targets a High-Demand Region in Kansas
Newman University’s radiologic technology program is expanding into Garden City for Fall 2027 through a partnership with Garden City Community College and CommonSpirit Health-one of the largest employers in Southwest Kansas. The expansion is backed by a $3.4 million Frontline Futures grant supporting healthcare workforce development across western and southwestern Kansas.
The timing and location are deliberate. Garden City sits at the center of the state’s highest-paying, highest-vacancy market for rad techs. Graduates entering that job market-where reported average annual pay reaches ~$110,000 and imaging specialist vacancies exceed 60%-have a distinctly different set of options than those entering a saturated metro market. The clinical partnership with CommonSpirit Health, which operates facilities in Garden City, Dodge City, and Wichita, means students gain hands-on experience with one of the region’s primary employers before they graduate. Note that the Garden City program is pending accreditation approval.
A 2-Year Degree, Mid-Tier Pay, and a Clear Path Up
Stacking it all up, radiologic technology offers one of the stronger return-on-investment profiles in allied health. In Southwest Kansas specifically, a two-year associate degree can lead directly to a job paying $91,000-$122,000-comparable to RN salaries in the region, and approaching occupational therapy territory in some markets, with two to three fewer years of school.
The specialization pathway is clear: start in general radiography, add CT or MRI certification within a few years, and push earnings toward $85,000-$95,000+ statewide-or significantly higher in rural markets already competing hard for qualified techs. For anyone prioritizing fast entry into healthcare, manageable education debt, and a genuine ceiling well above the starting point, radiologic technology checks every box.
Newman University offers accredited healthcare programs designed to connect students with exactly these kinds of career opportunities-find out what is available at newmanu.edu.
Newman University
3100 McCormick
Wichita
Kansas
67213
United States
