Is Rad Tech a Good Career? Salary, Schedules, and 20+ Years of Real Talk

我跟你讲实话啊。

I'm gonna be a 100% real with you.

我选择当放射技师，是因为我受不了痰液，也不想再跟人合租了。

I chose to become a radiologic technologist because I hated mucus and I didn't want roommates anymore.

说出来了，终于说出来了。

There it's out, it's out.

你们是第一个听到这个的。

You guys heard it first here.

我一开始是学呼吸治疗的，后来发现那工作到处都是口水和痰液，我实在受不了。

I actually started out in respiratory therapy until I realized that y'all it involved a lot of spit and mucus and I didn't like it.

那味道难闻，声音也吵，我就去找了大学顾问，跟他说：我真的干不了。

I didn't like the smell, didn't like the sounds and I went to my college advisor and I was like I can't do it.

我真的干不了。

I can't do it.

他们推荐我学放射技术，我就问：那是什么？

They pointed me towards radiologic technology and I'm like what is that?

他们说，就是拍X光片嘛。

They said well you take x rays.

那时候我根本不知道放射技术是啥，我只知道我得找份工作，能自己付房租，再也不用跟人合租了。

You know I didn't even know what radiologic technology was at the time, I just knew I needed a career that would let me pay my rent alone and I would never have to deal with a roommate situation ever again.

我这话说得可都是实话，但别被我那个合租的事给骗了。

I'm just telling the truth here but don't let that roommate thing fool you.

过去二十多年，我不只是拍X光片，我还一步步攒下了很多人觉得在这一行根本不可能有的履历。

I didn't just stop at x rays over the past or the last twenty plus years I've built my resume that most people don't realize is possible in this field.

我这么说可不是为了炫耀，或者抬高自己。

Now I'm not saying that to brag or to elevate myself.

我想告诉你们，你完全没必要离开医学影像这个行业，这正是我做这个平台的初衷。

I'm here to tell you, you do not have to leave medical imaging and that is what my platform is all about.

其实，2019年之前我根本没碰过社交媒体。

Look, I wasn't on social media prior to 2019.

我后来上了平台，开始聊起这个我阴差阳错进来的行业，说到底，就是不想再跟人合租了。

I got on and started talking about this amazing profession that I stumbled into all because I didn't want any more roommates.

所以当人们说这是天职的时候，我很感谢他们，但这真不是什么天职。

So when people say you know it was just a calling, I love people, but it was not a calling.

但我真的特别庆幸自己走了这条路。

But I am so doggone glad I did it y'all.

我特别庆幸，正因为当时就这么一路坚持下来了。

I am so glad and I just did it that I kept going.

在二十多年的职业生涯里，我从来没拿过一份清晰的职业路线图。

And throughout my twenty plus year career, I have not had a good road map.

我摔过跟头、走过弯路，今天我想帮你们少走点我走过的冤枉路，别像我一样进步得那么慢，别熬到心力交瘁，天天想：我是不是选错了？难道真要一辈子拍X光、做CT吗？

I've had some stumbles and falls, and I'm here to help you guys maybe not make the same mistakes I did or to not progress as fast as I did or to feel burned out and feel like, man, did I choose the wrong thing or am I gonna be taking x rays or do a CT for the rest of my life?

等我干了十来年、十五年之后，再想转行，实在太难了。

This is too hard to pivot after I've been doing this for ten or fifteen years.

但我今天要告诉你们，其实没那么难。

I'm here to tell you it's not.

我讲这个故事，跟你们掏心窝子说说我当初为什么入行，真不是单纯因为喜欢人——虽然我也确实很喜欢人。

And telling this story and being honest with you guys as to why I got into radiologic technology, it was not solely because I just love people, which I do y'all.

我喜欢动物，也喜欢人。

I love animals and people.

就是这么回事。

I just do.

我不是在编故事，我是说实话，但我真不想跟任何人合租。

I'm saying I'm just telling the truth, but I didn't want any of my roommates.

我想自己付房租，不想指望别人分摊一半或三分之一。

I wanted to be able to pay my rent myself without this other person having to come up with their half or their third.

我不想再为这些事烦心了。

I didn't want to have to deal with that anymore.

现在你们知道了，我可不是在炫耀，我只是想让你们明白，这个专业有多了不起，它能带给你多少可能性。

So now that you know this is not to brag, I want you guys to understand how amazing how amazing this profession is and the things that it opens opens you up to be able to do.

我知道我想旅行，想多陪陪家人，而放射技术这个职业正好能让我做到这些。

I knew I wanted to travel, I knew I wanted to spend time with my family and something like radiologic technology was going to allow me to do that.

我就是有这种感觉，虽然当时我还不知道这行具体能做什么——CT、MRI、乳腺钼靶、核医学、放射治疗、医疗剂量学，名单能列一长串，还有介入放射学，我都能一直说下去。骨密度检测都还没算上呢。这还只是临床部分，更别说教育、管理、志愿工作、加入组织、做外派任务了，这些我都能继续说下去。

I just knew it, I could feel it even though I didn't know what all this profession offered like CT, MRI, Mammography, Nuclear Medicine, Radiation Therapy, Medical Dosymetry, I mean the list goes on and on and on interventional radiology, I mean I could just keep going bone dissymmetry so many things that's just the clinical part now you got the other things which are clinical applications education administration you can volunteer you can work with organizations you can do travel work, y'all know I can keep going.

我又重新整理了一份简历，就是想让你们知道，你的发展完全可以超越这些头衔。

I've built a resume again that I feel like you guys should know that you can go beyond that.

机会多得数不清，再加上技术飞速发展，比如信息学——我最近要推出一些新内容，要是你还没听过我关于信息学的播客，赶紧回去补一下，因为马上还有更多干货，千万别错过。

There are so many and with technology just advancing, mean informatics, I got some stuff coming up you guys if you haven't heard my podcast about informatics go back and listen because I've got some more stuff coming up very soon so make sure you stay tuned here.

我已经顺利通过了CT、MR和生物医学的ARRT认证。

I've been able to get ARRT certified in CT, MR, Biography.

我拿了国家级认证，做过临床应用技术员，教过好几年大学课程，最近还出版了一本儿童放射学绘本。

I took a national certification in that course, worked as a clinical applications technologist, how many things maybe even teach at a college level for many years and recently becoming a published author of a children's radiology book.

说实话，到现在我都觉得不可思议，这简直是我梦想成真——因为我根本不想跟人合租。

I mean this just still blows my mind and it's a dream come true because I didn't want roommates.

我要的是一份事业，不只是个工作，而放射科这一行，从来就不是一份普通的工作。

I wanted a career not just a job and this radiology profession it's not just a job.

所以每当我收到私信，有人问我：‘当放射技师是个好选择吗？’

So when I get dms and people ask me is it a good idea to become a radiology technologist?

当然绝对是，百分之百值得，但你得看清它真正的样子。

Yes absolutely 100% but you have to see it for what it really is.

这根本不是那种坐在那儿按按钮、推着病人一个接一个做检查，最后累到崩溃的工作。它其实是一个跳板，能带你走向你想要的任何人生。我说这话是因为你迟早会遇到一些技师，或者管理层，他们会让你觉得这份工作就是你的终极梦想——也许一时看来确实如此，但我希望你们看得更远，因为我当初根本没想过自己会跟信息学扯上关系。

It's again not a job where you're sitting there pressing buttons pulling patients over and you're just burned out and you're one patient after another it is not that it is a launch pad for whatever kind of life you desire and I say that because you're going to run into situations, technologists that are going to tell you or lead you to believe or or management that's going to have you thinking that this is your dream job and it may be right then but I want you guys to think bigger because I didn't think anything about informatics.

我记得刚有PACS系统的时候。

I remember when packs first came in.

我当时就想，我只希望别再把图像搞得数字化了，谁能想到PACS后来会演变成今天的信息学呢？

I thought I just don't want to be making images digital the most we who would have thought that packs would have turned into now we have informatics.

你不能只盯着眼前那点事，这正是这段视频想说的核心。

You cannot only see what's in front of you and that is the point of this video.

人们总以为我们就是按按按钮，让人憋气，给小孩拍个X光，或者推着那些大机器到处跑。

Here's the thing, people again think we just push buttons and tell people to hold our breath, take pictures of kids in picostats, know, or push around big machines.

他们完全想错了。

They couldn't be more wrong.

这个职业就像变色龙，你不会被锁在一间屋子、一个岗位上过一辈子，除非你自己给自己设了天花板。

This career is a chameleon you aren't stuck in one room or one profession for forty years there is no glass ceiling unless you decide to put one over you.

你可以从X光转到CT，再到临床应用技师，甚至自己开一家影像中心。

You can pivot from x-ray to CT to clinical applications tech to owner of your own imaging center.

我请来我播客的嘉宾，绝对让你大开眼界。

I have people coming up on my podcast that are gonna blow your mind.

你可以转向专业诊所工作。

You can move into specialized clinics.

走我这条路，去做咨询和教学，甚至写本书都没问题。

Take take the path I did into consulting and education, even writing a book.

我的意思是，能做的东西太多了，不一定要写儿童读物。

I mean, are so many it doesn't have to be a children's book.

什么形式都行。

It could be anything.

你永远都不会觉得无聊，因为总会有新的技术等着你去掌握。

You never have to be bored because there is always a new modality to master.

拿到认证不代表你就真正精通了。

Just because you get your certification doesn't mean you've mastered it.

技术发展这么快，哪怕就在诊断放射科，或者行业其他领域，也有无数方向等你去探索。

And I'm gonna tell you the way technology changes, there's so much you can do even within diagnostic radiology or a different side of the industry to explore.

我有一期播客采访了一位放射技师，他是政府的辐射安全官。

I've got a podcast episode with a radiologic technologist that is a radiation safety officer for the government.

我还采访过一位法医放射技师，你们想想，这可是通往整个医疗领域的入口。

Like I also got one of a forensic radiologic technologists y'all come on it's a gateway to the entire medical world.

现在咱们聊聊我之前提到的室友问题。

Now let's talk about that roommate factor I spoke about earlier.

我刚入行的时候，根本不清楚放射技师到底能挣多少钱。

When I started I didn't know exactly how much a radiologic technologist made.

我压根没想过这个问题，但我清楚自己需要一份能支撑理想生活方式的工作。

I didn't even think to think about that y'all but I knew I needed a career that afforded me a certain lifestyle.

我知道，这就是我要的选择。

I knew this was it.

这个领域给了我坚实的经济基础，让我能过上想要的生活，去任何我想去的地方——无论你是普通技师、临床应用专家，还是教育工作者，这个职业的收入潜力都能让你实现财务自由，过上你理想的生活。

This field gave me the financial foundation to live exactly how I want it, where I want it, whether you're a staff technologist, clinical applications technologist, an educator, whatever you're doing in this profession, the earning potential is there to buy your independence, whatever life you want.

别一味追求年薪六位数，别总盯着别人怎么挣。关键是找到适合你、让你开心的收入水平，因为你工作是为了生活，而不是为了生活而工作。

Don't get caught up in I got to make 6 figures, I've got to do look you make the salary that fits you that you're happy with because you work to live, you do not live to work.

所以如果有人给你一份离家五分钟的工作，工资可能比离家一小时的公司低一点，但你能多出一小时陪孩子、陪小狗，或者照顾妈妈。是的，不是所有回报都得用钱来衡量，生活给你的回报有很多种。

So if somebody gives you a job five minutes from your house they might pay a little less from the company that's going give you a job an hour from your house, but you get to spend an hour extra with your kids and your puppy or your mother that you're taking care of like yeah everything does not have to be 6 figures or monetary you get paid in so many ways.

我和我丈夫已经去过二十多个国家旅行了。

My husband and I have been able to travel to over 20 countries.

因为我们能灵活安排班次和时间，所以能像欧洲朋友说的那样，安心放长假。

We can take what my friends in Europe call holiday because of the type of shifts we can work, the type of schedules we can work.

如果你不喜欢坐办公室，我第一个举手同意。

If you aren't a desk person, I'm gonna be the first to raise my hand.

我真的、真的受不了坐在办公桌前工作。

I do not, I cannot work at a desk.

抱歉啊，各位。

I'm sorry y'all.

放射科就是为你量身定做的领域。

This is your lane radiology is.

再说一遍，我超爱旅行。

Again, I love to travel.

我很享受和家人在一起的时光。

I love spending time with my family.

我绝对不想过朝九晚五、周一到周五的枯燥生活。

I absolutely do not want the nine to five Monday through Friday grind.

我真的不想。

I don't.

就算现在我连着上满一周班，也会坐立不安。

When I work a whole week even now, I get antsy.

我心里就想着：天啊，真不想再连着上班一周了。

I'm like, oh, I don't wanna work for another week.

在影像科，排班真的特别好。

In imaging, the schedule is amazing.

你可以按时上完班，然后就把工作留在单位，除非你被叫值班。

You can work your shifts and then leave work at work unless you're on call.

有时候我们确实得接电话，偶尔也得把工作带回家。

Now sometimes we do have to take calls, so sometimes you gotta take your work home.

睡个懒觉，心里还琢磨着他们会打电话来吗？

You sleep in like, are they gonna call me?

还是说，他们不会打来？

Are they not gonna call me?

有时候会，但也不是每次都这样。

And so sometimes, but not all the time.

除非你另有工作，否则你根本不会把笔记本带回家，也不会在周日晚上为未读邮件焦虑。

I mean, unless you have some type of other job, you're really not taking your laptop home and have the Sunday scaries about unread emails.

领了工资，生活就重新属于你自己了。

You get your paycheck and you get your life back.

我跟你说，我写儿童读物是因为我发现了个空白。

I'm a tell you, I wrote my children's book because I saw a gap.

我不希望下一代在二十岁、三十岁、四十岁的时候才懵懵懂懂地闯进这个行业。

I didn't want the next generation to stumble into this career at 20, at 30, at 40 years old.

你懂的。

You know?

就像我和很多人的经历一样，我希望他们从一开始就知道，从幼儿园，从很小的时候就了解。

Like many of you like myself did, I want them to know about it from day one, from kindergarten, from, you know, early on.

如果你想找一份能带来自由、多样性和灵活性，又能帮助他人，但又不会让你觉得不舒服的工作——比如我实在受不了黏液和唾液，这真不适合我，但我有不少朋友特别喜欢那个领域。

If you're looking for a career that offers the freedom, the variety, the flexibility and a way to help people without something that you just are not comfortable with like I just don't like mucus and spit that was not for me but I got plenty of friends that love that field.

就是它了，放射科就是你要找的方向。

This is it, radiology is it.

关注我，了解如何从一份普通工作，转变为真正的医学影像职业。如果你对这个行业感兴趣，有疑问，欢迎收听我的播客《一对放射技师》，里面涵盖了薪资、工作时间、如何入门、需要哪些教育背景，所有信息一应俱全。

Follow me to learn how to bridge that gap from just a job to a real career in medical imaging and if you want to know more about this profession and you've got questions here check out my podcast A Couple of Rad Tech's podcasts for any information about pay, job schedule, how to get started in radiologic technology, what type of schooling is involved, it's all there in the podcast.

哪怕你只是在考虑报X光或放射技术专业，或者正打算转行，也欢迎在评论区留言提问。

Even if you're considering X-ray or radiologic technology school or thinking about a change in a career, a question in the comments below.

我特别喜欢看每一条留言，也一定会回复，这点你完全可以放心。

I love to read them all and I like to respond to them and I definitely respond to them.

如果你喜欢这个音频播客，谢谢你收听，但你可能更想看看视频，亲眼看看我实际工作的样子。

If you love this audio podcast, I thank you for being here, but you might want to see the actual video and see me in live action.

那我建议你去YouTube，也来我们的频道看看，一起聊聊。

Well, I want you to, so come on over to YouTube and hang out with us over there as well.

我会发布一些幕后深度解析的视频内容，还有很多很多你绝对不能错过的精彩部分。

I'm posting visual deep dives behind the scene content and much much more that you definitely don't want to miss.

所以赶紧搜索我们的频道‘A Couple of Rad Techs’，点订阅，打开通知铃铛，这样就再也不会错过任何更新了。

So search for our channel, a couple of rad techs, hit the subscribe button and turn on the notifications bell so you'll never miss an upload.

感谢你收听我们的音频节目。

Thanks for joining us in the audio world.

也欢迎来视频世界看看我们。

Come over to the video world as well.

咱们视频里见。

See you there.

非常感谢你今天抽出时间陪我一起度过。

I'm so grateful you're spending your time with me today.

如果你喜欢《A Couple of Rad Techs》这个播客，能不能顺手点个订阅、下载一集，再留个简短的评价？这对我真的特别重要。

If you're enjoying a couple of Rad Techs podcasts, it would mean the world if you would hit the subscribe button, download an episode and leave a quick review.

这是帮助我们社区成长最好的方式，我真心感谢你的支持。

It's the best way to help our community grow and I truly appreciate your support.