As of May 2024, over 41,000 MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) technologists were employed in the U.S. according to the most current occupational employment figures available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).  At that time, the five-state Great Lakes region accounted for an estimated 7,130 MRI technologist jobs, or about 17% of the national total.  BLS data revealed the Great Lakes region to be a modestly weak one for MRI technologist pay, with all states in the region registering an annual mean wage level for MRI technologists that was beneath the national average for the profession. This included three states where MRI technologist annual mean wage levels trailed the national average by about 10%.  Further study of May 2024 BLS data provides the following state-level details about MRI technologist pay in the Great Lakes region:

MRI Technologist Pay in the Great Lakes Region

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
IL	2,790	$89,040	24th
IN	760	$81,590	35th
MI	1,360	$79,590	41st
OH	1,610	$83,580	31st
WI	610	$87,780	27th
U.S.	41,560	$89,999	-------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data accessed on July 30, 2026

EMT Pay in the Great Plains Region

Data recently published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) put emergency medical technician (EMT) employment at more than 178,000 Americans as of May 2024. The seven-state Great Plains region accounted for over 11,600 U.S. EMT jobs. In general, the Great Plains region was not a good one for EMT pay, as only two states in the region had an annual mean wage level for EMTs that was above the national average. Nearly three-quarters of the region's EMTs lived in a state where the annual mean wage was below the national average for the profession. This included two states in the region, Kansas and South Dakota, that ranked among the ten worst states nationally for EMT annual mean wages. According to May 2024 BLS data, emergency medical technician (EMT) pay in the Great Plains region looked as follows:

EMT Pay in the Great Plains Region

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
IA	1,210	$44,850	20th
KS	1,770	$35,780	46th
MN	2,840	$46,350	15th
MO	3,320	$40,800	32nd
NE	540	$45,460	16th
ND	1,270	$41,620	29th
SD	710	$39,520	41st
U.S.	178,010	$43,914	-------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on July 28, 2026