In an earlier commentary, we examined Radiologic Tech Pay in the Top 20 Metropolitan Markets.  As is the case with many professions, the major metropolitan areas in the U.S. are top employment centers for radiologic technicians and technologists.  That said, it is in smaller metro markets, not the large ones, where radiologic technologists and technicians will frequently find better average compensation levels. This is readily evident in May 2021 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which reveals that only four of the 20 largest metro areas in the nation were among the 20 best metro markets for radiologic tech pay:

20 Best Metro Markets for Radiologic Tech Pay

	Metropolitan Area		# Employed	Annual Mean Wages
1	Vallejo-Fairfield, CA		250	$127,890
2	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara		930	$118,480
3	San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward (#)		2,490	$118,100
4	Santa Rosa, CA		210	$112,270
5	Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade		1,150	$107,450
6	Stockton-Lodi, CA		260	$101,350
7	Modesto, CA		260	$100,340
8	Salinas, CA		150	$96,930
9	Northern Valley California non-metro		130	$94,910
10	Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA		120	$94,660
11	Redding, CA		110	$93,400
12	San Diego-Carlsbad, CA (#)		1,370	$92,940
13	Merced, CA		60	$92,440
14	Eastern Sierra California non-metro		70	$89,780
15	Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA		240	$88,990
16	Fresno, CA		450	$88,550
17	North Coast California non-metro		120	$87,570
18	Urban Honolulu		360	$87,490
19	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA (#)		1,670	$87,360
20	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (#)		6,590	$85,070
	National		216,380	$66,490

(#) a top 20 U.S metro population area

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on November 30, 2022