In our employment snapshot for MRI Technologists, it is readily evident that the biggest population centers in the U.S. are major employment centers for the profession.  Nevertheless, after a closer look into U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data one will find that it is in smaller metro markets, not the large ones, where MRI technologists often achieve better-paying employment. An analysis of May 2021 BLS data reveals that only six of the 20 largest metropolitan areas in the country were among the 20 best metro markets for MRI technologist pay:

20 Best Metro Markets for MRI Technologist Pay

	Metropolitan Area		# Employed	Mean Annual Wage
1	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA		160	$133,590
2	San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (#)		330	$127,930
3	Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade		140	$120,550
4	Santa Rosa, CA		40	$119,780
5	San Diego-Carlsbad (#)		210	$108,540
6	Modesto, CA		30	$105,550
7	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue (#)		310	$105,040
8	Ancorage, AK		90	$104,800
9	Urban Honolulu, HI		70	$104,660
10	Fresno, CA		70	$103,180
11	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (#)		910	$102,620
12	Salem, OR		30	$94,700
13	Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV		310	$94,570
14	Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario (#)		210	$94,440
15	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA		270	$94,360
16	Visalia-Porterville, CA		30	$93,530
17	New York-Newark-Jersey City (#)		2,210	$93,150
18	Boulder, CO		40	$88,610
19	Eugene, OR		40	$88,390
20	Providence-Warwick, RI-MA		220	$88,350
	National		38,070	$77,820

Report Period:  May 2021
(#) a Top 20 U.S. Metro areas from the 2020 Census
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Occupational Statistics
Data extracted on December 24, 2022