How much do mri technologists make in 2026?
MRI technologists earn a national median of $95,480 a year ($45.91 an hour) per BLS OEWS May 2025 (SOC 29-2035), roughly $15,000 above the general radiologic technologist median. The bottom 10% earn about $68,890 and the top 10% reach $127,670. The premium exists because magnetic resonance requires a separate credential, unforgiving safety screening around the magnet, and long protocol-driven examinations that cannot easily be reassigned to uncredentialed staff. Advanced work — cardiac MR, neuro and functional protocols, and research imaging — plus night and weekend coverage puts technologists near the $106,340 P75. Employment is projected to grow 7.1% through 2034 with roughly 2,600 openings a year. → Full mri technologist career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $95,480 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- MRI Technologists earn a national median $95,480/yr ($45.91/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 29-2035); the P10 to P90 range is $68,890 to $127,670.
- MRI pays roughly $15,000 above the general radiologic technologist median, because the credential, the safety burden around the magnet and protocol complexity are all separate skills.
- Cardiac, neuro and functional imaging protocols plus research work are the specialty premiums, moving technologists toward the $106,340 P75.
- BLS projects 7.1% growth through 2034 with roughly 2,600 openings a year, above the growth rate for plain radiography, as imaging demand shifts to cross-sectional modalities.
US MRI Technologist Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do mri technologists earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 29-2035; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 29-2035, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does a mri technologist earn at each career stage?
MR practice is credential-gated, so the stages below track credentialing and protocol complexity rather than seniority. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 29-2035.
By State
Which states pay mri technologists the most in 2026?
These are modeled state estimates — the BLS national median scaled by the GlobalCybers state wage index — not BLS state observations. State rules differ on whether MR practice requires a state licence at all, since the modality uses no ionising radiation, so check whether your target state regulates MR separately from radiography.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($109,800), the highest-paying state shown. See all role salary guides →
mri technologist pay by state — all 10 state guides
By Metro
Which cities pay mri technologists the most?
Modeled metro estimates: the national median scaled by the state wage index and then by the published metro index for that state. They estimate local wage levels and are not BLS metropolitan-area observations.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise a mri technologist’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does mri technologist pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. MRI Technologists sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify mri technologist wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does a mri technologist actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
MRI Technologist Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
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