Radiologic Technologist.
Raleigh.
$64,000
median salary, 2% below the national average
$53,000 to $77,000. Updated for 2026.
The numbers.
Everything you need to negotiate with confidence.
Raleigh is 1% cheaper than the national average. For Radiologic Technologists, that shakes out to a median of $64,000, with the full range spanning $53,000 to $77,000. Modality specialization is the primary pay driver, with CT, MRI, and interventional radiology techs earning significantly more than general X-ray techs. Know the range before you walk in.
Salary range
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How Raleigh compares
Raleigh, NC
$64,000
Cost of living: 1% below average
National Average
$65,000
Raleigh is $1,000 below
What you should know
The Radiologic Technologist landscape in Raleigh is not what most salary sites will tell you. Raleigh sits at the heart of the Research Triangle, one of America's premier tech and life sciences corridors. Cisco, Red Hat, Epic Games, and numerous biotech firms drive strong demand for engineering, research, and product roles. The combination of top tier universities and moderate living costs creates an exceptionally favorable salary to expense ratio. Modality specialization is the primary pay driver, with CT, MRI, and interventional radiology techs earning significantly more than general X-ray techs. ARRT certification is the baseline, and additional modality registries add incremental pay. Hospital size, shift availability, and metropolitan location also influence salary levels.
General X-ray techs start at $52,000 to $58,000. Adding CT or MRI certification brings pay to $65,000 to $78,000 within three to five years. Lead techs or imaging supervisors earn $80,000 to $95,000 with departmental oversight and quality assurance responsibilities. In Raleigh, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Rad techs receive shift differentials for evenings and weekends, CE reimbursement, and comprehensive benefits. On-call pay for trauma and emergency imaging adds $3,000 to $8,000 annually. Some hospitals offer modality certification bonuses. And on the tax side: north Carolina's flat 4.5% income tax keeps the burden low. Raleigh has no city income tax, and the Triangle's affordable housing amplifies your take home purchasing power. When someone quotes you $64,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Cite Research Triangle talent competition in your negotiation. Employers here compete directly with each other and with remote offers, creating favorable leverage for candidates. The range for Radiologic Technologists in Raleigh runs from $53,000 to $77,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Top industries in Raleigh
Negotiating in Raleigh
Cite Research Triangle talent competition in your negotiation. Employers here compete directly with each other and with remote offers, creating favorable leverage for candidates.