After declining steadily since 2005, the vacancy rate for radiographers has increased slightly this year, according to a new survey by the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT).
The latest Radiologic Sciences Workplace and Staffing Survey found that the overall vacancy rate for radiographers reached 3.4% in 2015, up from 1.7% in 2013. Six of the eight tracked medical imaging disciplines and specialties have increased since 2013; only cardiovascular interventional technologists and bone densitometry technologists experienced a decline in vacancy rates, according to the society.
| Radiographer vacancy rates | ||
| Discipline | 2013 vacancy rate | 2015 vacancy rate |
| Sonography | 2.6% | 5.1% |
| CT | 2.7% | 4.5% |
| MR | 3% | 4.2% |
| Cardiovascular IR | 5.2% | 4.1% |
| Radiography | 1.7% | 3.4% |
| Nuclear medicine | 1.3% | 2.8% |
| Mammography | 1.4% | 2.6% |
| Bone densitometry | 1.8% | 1% |
In a statement, ASRT Chief Academic Officer Myke Kudlas cautioned that the slight increases in vacancy rates do not necessarily indicate a statistically significant trend in what is a difficult job market.
The report also showed that the average number of full-time radiographers per medical imaging facility declined from 9.2 in 2013 to 8.4 in 2015. In a bright spot, the number of full-time MR technologists per facility rose from 3.4 in 2013 to 4.2 in 2015.
The ASRT survey took place from April to May and had 1,123 respondents.
