You must complete high school or your GED and pass certain college-preparatory classes, including English, math and science. Finish at least two years of college in a certificate or associate degree program in radiography, radiation therapy or sonography through a community college or technical or professional school. To be eligible for a wider range of jobs that may offer more responsibilities and a higher salary, you should complete four years of college in a bachelor's degree program at a four-year college.
Most employers prefer to hire certified radiographers.
Pass a national certification examination. As an X-ray technologist, you will most likely work in the radiologic department of a hospital, health clinic or doctor's office. You must know about and follow important safety procedures such as by using a radiation shield to protect yourself and the patient from dangerous radiation from the equipment. You may treat many patients during the day by taking X-rays of different parts of their body to search for broken bones, ulcers, tumors and other illnesses. If you would like to help patients and you enjoy working with technical equipment, you may want to consider becoming a radiographer.