Skills it runs on
The capabilities O*NET rates most important for this occupation — the human ground the work is built on.
See all skills →Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists
Occupation · SOC 29-2035.00
Operate Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanners. Monitor patient safety and comfort, and view images of area being scanned to ensure quality of pictures. May administer gadolinium contrast dosage intravenously. May interview patient, explain MRI procedures, and position patient on examining table. May enter into the computer data such as patient history, anatomical area to be scanned, orientation specified, and position of entry.
Also called: MRI Coordinator (Magnetic Resonance Imaging Coordinator) · MRI QA Coordinator (Magnetic Resonance Imaging Quality Assurance Coordinator) · MRI Tech (Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technician) · MRI Technologist (Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologist) · MRI Radiographer (Magnetic Resonance Imaging Radiographer) · MRI Specialist (Magnetic Resonance Imaging Specialist) · Research MRI Technologist (Research Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologist) · Imaging Technologist · MRI Special Procedures Technologist (Magnetic Resonance Imaging Special Procedures Technologist) · Travel MRI Tech (Travel Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technician)
Job family: Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations
Take this to your AI
A source-stamped Markdown brief of this occupation — paste it into an agent, or fetch
/roles/role-29-2035-00/context.md directly.
AI work map
A fast read on where AI already shows up in this occupation, where it stays a copilot, where humans remain in the loop, and what the labor market is doing. Built from observed Claude.ai conversations mapped to O*NET tasks and from published research — measures of usage and exposure, not advice or predictions that the job is going away.
Market signal
Independent published positions, read together — not a forecast.
- Growing fast employment outlook (+7.1% by 2034)
- 2,600 openings/yr
- Low AI exposure
- Median pay $88,180/yr
- Work is mostly on-site (not teleworkable)
37th-percentile task overlap — yet about 2,600 openings a year (+7.1% projected, BLS) . What exposure means →
AI & job outlook
What today's research says about this occupation's exposure to AI, how AI is actually being used in it, and where employment is headed. These are positions within published studies — measures of exposure and usage, not predictions that this job will disappear.
Exposure to current AI
Each study uses its own scale, so the raw scores are not comparable across rows — the percentile (this job's rank among all U.S. occupations with data) is the comparable figure, and sizes the bars.
| Measure | Rank vs all occupations | Percentile | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.) Moderate | 47th | -0.1 | |
| LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) Moderate | 49th | 0.6 | |
| AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) Low | 22nd | 0.1 |
OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.0), with simple added tooling (β 0.3), and including AI-powered software (γ 0.6). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.
This job mostly cannot be done remotely (Dingel–Neiman) — its hands-on tasks sit outside what software-based AI reaches.
How AI is actually used in this job
Among measured AI assistant conversations mapped to this occupation (Anthropic Economic Index, 2026-01-15), these task types came up most. These are shares of observed AI conversations — not shares of the job, of worker time, or of what could be automated.
| Write reports or notes to summarize testing procedures or outcomes for physicians or other medical professionals. | 1.4% | |
| Explain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedures to patients, patient representatives, or family members. | 0.4% |
Job outlook
Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.
| Outlook | Growing fast · +7.1% by 2034 |
| Projected annual openings | 2,600 |
| Employment 2024 → 2034 | 44,100 → 47,200 |
“Annual openings” counts new jobs plus replacements for workers who leave the occupation, so it can be large even when growth is modest.
Where this work sits on the global GenAI gradient
The ILO's 2025 global study scores generative-AI exposure on the international ISCO-08 occupation system, not US SOC. Bridged through the published (and approximate, many-to-many) IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 crosswalk, this US occupation corresponds to the international occupation below. Exposure here means how much of the work's tasks today's AI can attempt — task overlap, not automation, adoption, or jobs lost.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists sits at the 40th percentile of 427
occupations on the global GenAI task-exposure gradient
— exposure rose from 2023 to 2025. Each dot is one occupation; the
ringed one is this work. Exposure is task overlap, not automation or jobs lost.
22% mean task exposure (2025)
40th percentile of 427 placed occupations
+2 pts shift 2023 → 2025
| International occupation (ISCO-08) | Task exposure (2025) | Most tasks fall in |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Imaging and Therapeutic Equipment Technicians · 3211 | 22% | Not exposed |
Read the whole six-band gradient on the GenAI exposure gradient page. The crosswalk is approximate: a US occupation can map to several international ones, and the ILO scores describe the international occupation, not this exact US role.
Tasks
All 23 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.
- Conduct screening interviews of patients to identify contraindications, such as ferrous objects, pregnancy, prosthetic heart valves, cardiac pacemakers, or tattoos. Core · importance 5.0
- Select appropriate imaging techniques or coils to produce required images. Core · importance 4.9
- Operate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners. Core · importance 4.9
- Provide headphones or earplugs to patients to improve comfort and reduce unpleasant noise. Core · importance 4.8
- Place and secure small, portable magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners on body part to be imaged, such as arm, leg, or head. Supplemental · importance 4.8
- Position patients on cradle, attaching immobilization devices, if needed, to ensure appropriate placement for imaging. Core · importance 4.8
- Take brief medical histories from patients. Core · importance 4.7
- Inspect images for quality, using magnetic resonance scanner equipment and laser camera. Core · importance 4.6
- Intravenously inject contrast dyes, such as gadolinium contrast, in accordance with scope of practice. Core · importance 4.6
- Test magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) equipment to ensure proper functioning and performance in accordance with specifications. Core · importance 4.5
- Create backup copies of images by transferring images from disk to storage media or workstation. Core · importance 4.5
- Instruct medical staff or students in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedures or equipment operation. Core · importance 4.4
- Explain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedures to patients, patient representatives, or family members. Core · importance 4.4
- Write reports or notes to summarize testing procedures or outcomes for physicians or other medical professionals. Core · importance 4.4
- Calibrate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) console or peripheral hardware. Core · importance 4.3
- Troubleshoot technical issues related to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner or peripheral equipment, such as monitors or coils. Core · importance 4.2
- Connect physiological leads to physiological acquisition control (PAC) units. Core · importance 4.1
- Attach physiological monitoring leads to patient's finger, chest, waist, or other body parts. Core · importance 4.1
- Operate optical systems to capture dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images, such as functional brain imaging, real-time organ motion tracking, or musculoskeletal anatomy and trajectory visualization. Core · importance 4.1
- Conduct inventories to maintain stock of clinical supplies. Core · importance 4.0
- Develop or otherwise produce film records of magnetic resonance images. Core · importance 3.9
- Schedule appointments for research subjects or clinical patients. Core · importance 3.3
- Request sedatives or other medication from physicians for patients with anxiety or claustrophobia. Core
Work activities
- Prepare patients physically for medical procedures.
- Maintain medical equipment or instruments.
- Collect medical information from patients, family members, or other medical professionals.
- Operate diagnostic or therapeutic medical instruments or equipment.
- Create electronic data backup to prevent loss of information.
- Load digital images onto computers or websites.
- Process x-rays or other medical images.
- Explain medical procedures or test results to patients or family members.
- Administer medical substances for imaging or other procedures.
- Check quality of diagnostic images.
- Operate diagnostic imaging equipment.
- Position patients for treatment or examination.
- Select medical equipment for addressing patient needs.
- Assist customers to ensure comfort or safety.
- Create advanced digital images of patients using computer imaging systems.
- Repair medical facility equipment.
- Maintain inventory of medical supplies or equipment.
- Train medical providers.
- Schedule patient procedures or appointments.
- Examine medical instruments or equipment to ensure proper operation.
- Prepare reports summarizing patient diagnostic or care activities.
- Review technical documents to plan work.
- Review work orders or schedules to determine operations or procedures.
- Follow protocols or regulations for healthcare activities.
- Collaborate with healthcare professionals to plan or provide treatment.
Knowledge, skills & abilities
O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).
Knowledge
| Customer and Personal Service | 4.2 | |
| English Language | 4.0 | |
| Physics | 4.0 | |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.6 | |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 3.5 | |
| Public Safety and Security | 3.5 | |
| Education and Training | 3.4 | |
| Biology | 3.0 | |
| Psychology | 3.0 |
Abilities
| Oral Comprehension | 4.0 | |
| Oral Expression | 4.0 | |
| Near Vision | 4.0 | |
| Written Comprehension | 3.9 | |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.6 | |
| Written Expression | 3.5 | |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.3 | |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.3 | |
| Information Ordering | 3.3 | |
| Control Precision | 3.3 | |
| Speech Recognition | 3.3 | |
| Speech Clarity | 3.3 | |
| Category Flexibility | 3.1 | |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.1 | |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.1 | |
| Selective Attention | 3.1 | |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.1 | |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.1 | |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.1 |
Essential skills
| Reading Comprehension | 3.9 | |
| Active Listening | 3.8 | |
| Monitoring | 3.8 | |
| Speaking | 3.6 | |
| Critical Thinking | 3.4 | |
| Writing | 3.1 | |
| Active Learning | 3.1 |
Transferable skills
| Operations Monitoring | 3.6 | |
| Operation and Control | 3.3 | |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.1 | |
| Service Orientation | 3.1 | |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 |
Skills in demand
Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.
Tools & technology
| Example | Category | |
|---|---|---|
| eClinicalWorks EHR software | Medical software | Hot technology |
| MEDITECH software | Medical software | Hot technology |
| Microsoft Excel | Spreadsheet software | Hot technology |
| Microsoft Office software | Office suite software | Hot technology |
| Microsoft Word | Word processing software | Hot technology |
| Appointment scheduling software | Calendar and scheduling software | |
| Electronic medical record EMR software | Medical software | |
| GE Healthcare Centricity EMR | Medical software | |
| Medical image processing software | Medical software | |
| Radiology information systems (RIS) | Medical software | |
| Teleradiology systems | Medical software | |
| Web browser software | Internet browser software |
Work context
How characteristic each condition is of the job, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale (higher = more present in day-to-day work). Each condition links to how it varies across all occupations.
How to get in
- Job zone
- Zone 3 — Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Education
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- Typical entry-level education
- Associate's degree · BLS, the typical path — not a requirement
- Related experience
- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
- Preparation level
- SVP (6.0 to < 7.0) — total schooling plus on-the-job experience.
What to study: Health Professions and Related Programs . Fields of study crosswalked to this occupation (NCES CIP–SOC), not a requirement.
Education of current workers
Share of people in this occupation at each level of education.
| Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 65.2% | |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 13.0% | |
| Bachelor's Degree | 8.7% | |
| High School Diploma | 4.3% | |
| Some College Courses | 4.3% | |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 4.3% |
Interests & work styles
The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.
Work styles
| Dependability | 6.0 | |
| Attention to Detail | 5.0 | |
| Integrity | 4.0 | |
| Cautiousness | 3.0 |
Interest areas
| Health Care Service | 5.8 | |
| Mechanics/Electronics | 4.0 | |
| Medical Science | 3.7 | |
| Engineering | 3.1 | |
| Physical Science | 3.1 | |
| Life Science | 2.8 | |
| Personal Service | 2.7 | |
| Information Technology | 2.5 |
Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)
| Realistic | 5.5 | |
| Conventional | 4.9 | |
| Investigative | 4.8 | |
| Social | 3.5 |
Wages & employment
U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)
| 10th percentile | $64,910 |
| 25th percentile | $78,150 |
| Median (50th) | $88,180 |
| 75th percentile | $102,440 |
| 90th percentile | $121,420 |
| People employed | 41,530 |
Industries that employ this occupation
Where these workers are employed, by number of jobs (national, BLS OEWS). Pay shown is the occupation's national median, not industry-specific.
| Industry | Workers | National median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance · Sector | 40,020 | $88,440 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services · Sector | 670 | $81,840 |
| Temporary Help Services · National industry | 470 | $78,220 |
| Educational Services · Sector | 280 | $94,410 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises · Sector | 100 | — |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing · Sector | 30 | $92,350 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services · Sector | — | $60,220 |
| Offices of Chiropractors · National industry | — | $75,510 |
Where this work is most concentrated
Industries where this occupation is far more common than in the economy as a whole. The location quotient is how many times more concentrated it is here (a value of 5 means five times its economy-wide share).
| Industry | Concentration | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance · Sector | 6.43× | 40,020 |
| Temporary Help Services · National industry | 0.66× | 470 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services · Sector | 0.28× | 670 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises · Sector | 0.13× | 100 |
| Educational Services · Sector | 0.08× | 280 |
Related occupations
Part of the Healthcare & Human Services career cluster.
- Radiologic Technologists and Technicians · 29-2034.00 Compare →
- Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians · 29-2031.00 Compare →
- Diagnostic Medical Sonographers · 29-2032.00 Compare →
- Nuclear Medicine Technologists · 29-2033.00 Compare →
- Neurodiagnostic Technologists · 29-2099.01 Compare →
- Radiation Therapists · 29-1124.00 Compare →
- Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists · 29-2011.00 Compare →
- Ophthalmic Medical Technologists · 29-2099.05 Compare →
- Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians · 29-2012.00 Compare →
- Respiratory Therapists · 29-1126.00 Compare →
- Radiologists · 29-1224.00 Compare →
- Cardiologists · 29-1212.00 Compare →
Side-by-side comparisons place two occupations’ pay, preparation, skills, and AI exposure on the same page — same data, same scale, no forecast.
What you can do with this
Options the data surfaces for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.
Skills that travel
Capabilities this work builds that are used across many other occupations.
Adjacent roles
Occupations O*NET rates as related — the nearby moves on the map.
Paths in
How people typically prepare for this work.
- Associate's degree · typical entry level
- Job zone 3 — Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed · preparation tier
- Health Professions and Related Programs · field of study
Zoom out
On the global GenAI exposure gradient this work sits around the 40th percentile of 427 international occupations.
Write a report on thisheadline · factoids · citation
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists show 37th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 2,600 annual U.S. openings
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists rank in the 37th percentile (Moderate band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated.Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE
- The occupation is projected to see about 2,600 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- BLS projects employment to be growing fast (+7.1%) from 2024 to 2034.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- Median annual pay is $88,180, across about 41,530 U.S. workers.BLS OEWS (May 2024)
Copy the whole kit
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists show 37th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 2,600 annual U.S. openings • Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists rank in the 37th percentile (Moderate band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated. (Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE) • The occupation is projected to see about 2,600 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • BLS projects employment to be growing fast (+7.1%) from 2024 to 2034. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • Median annual pay is $88,180, across about 41,530 U.S. workers. (BLS OEWS (May 2024)) Source: Singulariki — "Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists". https://singulariki.com/roles/role-29-2035-00 Note: AI task overlap measures what today's AI can attempt, not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
AssetsShare imageMethodology & sourcesPress & newsroomThe newsroom
Every line is built only from figures this page already shows and cites. AI task overlap means what today's AI can attempt — not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
- IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Plain
Singulariki. "Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-29-2035-00
APA
Singulariki. (2026). Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/roles/role-29-2035-00
BibTeX
@misc{singulariki-role-29-2035-00,
title = {Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/roles/role-29-2035-00}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.