If you’re considering earning a bachelor’s degree or currently working toward a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences: Diagnostic Imaging degree, chances are you’ve already spent a number of years working as an ultrasound technician or other medical imaging professional and are looking for a new challenge.
Whether you’re looking to leverage your imaging expertise to become a manager or teach or try a new role altogether, here are some more lucrative career options to consider once you’ve received your bachelor’s degree:
- Director of Diagnostic Imaging. The average Director of Diagnostic Imaging salary in Wisconsin is $151,400 as of May 28, 2024, but the range typically falls between $135,400 and $170,500, according to Salary.com. These ranges will vary depending on location, education, certifications, other skills, and years of experience.
- Diagnostic Imaging Educator or Radiology Instructor. According to ZipRecruiter, as of May 31, 2024, the average hourly pay for a diagnostic imaging educator is $34.95 per hour. Some educators can earn wages as high as $83 per hour, depending on skills and experience. The majority of radiology instructor wages currently range between $18.51 (25th percentile) to $43.99 (75th percentile) across the United States.
- Healthcare administrator. Healthcare administrators, sometimes also referred to as medical and health services managers, coordinate, plan, and direct the business activities of healthcare providers and can work in hospitals, clinics, or other healthcare settings. In Wisconsin, healthcare administrators can make $102,481 per year in total pay, according to Glassdoor. Average pay ranges from $78,000 to $137,000 in the state.
Nationally, medical and health services managers make a median salary of $110,680 per year ($53.21 per hour) as of 2023. These jobs are expected to grow by 28% over the next decade and require less than five years of experience in a related occupation, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Many current students and graduates of the UW Flexible Option program have pursued other healthcare careers. For example, Diagnostic Imaging graduate Christina Lozano has more than 20 years of experience in the medical imaging field and wanted a degree so that she could teach.
Christina was hired in 2015 as a part-time adjunct instructor in medical imaging at the College of Lake County in Grayslake, Illinois. She loved teaching at the college and was thrilled when a full-time tenure track faculty position became available at the same institution. However, she was missing one important qualification: a bachelor’s degree. Christina flew through the program in just 15 months, noting that the flexibility of the program helped her succeed.
Kara Winzenreid, a recent graduate of the Diagnostic Imaging program, wanted her bachelor’s so she could transition to a Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACs) administrator role. Kara worked in diagnostic imaging for 15 years.
In Kara’s words, a PACs administrator “is the marriage of being in x-ray technology and the IT aspect.” After working in direct patient care for years, she was in need of a change – and liked the idea of working on the backend of the x-ray process.
“People who have a background in x-ray are usually the best candidates to maintain that system because of that radiology background,” she adds.
Kara also completed the Health Care Informatics Certificate with her degree.
“I knew I wanted to do some sort of healthcare informatics position. I wasn’t looking for a management position; I was looking for something in IT. So being able to hold up this certificate and be like, ‘Hey, not only do I have a bachelor’s degree and 15 years’ experience, I even have this certificate saying that I’ve completed training in this specific field.’ Add to the fact that it was only two additional classes for me to get that certificate, [and] it was a no brainer.”
Stacy Tauke, a student in the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences: Diagnostic Imaging program, is leveraging her expertise in the radiology field to get her four-year degree, with plans to continue scanning at least part-time.
“My plan, when I’m done, is to do something with the degree part time and scan part time. So that way, I keep my skills up with ultrasound. But I can start to develop other skills that would make me more marketable for a job outside of just doing ultrasound,” she says.
Are you interested in any of these career paths? The bachelor’s degree in diagnostic imaging is designed for experienced healthcare and imaging professionals who have one of the following active registries:
- ARDMS (American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography)
- ARMRIT (American Registry of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists)
- ARRT (American Registry of Radiologic Technologists)
- CCI (Cardiovascular Credentialing International) registry
Your active registry gives you a minimum of 60 advanced standing credits toward the 120 credits needed for completion. Upon admission to UWM and confirmation of your active registry, you will be awarded a minimum of 60 credits toward completion of your degree.
If this sounds like the right fit for you, feel free to reach out by calling 608-800-6762
Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CT, or email flex@uwex.wisconsin.edu.