Best States for Radiologic Technologists in 2026: California Leads on Pay and Scale

Across the top 10 states in LaborCove’s 2026 ranking for radiologic technologists and technicians, the data shows that no single metric explains the results. California leads the list with the highest Geography Score and the largest supplied employment count, while several smaller states join the top 10 with substantially fewer jobs but relatively high salaries. The national median annual salary of $80,110 and projected national employment growth of 4.3% provide the backdrop for these state‑level comparisons. Within that national picture, LaborCove’s Geography Scores highlight states that combine salary levels and employment counts in different ways, producing rankings that do not always follow salary alone.

At the national level in 2026, radiologic technologists and technicians have a reported median annual salary of $80,110. National employment stands at 230,490 positions, illustrating the overall size of the occupation across the United States. Looking ahead, national employment for radiologic technologists and technicians is projected to grow by 4.3%. This projection applies to the occupation nationally and is not broken out by individual states in the data used for this ranking. Within that national context, LaborCove identifies 50 geographies and highlights a top 10 state list based on Geography Scores. The largest employment market among the supplied geographies is 20,900 positions, and California matches that employment count among the top‑ranked states.

California ranks #1 among states in LaborCove’s 2026 results for radiologic technologists and technicians, with a Geography Score of 87.48. This is the highest Geography Score in the top‑10 list. California’s median annual salary of $121,260 is also the highest salary reported among these top‑ranked states. California’s employment count of 20,900 radiologic technologists and technicians is the largest supplied employment figure among the top‑10 states and equals the largest employment market value reported in the broader geographic data. Compared with the national median salary of $80,110, California’s median pay level is substantially higher in absolute terms. This combination of the highest Geography Score, the highest reported median salary in the top 10, and the largest employment count among these states distinguishes California within LaborCove’s ranking framework.

New York holds the #2 spot in LaborCove’s 2026 state ranking with a Geography Score of 62.64. Its median salary of $98,470 is higher than the national median of $80,110, and its employment count of 13,450 radiologic technologists and technicians is smaller than California’s 20,900 but still one of the larger counts in the top 10. New Jersey appears at #7 with a Geography Score of 49.01. Its median salary of $95,000 is lower than New York’s $98,470 but remains above the national median. New Jersey’s employment count of 6,320 is lower than New York’s 13,450, reflecting a smaller reported workforce for this occupation. Massachusetts ranks #4 with a Geography Score of 53.98 and a median salary of $103,620. This salary is higher than those reported for New York and New Jersey and above the $80,110 national median. However, with 5,500 employed radiologic technologists and technicians, Massachusetts has a smaller employment count than both New York and New Jersey.

Washington ranks #5 with a LaborCove Geography Score of 49.48, a median salary of $102,090, and 4,130 employed radiologic technologists and technicians. Washington’s median salary is higher than the national median of $80,110 but lower than California’s $121,260. Oregon, ranked #8 with a Geography Score of 42.95, reports a median salary of $102,290 and employment of 2,700. Oregon’s median salary is higher than Washington’s $102,090 and also higher than the national median. Its employment count of 2,700 is smaller than Washington’s 4,130. Hawaii appears at #9 with a Geography Score of 42.90. Its median salary of $101,700 is lower than Oregon’s $102,290 but higher than the national median of $80,110. Hawaii’s employment count of 690 radiologic technologists and technicians is the smallest among the top‑10 states listed here.

Texas ranks #3 in LaborCove’s 2026 state results with a Geography Score of 59.46. It reports a median salary of $78,630 and an employment count of 20,250 radiologic technologists and technicians. Texas’s employment count is smaller than California’s 20,900 but still close in scale, and both are well above the other top‑10 states’ employment figures. Florida, ranked #6 with a Geography Score of 49.24, has a median salary of $76,750 and an employment count of 16,470. Florida’s employment count is smaller than Texas’s 20,250 but larger than New York’s 13,450. Ohio holds the #10 ranking with a Geography Score of 42.80. Ohio’s median salary of $78,320 is slightly lower than Texas’s $78,630 and below the national median of $80,110, while its employment count of 9,570 is smaller than Florida’s 16,470 and New York’s 13,450 but larger than Massachusetts’s 5,500.

The top‑10 states for radiologic technologists and technicians in 2026 show that higher pay does not always correspond to a higher LaborCove Geography Score. For example, Massachusetts has a median salary of $103,620, which is higher than New York’s $98,470, yet Massachusetts ranks #4 while New York ranks #2 in the Geography Score ordering. Similarly, Oregon’s median salary of $102,290 is higher than Washington’s $102,090, but Oregon ranks #8 while Washington ranks #5. These comparisons illustrate that LaborCove’s Geography Score reflects more than salary alone. LaborCove’s methodology brings together salary levels, employment counts, and other underlying factors into a single Geography Score, but individual radiologic technologists and technicians may weigh these metrics differently. Comparing the specific numbers for salary and employment across states can help clarify which locations align best with a given set of priorities.

LaborCove builds its rankings for radiologic technologists and technicians from authoritative labor‑market sources, using a combination of median annual salary, employment counts, and its proprietary LaborCove Geography Score. The Geography Score summarizes how each state performs across the underlying factors used in LaborCove’s methodology. For this article, we focus on the 10 states with the highest LaborCove Geography Scores in 2026. We report each state’s score, median salary, and employment count, and compare them with national figures for context. National projected employment growth of 4.3% is shown only at the national level and is not applied to individual states. These rankings are a structured snapshot of how states compare on the included metrics. Radiologic technologists and technicians should consider these findings alongside personal priorities such as preferred region, setting, and non‑labor‑market factors that are not captured in this dataset.