Year 10

How to become a radiographer

Radiographers are at the heart of Australian healthcare. They assist doctors in diagnosing patients and determining the best way to treat their conditions. It’s a role that is collaborative, people-focused, technical and rewarding. As a radiographer, you’ll play a crucial role in helping people recover from illness and live healthier lives. But how exactly do you become a radiographer in Australia? Let’s go through it.

What does a radiographer do?

Working as a radiographer, you’ll produce medical images to enable medical staff to diagnose conditions inside the body. You’ll use a large range of imaging technologies, including general X-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), angiography and mammography.

These techniques have different uses, depending on the patient’s needs. For example, MRI scans are used to visualise body tissues, while CT scans produce cross-sectional images of specific body regions.

You will determine the appropriate procedure based on doctors’ requests and explain the steps to patients. You’ll also make sure the procedures are safe, correctly performed and the results are recorded.

How do you become a radiographer?

There are two steps to becoming a qualified radiographer in Australia.

Step 1: Complete an approved degree, complete with clinical experience and placements.

The first step to becoming a radiographer is to complete a degree like Charles Sturt’s Bachelor of Diagnostic Radiography. You can choose to study at Port Macquarie or Wagga Wagga. Either way, central to your learning is practical experience.

On campus, you’ll do simulated activities with the same imaging equipment they use in real healthcare settings. What’s more, as you progress through your course, you have opportunities to put your learning into action with real patients on work placements.

Start the course with work-integrated learning, and transition to mixed-mode or hybrid learning from the second and third years. You’ll then study online and gain hands-on industry experience in your final year.

It’s this aspect that radiography graduate Prabhjot Kamboj really found useful.

“The best part about studying at Charles Sturt was the workplace learning. You get to see what the workplace is like while you’re still learning. As a result, you know what you will be capable of once you graduate and also what you want to do.”

You’ll also be learning at a uni where changemakers are pushing the boundaries of knowledge in radiography. People like Dr Xiaoming Zheng, who is a senior lecturer in medical radiation science at Charles Sturt University. He also patented a formula to guide the dose of radiation used in X-ray computed tomography (otherwise known as a CT scan). This means patients will receive a drastically reduced radiation dose – and so risk of cancer – than current imaging delivers.

“The mathematical equation was completely different from any other. We developed each patient’s personalised exposure prescription. As a result, we found no difference in image quality between diagnostic images obtained using our method and those obtained using standard protocols [with higher radiation doses]. And the equation turns out to be very accurate. It shows that radiation doses can be drastically reduced from current levels. In turn, it will drastically reduce cancer risk for patients who undergo X-ray imaging.”

Step 2: Once you graduate, register to practise as a medical imaging professional with the Medical Practice Board of Australia.

How long does it take to become a radiographer?

A bachelor’s degree in medical radiation science takes four years of full-time study to complete. Choose the part-time option, and you’ll get it done in eight years. You may be able to study part-time and work part-time to gain experience.

What skills does a radiographer need?

As you’d expect, a radiographer needs a lot of technical skills to provide medical images accurately and safely. You’ll learn these skills in your degree:

  • physics of medical imaging
  • pharmacology
  • human anatomy
  • imaging techniques
  • radiation protection.

Among the personal attributes that help make you a top radiography professional is collaboration. As you’ll work closely with other healthcare providers, communication is key to help patients understand procedures and address their concerns, and attention to detail is essential to ensure safe procedures and consistent results.

What can I earn?

The latest government figures put the average weekly wage for a medical imaging professional (including radiographers) in Australia at $2,354. So that works out at around $122,000 per year. However, it is worth bearing in mind that the figure includes all medical imaging workers, from those who have just started their careers to those with extensive experience and specialised skills. So, you probably won’t be on that much straight out of uni. But you could reasonably expect to earn north of $60,000 in your first job after you graduate. 

What’s more, the government predicts very strong future demand for radiographers, so you’ll have lots of opportunities to grow and develop your career. Whichever location or direction you choose.

Next steps

Now, you don’t have to do particular subjects in high school to apply for a Bachelor of Diagnostic Radiography. However, you’re going to put yourself in the best position to succeed if you select at least some science subjects for your HSC or VCE subjects. They’ll give you a great foundation of knowledge to build on in your medical radiation. Besides, if you’re considering a career as a radiographer, you’re probably pretty into science anyway, right?

Work hard in high school. You’re going to be looking for an ATAR of at least 65 (although this can change from year to year). This doesn’t include any adjustments to the selection rank that you may receive. For instance, if you’re completing high school in a rural area, your selection rank gets bumped up by five points.

To chat through your path to a career as a radiographer, just reach out to our friendly team. We’re here to answer any questions. And can give you advice to help make the best decision for your career goals.