Radiology Technician Classes Near Me in Providence
To become fully licensed as a radiologic technologist around Providence, you typically complete an ARRT-approved radiography program, meet the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) degree requirement, pass the ARRT exam, and obtain the license required by the state where you work. What makes the Providence-Warwick area different is the state line running through it: the metro covers Rhode Island and part of southeastern Massachusetts, and each state issues its own license. Radiologic technologists in the metro earn a median of $85,740 a year, about $41.22 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. Training commonly takes about two years and combines radiography coursework with supervised clinical education completed in person.
Key Points
- A radiologic technologist, often called a radiology or X-ray technician, performs diagnostic X-ray imaging, positions patients and equipment, and may train in additional modalities such as CT or mammography.
- The Providence-Warwick metro pays radiologic technologists a median of $85,740 a year, about $41.22 an hour, as of May 2025, in line with the Rhode Island statewide median for the role.
- Radiography training commonly takes about two years; ARRT eligibility requires an associate degree or higher plus completion of an ARRT-approved radiography program.
- Rhode Island and Massachusetts both license radiologic technologists, and ARRT certification is the standard national credential used for full radiography licensure in each.
- Because the metro spans two states, where you work decides which state license you need, and a technologist working in both would need a license from each.
What Radiology Technician Classes Near Providence Involve
Radiology technician classes near Providence center on a radiography program that commonly takes about two years of full-time study. The classroom side covers anatomy, patient positioning, radiation safety, and imaging physics, while the clinical side places you in a hospital or imaging center to build the supervised competencies the ARRT requires. Some didactic coursework may be online, but radiography programs require supervised, hands-on clinical education and competency assessment that cannot be completed entirely online.
ARRT eligibility involves two separate things: an associate degree or higher, which can be in any subject, and completion of an ARRT-approved radiography program. The degree can be earned before, during, or after the radiography program, as long as it is finished before the ARRT exam. Length, cost, and schedule differ from one school to the next, so it helps to compare a few before you commit.
Dreambound lets you line up radiography programs open to Providence-area students and sort them by schedule and format, so the differences are visible in one place.
Radiology Technician Licensing on Both Sides of the Providence Metro
Both states in the Providence-Warwick metro license radiologic technologists, so a state license, not just a national credential, is what lets you work. Rhode Island licenses radiographers through the Department of Health and its Board of Radiologic Technology. To qualify, you complete a board-approved training program and hold certification from the ARRT. The license renews every two years, on July 31 of odd-numbered years.
Massachusetts, which covers the southeastern edge of the metro around Fall River and Attleboro, licenses radiologic technologists through the Department of Public Health's Division of Radiation Control and also builds its license on ARRT certification. Massachusetts licenses renew every two years as well.
Because the metro crosses a state line, the practical question is where you plan to work. A technologist based at a Providence or Warwick hospital needs the Rhode Island license; one who takes a role on the Massachusetts side needs the Massachusetts license. The two are separate credentials, even though both start from the same ARRT certification, and a technologist who works in both states would need a license from each.
What Radiology Technicians Earn in the Providence-Warwick Metro
Radiologic technologists in the Providence-Warwick metro earn a median of $85,740 a year, about $41.22 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. That tracks in line with the Rhode Island statewide median of $85,330 over the same period, so metro pay sits close to the state as a whole.
Employment of radiologic technologists and technicians is projected to grow about 4% nationally from 2024 to 2034, with additional openings expected as workers transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force, including through retirement. Adding credentials in areas such as CT or mammography can expand the imaging roles you qualify for. Keep in mind that Rhode Island also requires a state supplemental authorization for radiographers who perform CT.
If the metro's pay range fits your plans, you can compare radiography programs open to Providence-area students on Dreambound by schedule and length.
Where Radiology Technicians Work Around Providence and Warwick
Imaging jobs in the metro are spread across large hospital systems, community hospitals, and independent imaging centers. On the Rhode Island side, Brown University Health, formerly Lifespan, operates Rhode Island Hospital, The Miriam Hospital, and Newport Hospital, while Care New England runs Women & Infants Hospital, Butler Hospital, and Kent Hospital in Warwick. Across the Massachusetts line, Southcoast Health's Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River and Sturdy Health in Attleboro serve the southeastern corner of the metro.
Freestanding imaging centers account for another share of local roles, along with specialty clinics in fields like cardiology and orthopedics that keep imaging in house, and urgent care sites that run basic X-ray. The mix gives technologists a choice between large teaching hospitals and smaller community settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts to work across the Providence metro?
You need a license in the state where you actually work: Rhode Island for a job in Providence or Warwick, Massachusetts for one on the Fall River or Attleboro side. A technologist who practices in both states would need the appropriate license from each, since the two are issued separately even though both rely on ARRT certification.
Does ARRT certification satisfy the license requirement in Rhode Island and Massachusetts?
Yes, though you apply separately in each state. Both build their radiologic technologist license on ARRT certification rather than a separate state exam, so the national credential is what qualifies you. Rhode Island also requires completion of a board-approved program alongside ARRT certification, and Massachusetts verifies ARRT certification through its Division of Radiation Control.
How long does it take to become a radiology technician in Massachusetts?
Most people need about two years, the length of a radiography program, before they can sit for the ARRT exam. After passing, you apply to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health for a license, which adds some processing time. Part-time study can extend the timeline.
Planning Radiology Technician Training in the Providence Area
The detail that sets the Providence-Warwick area apart is the state line running through it. Rhode Island and Massachusetts each license radiologic technologists on their own, so the credential that matters after your ARRT exam depends on which side of the metro your job sits on. Knowing that early helps you plan the license, or licenses, you will actually need.
The training itself is consistent wherever you study: a radiography program of about two years with clinical education you complete in person. Compare radiography programs open to Providence-area students on Dreambound to see how schedules and formats line up with where you want to work.
