Radiology Technician Classes Near Me in St. Louis
St. Louis is a metro where the state line decides whether you need a state credential at all. The city sits in Missouri, which does not license radiologic technologists, but the metro reaches east across the Mississippi River into Illinois, which requires state accreditation to perform medical radiography on people. Your training can be identical either way. What changes is whether a job in Belleville or O'Fallon on the Illinois side puts you under a state requirement that a job in St. Louis proper does not. Knowing which side you are aiming for is the first practical step here, well before you compare programs.
Key Points
- The St. Louis metro spans Missouri and Illinois, and the two states treat radiography credentials very differently, so your work location matters as much as your training.
- Missouri does not require a state license to work as a radiologic technologist; the state regulates radiation sources and safety practices, while employers set the personnel standard, which is commonly ARRT Radiography certification.
- Illinois requires Medical Radiation Technology Accreditation through IEMA-OHS to administer ionizing radiation to patients, earned through an approved program and the ARRT Radiography exam and renewed every two years with 24 continuing education credits.
- Radiology technicians in the St. Louis metro earn a median of about $76,390, close to the national median of $80,110, with large hospital systems on both sides of the river.
- The ARRT Radiography exam anchors both sides: Missouri employers commonly expect the certification, and Illinois uses that same exam inside its separate state-accreditation process.
Radiology Licensing Across the St. Louis Missouri-Illinois Line
Because the St. Louis metro sits in two states, the first thing to sort out is which state's rules apply to the job you want. A position in St. Louis or St. Charles County is under Missouri rules; a position in the Metro East communities of Belleville, O'Fallon, or Granite City is under Illinois rules. The training that qualifies you is the same, but the legal requirement attached to the job is not. Here is the difference at a glance:
| Requirement | Missouri | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| State license or accreditation | Not required | Required, through IEMA-OHS |
| Who sets the credential | The employer | The state |
| Exam used | ARRT Radiography (employer expectation) | ARRT Radiography (state requirement) |
| Renewal | No state renewal | Every 2 years, 24 CE credits |
On the Missouri side, no individual state license for radiologic technologists exists to apply for. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services regulates radiation sources, X-ray installations, and safety practices, and leaves the personnel credential to employers, who commonly require or expect ARRT Radiography certification. Certain federal programs add their own rules in specific settings, such as mammography under the federal Mammography Quality Standards Act, separate from any state license.
On the Illinois side, the requirement is explicit: Medical Radiation Technology Accreditation through the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS), before you can perform medical radiography or otherwise administer ionizing radiation to patients, subject to statutory exemptions. It comes through an approved program and the ARRT Radiography exam plus a separate application to the state, and technologists who stay compliant with ARRT's continuing education are treated as compliant with Illinois's. So a technologist in the Metro East communities carries a state credential a colleague across the river in Missouri is not required to hold.
The through-line is the ARRT Radiography exam. Missouri employers commonly expect it and Illinois builds its accreditation around it, so earning ARRT Radiography positions you on either side of the metro. The difference is the paperwork: Illinois still requires a separate IEMA-OHS accreditation application before you can work there, while Missouri leaves the credential decision to your employer. If you are aiming for the Illinois side, plan on that step from the start.
Radiology Technician Salary in St. Louis
Radiologic technologists in the St. Louis, MO-IL metro earn a median wage of about $76,390 a year, or $36.73 an hour, according to May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics metro data. Because the metro figure covers both states, it reflects pay across the whole St. Louis labor market rather than one side of the river.
Nationally, employment of radiologic technologists and technicians is projected to grow about 4% from 2024 to 2034, driven largely by imaging demand from an aging population. Major St. Louis imaging employers include, on the Missouri side, BJC HealthCare's Barnes-Jewish Hospital, SSM Health, Mercy, and St. Luke's Hospital. On the Illinois side, Memorial Hospital Belleville and HSHS St. Elizabeth's Hospital in O'Fallon serve the Metro East communities. Being open to both sides of the river widens the map of places you can work, which is part of why the licensing question is practical rather than academic here.
If you are still comparing where to train, Dreambound lets you line up radiology technician classes near you and filter by location, schedule, and format so you can weigh options across the St. Louis area before you commit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the licensing rules change between the Missouri and Illinois sides of the metro?
Yes, and this is the key difference in St. Louis. Missouri does not license radiologic technologists, so the credential there is set by employers, who commonly expect ARRT Radiography certification. Illinois requires its own Medical Radiation Technology Accreditation through IEMA-OHS. The ARRT Radiography exam is used on both sides, but an Illinois job still requires a separate state accreditation application.
How long does it take to become a radiology tech near St. Louis?
An accredited radiography program at the associate level generally takes about two years, and the training is the same whether you aim for the Missouri or Illinois side. The difference comes after the program: an Illinois job adds the IEMA-OHS accreditation application, while Missouri leaves the credential to your employer. Exact length varies by school and program level, so compare timelines as you weigh options.
Who gets paid more, a registered nurse or a radiology tech?
Registered nurses have a higher national median wage than radiologic technologists, according to BLS. Training timelines are not the clean divide people assume: an associate-degree nursing path can run about as long as a radiography program, though nursing also has four-year bachelor's routes. The careers differ more in scope, with nursing centered on broad patient assessment and care and radiography focused on diagnostic imaging.
Choosing Your Side of the St. Louis Line
In a two-state metro like St. Louis, the smartest first move is deciding which side of the river you are aiming for, because that choice sets whether a state credential is legally required or simply expected by employers. Missouri leaves the credential to employers, Illinois requires its own IEMA-OHS accreditation, and the ARRT Radiography exam runs through both. If you are still early in the decision, the resources below cover how the path works on the Illinois side, how long training takes, and what to weigh before you start, so you can move from researching to a clear next step. Dreambound is where you can compare the radiology technician classes within reach of St. Louis and pick the one that fits your plan.
