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Diagnostic radiographers

How to become a Radiological Technologist

Also called: Medical X-ray Technician, Radiographer, Radiation Technologist

Carries out tests and treatment using radiation in medical settings, as directed by doctors and dentists.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say university or vocational college (senmon gakko) is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

To become a radiological technologist you must pass a national exam run by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and get a licence. After high school, you become eligible for the exam by completing the required hours at a government-designated training institution, such as a four-year university, a three-year tanki daigaku (junior college) or a senmon gakko (vocational college) with three-year day or four-year evening courses. Three-year institutions are now moving to four-year courses, and the number of four-year university courses is rising each year. New graduates often find work through their school or training institution or through job advertisements in professional journals. The Japan Association of Radiological Technologists and the prefectural associations also help people find jobs.

Ways in

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Radiological Technologist?

To become a radiological technologist you must pass a national exam run by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and get a licence. After high school, you become eligible for the exam by completing the required hours at a government-designated training institution, such as a four-year university, a three-year tanki daigaku (junior college) or a senmon gakko (vocational college) with three-year day or four-year evening courses. Three-year institutions are now moving to four-year courses, and the number of four-year university courses is rising each year. New graduates often find work through their school or training institution or through job advertisements in professional journals. The Japan Association of Radiological Technologists and the prefectural associations also help people find jobs.

How much does a Radiological Technologist earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥5,564,800 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare).

Do you need a degree to become a Radiological Technologist?

Not always. In this job's census occupation group, 43% of workers are university graduates. Ways in include: Allied Health degrees; Junior college (短期大学) programme; Vocational college (専門学校) course: Diagnostic radiography.

Will AI change the work of a Radiological Technologist?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026