Insights / Hardest metros by occupation / California
10 metros where Radiologic Technologists and Technicians are hardest to fill
Keep California San Jose near $154,850 rather than hiding the cell.
Show California San Francisco wage $141,780 before someone copies a midpoint.
Name California Los Angeles wage $108,030 so the comparison stays on the table.
Put California Sacramento wage $135,880 rather than a round number from memory.
Each metro
1San Jose, CA
- Score
- 7.7
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.59
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.882
- Metro median
- $154,850
- Pay ratio
- 1.93
2San Francisco, CA
- Score
- 7.5
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.81
- Jobs per 1,000
- 1.201
- Metro median
- $141,780
- Pay ratio
- 1.77
3Los Angeles, CA
- Score
- 7.5
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.69
- Jobs per 1,000
- 1.028
- Metro median
- $108,030
- Pay ratio
- 1.35
4Sacramento, CA
- Score
- 7.5
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.85
- Jobs per 1,000
- 1.260
- Metro median
- $135,880
- Pay ratio
- 1.70
5Washington, DC
- Score
- 7.5
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.68
- Jobs per 1,000
- 1.011
- Metro median
- $97,390
- Pay ratio
- 1.22
6San Diego, CA
- Score
- 7.5
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.78
- Jobs per 1,000
- 1.149
- Metro median
- $113,480
- Pay ratio
- 1.42
7New York, NY
- Score
- 7.4
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.90
- Jobs per 1,000
- 1.338
- Metro median
- $102,730
- Pay ratio
- 1.28
8Riverside, CA
- Score
- 7.3
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.84
- Jobs per 1,000
- 1.249
- Metro median
- $105,190
- Pay ratio
- 1.31
9Seattle, WA
- Score
- 7.3
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.69
- Jobs per 1,000
- 1.020
- Metro median
- $105,200
- Pay ratio
- 1.31
10Portland, OR
- Score
- 7.2
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.85
- Jobs per 1,000
- 1.254
- Metro median
- $104,810
- Pay ratio
- 1.31
Ranked table
Swipe the table sideways. The same figures are in the blocks above.
| Rank | Metro | Score | Band | Location quotient | Jobs per 1,000 | Metro median | Pay ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | 7.7 | Hard | 0.59 | 0.882 | $154,850 | 1.93 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | 7.5 | Hard | 0.81 | 1.201 | $141,780 | 1.77 |
| 3 | Los Angeles, CA | 7.5 | Hard | 0.69 | 1.028 | $108,030 | 1.35 |
| 4 | Sacramento, CA | 7.5 | Hard | 0.85 | 1.260 | $135,880 | 1.70 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | 7.5 | Hard | 0.68 | 1.011 | $97,390 | 1.22 |
| 6 | San Diego, CA | 7.5 | Hard | 0.78 | 1.149 | $113,480 | 1.42 |
| 7 | New York, NY | 7.4 | Hard | 0.90 | 1.338 | $102,730 | 1.28 |
| 8 | Riverside, CA | 7.3 | Hard | 0.84 | 1.249 | $105,190 | 1.31 |
| 9 | Seattle, WA | 7.3 | Hard | 0.69 | 1.020 | $105,200 | 1.31 |
| 10 | Portland, OR | 7.2 | Hard | 0.85 | 1.254 | $104,810 | 1.31 |
Takeaways
- State California Washington as $97,390 before a national midpoint replaces it.
- Give California San Diego figure $113,480 ahead of the posting you want.
- Read California New York as $102,730 so local pay stays visible.
- Take California Riverside at $105,190 and the figure stays beside the title.
For recruiters
- Leave California Seattle at $105,200 ahead of the compensation review.
- Set California San Jose near $154,850 inside the Hiring Pack at intake.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Related hiring pages
Methodology
Rows are the scored metro pages for Radiologic Technologists and Technicians (29-2034) with the highest public market difficulty score, up to 10. Metros under 500 workers are not scored. A metro page is scored only when OEWS employment for that occupation is at least 500. Below that, the page stays up and is left off this ranking. Postsecondary teaching occupations and medical scientists are left off even when they are scored. Nominal weights, before a missing shortage match is rescaled, are projected openings divided by 2025 employment 18%, projected growth 22%, the metro median divided by the U.S. median 40%, how common the occupation is locally compared with the country 8% (the location-quotient column; a lower figure means a thinner local bench), a matching HRSA shortage designation 8%, and statewide all-industry JOLTS for December 2025 4%. Bands are Standard under 4, Elevated from 4 up to 7, and Hard at 7 and above. The California total-nonfarm job openings rate for December 2025 is 3.6. The U.S. rate is 4.0. Both are all-industry JOLTS rates. The article is tagged to California because that state holds the leading metro, so the publishing calendar does not stack it with another California article the same day. Rounded figures in the prose: $154,850 is stated as about $154.9K. a comparison of 1.93 is stated as 93 percent. $80,110 is stated as about $80.1K.
Sources
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics · May 2025
- BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, total nonfarm · December 2025
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