MRI Technologist Salary, Adjusted for Cost of Living
Mri technologists earn the most in District of Columbia ($128,710/yr) — but once you adjust for what a dollar actually buys there, District of Columbia drops to #3, and Oregon pays the most real money ($117,956 in U.S.-average buying power).
| # | State | Nominal / yr | Cost of living | Real pay / yr | COL shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $121,920 | 103 | $117,956 | ▲ 3 | |
| Alaska | $120,610 | 102 | $117,830 | ▲ 3 | |
| District of Columbia | $128,710 | 110 | $117,114 | ▼ 2 | |
| Washington | $122,750 | 107 | $114,706 | ▼ 1 | |
| California | $124,000 | 111 | $111,994 | ▼ 3 | |
| Hawaii | $119,370 | 110 | $108,567 | — | |
| Idaho | $101,680 | 96 | $106,478 | ▲ 10 | |
| Vermont | $103,070 | 98 | $105,219 | ▲ 8 | |
| New York | $113,270 | 108 | $104,956 | ▼ 2 | |
| Massachusetts | $110,600 | 106 | $104,579 | ▼ 2 | |
| Delaware | $103,510 | 100 | $103,709 | ▲ 4 | |
| Rhode Island | $105,060 | 102 | $102,718 | ▲ 1 | |
| Connecticut | $106,330 | 104 | $102,625 | ▼ 4 | |
| Minnesota | $100,900 | 99 | $102,311 | ▲ 4 | |
| Colorado | $105,380 | 103 | $102,259 | ▼ 4 | |
| New Hampshire | $105,420 | 104 | $101,205 | ▼ 6 | |
| Wisconsin | $94,720 | 94 | $100,664 | ▲ 7 | |
| Maryland | $105,230 | 105 | $100,258 | ▼ 6 | |
| Arizona | $100,600 | 101 | $99,924 | — | |
| Texas | $96,780 | 97 | $99,715 | ▲ 2 | |
| Oklahoma | $87,480 | 88 | $99,587 | ▲ 11 | |
| Wyoming | $92,010 | 93 | $99,265 | ▲ 5 | |
| Nevada | $98,260 | 100 | $98,281 | ▼ 2 | |
| Virginia | $98,640 | 101 | $97,563 | ▼ 4 | |
| Maine | $94,140 | 97 | $97,002 | — | |
| Georgia | $92,060 | 96 | $95,604 | — | |
| New Jersey | $103,930 | 109 | $95,520 | ▼ 13 | |
| Illinois | $95,380 | 100 | $95,420 | ▼ 5 | |
| New Mexico | $87,850 | 92 | $95,270 | ▲ 1 | |
| Ohio | $87,670 | 93 | $94,498 | ▲ 1 | |
| Pennsylvania | $91,120 | 98 | $93,387 | ▼ 2 | |
| Indiana | $86,880 | 93 | $93,090 | ▲ 2 | |
| Iowa | $81,420 | 88 | $92,774 | ▲ 10 | |
| Utah | $91,150 | 99 | $92,197 | ▼ 6 | |
| Montana | $86,950 | 95 | $91,870 | ▼ 2 | |
| Nebraska | $82,710 | 90 | $91,795 | ▲ 4 | |
| Kansas | $82,670 | 90 | $91,786 | ▲ 4 | |
| Missouri | $83,110 | 91 | $91,514 | ▲ 1 | |
| Kentucky | $82,200 | 90 | $91,172 | ▲ 3 | |
| Arkansas | $78,780 | 87 | $90,617 | ▲ 7 | |
| North Dakota | $80,610 | 89 | $90,615 | ▲ 3 | |
| North Carolina | $85,120 | 94 | $90,240 | ▼ 7 | |
| West Virginia | $80,490 | 90 | $89,936 | ▲ 2 | |
| South Carolina | $83,550 | 94 | $89,121 | ▼ 6 | |
| Alabama | $78,890 | 89 | $88,817 | ▲ 1 | |
| Michigan | $84,620 | 96 | $87,947 | ▼ 10 | |
| Louisiana | $77,510 | 88 | $87,873 | ▲ 2 | |
| South Dakota | $77,010 | 89 | $86,932 | ▲ 2 | |
| Tennessee | $78,610 | 92 | $85,567 | ▼ 1 | |
| Mississippi | $71,710 | 87 | $82,470 | ▲ 1 | |
| Florida | $84,330 | 103 | $81,546 | ▼ 14 |
How to read this
Nominal pay is the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) median wage for MRI technologists in each state. Real pay divides that by the state's cost of living (BEA Regional Price Parity, U.S. average = 100), so it reflects what the salary is actually worth locally. A state with high nominal pay but high costs can rank lower on real pay than a cheaper state — that's the COL shift column.
Methodology: nominal medians from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025 release); cost of living from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (all items, 2024). Real pay = nominal ÷ (RPP ÷ 100). Cite as “WageAtlas Real Pay Index.”
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