An x-ray technician — more accurately known as a radiologic technician — is a trained health care worker, with specific skills in the area of manipulating x-ray and other medical imaging equipment to take "insider" pictures of the body so that diseases, conditions, or injury can be visualized and diagnosed. In this growing field, most x-ray techs train for a year or two prior to working in a variety of locations. Jobs in this field may take place in hospitals, doctor's offices, radiology clinics, dental offices, and convalescent homes. The field is not without risk, since long-term exposure to frequent x-rays is correlated to the development of certain cancers. Following safety protocols like blocking vulnerable body parts from radiation with lead sheets or walls while x-rays are taken minimizes this risk.
