CT technologist demand has doubled since 2021, staffing firm says

Computed tomography technologist demand has doubled since 2021, making it one of the hottest allied professional roles in the industry, according to a new report from AMN Healthcare. 

The Dallas-based talent solutions firm received a total of 5,451 requests for CT techs last year, a nearly 138% increase from the 2,292 ordered in 2021. Meanwhile, AMN says the fill rate dropped from 32.9% in 2021 down to 19.7% last year, a 13.2 percentage point decrease, the company reported Wednesday. 

Positions-filled grew modestly during the five-year period, rising 43%, from 753 up to 1,075 last year. AMN said a variety of factors are fueling surging demand for technologists, including an aging population and increasing prevalence of chronic conditions. 

“We are seeing strong demand across radiologic technologist roles more broadly, with CT technologists standing out as one of the clearest examples,” Robin Johnson, group president of Nursing, Allied & Physician Solutions at AMN Healthcare, told Radiology Business by email. “That [doubling of demand for CT techs] points to a labor market where healthcare organizations need more imaging talent, but the available supply of qualified professionals is not keeping pace,” she added later. 

AMN’s new white paper, “Healthcare Staffing Projections Through 2030,” is based on a five-year representative sample of search engagements for allied health professionals. It also incorporates external data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the CDC to assess supply-demand trends and project staffing needs through 2030. 

By then, all baby boomers will have reached age 65, with older adults expected to account for 20% of the U.S. population, AMN noted. At the same time, over 130 million U.S. adults will be living with 2 or more chronic conditions, and 60% of young adults, ages 18 to 34, will report at least 1. 

AMN also highlighted strong demand for radiologic technologists over the last five years. Clients requested a total of 4,432 X-ray techs last year, a nearly 36% increase from the 3,261 requested in 2021. Demand reached a five-year peak in 2024, with healthcare providers requesting 5,498 rad techs that year, up almost 69% from 2021. The tech fill rate fell from 26.8% in 2021 down to 24.2% last year, a smaller, 2.6 percentage point drop when compared to the CT side. Rad tech job growth is projected at 5% according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a “more modest job outlook while still growing faster than the national average.”

Johnson noted that healthcare organizations are using a variety of strategies to try and fill technologist roles. These include expanding training programs, addressing educational bottlenecks and creating incentives for rural practice, with underserved areas facing some of the greatest staffing challenges. 

“The rural dimension is important,” Johnson told Radiology Business. “The report found a widening disparity in allied health fill rates between urban and rural settings, with the 2025 urban fill rate more than 6 percentage points higher than the rural rate. That means the CT technologist shortage is not just a volume issue. It is also a distribution issue, and rural facilities may need additional workforce strategies, incentives and planning support to compete for imaging talent.”

You can read more in the full report here.