Travel MRI assignments suit technologists who like protocol variety, independent scanning and the chance to see different scanners and departments. Here is what the work is really like, what facilities expect, what it tends to pay, and how to land your first contract.
You usually sign a 13-week contract, most often four 10-hour or five 8-hour shifts a week, running scans in a hospital or outpatient imaging department that is short a technologist. Expect a short orientation to the scanners and PACS, then a full protocol load, often with sedated, pediatric or claustrophobic patients in the mix.
Departments vary. A large hospital may have several magnets and a dedicated team, while a smaller site may have one scanner and you as the only MRI tech on shift, sometimes with call. Ask how many techs are on at once, what field strengths you will scan on, and whether call is part of the contract.
Most facilities want ARRT (MR) or ARMRIT certification and one to two years of recent, independent MRI experience. BLS is standard, and many sites want proof of MRI safety training. Facilities also run license verification, background checks and health clearance, so having your records organized speeds up your start date.
Cross-trained techs should be honest about it. A dedicated MRI technologist is a different hire than a rad tech who has covered the magnet, and a skills checklist that overstates your scanning experience tends to unravel in the first week.
Travel MRI packages commonly land between roughly $2,100 and $3,500 gross per week, with high-cost markets, trauma or cardiac centers, nights and short-notice starts paying above that. The package mixes taxable hourly wages with, where you qualify, non-taxable stipends, so compare the full breakdown rather than the headline.
Our guide to how a weekly travel package is built explains the pieces, and the same structure applies to imaging.
Radiologic and MRI technologists are projected to grow about 5% from 2024 to 2034, faster than average, with roughly 15,400 openings a year. Aging patients, more outpatient imaging and a thin pipeline of new graduates keep scanners understaffed, so hospitals and imaging centers turn to contract techs, especially for open magnet slots and weekend coverage.
Breadth gets you placed faster. Techs who can scan neuro, MSK, body, breast and cardiac protocols, run contrast and sedation workflows safely, and work comfortably on more than one vendor platform have the widest choice of contracts. Cardiac MRI and 3T experience stand out because fewer techs hold them.
Tell a recruiter what you have actually scanned: protocols, platforms, patient types and how independently you worked. Keep your certifications and immunization records ready and stay flexible on start date. To compare options, browse the MRI specialties, see what to ask before accepting an assignment, and visit the full jobs overview.
Most are 13 weeks, with some at 8 or 26 weeks. Facilities often offer extensions if the department is still short and you want to stay.
Most contracts ask for ARRT (MR) or ARMRIT certification. Some facilities accept a rad tech with documented MRI experience, so tell your recruiter exactly what you hold.
Usually one to two years of recent MRI work where you scanned on your own. Facilities want someone who can run a protocol list without constant supervision.
Usually a shift or two covering the scanner, PACS and department routines. You are expected to scan quickly, so ask what orientation looks like before you accept.
No. Placement is free to you. The facility pays our fee.
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