How to Get Your Radiologic Technologist License in Michigan (2026)

How to Become a Licensed Radiologic Technologist in Michigan

Michigan requires radiologic technologists to hold a state license issued through the Michigan Bureau of Professional Licensing (BPL) under the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). Both ARRT certification and a valid Michigan state license are required before practicing. Michigan is notable among states for using a three-year license renewal cycle rather than the biennial cycle common in most states — an important distinction for managing your credential portfolio.

Michigan's healthcare market is anchored by the Detroit metro area, which hosts Henry Ford Health, Detroit Medical Center, and Beaumont Health (now Corewell Health East). The state also has significant academic medical market in Ann Arbor (Michigan Medicine), a mid-size market in Grand Rapids (Spectrum/Corewell Health West, Trinity Health), and extensive rural and Upper Peninsula communities with persistent imaging staffing needs.

Step 1: Complete a JRCERT-Accredited Radiologic Technology Program

Michigan requires graduation from a JRCERT-accredited radiologic technology program. The standard entry credential is a two-year Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Radiologic Technology. A BSRT is available and preferred at Michigan Medicine and Henry Ford for certain roles.

Michigan JRCERT-accredited programs include Oakland Community College, Ferris State University (Grand Rapids), Baker College, Henry Ford College, Washtenaw Community College, and Northern Michigan University (serving the Upper Peninsula). Michigan has one of the strongest community college RT pipelines in the Midwest. Your program's clinical competency documentation is required for the ARRT exam application.

Step 2: Earn Your ARRT Certification

Michigan BPL requires current ARRT certification as a prerequisite for state licensure. The primary entry-level credential is R.T.(R) — Registered Technologist in Radiography. After completing your JRCERT program and documenting competencies, apply for the ARRT exam (approximately $225 fee) at a Prometric testing center.

Michigan technologists commonly pursue specialty certifications including R.T.(CT), R.T.(MR), R.T.(M), and R.T.(NM). CT and MRI specialties carry strong salary premiums in the Detroit and Ann Arbor markets. Nuclear medicine is particularly viable given Michigan Medicine's research imaging programs. All ARRT credentials require 24 CE credits per two-year renewal cycle — note this is the ARRT cycle, not Michigan's three-year state cycle.

Step 3: Apply for Your Michigan State License

After receiving ARRT certification, submit your Michigan license application through the Michigan BPL/LARA online portal. The application requires ARRT certification documentation, educational program verification, and the state fee (approximately $75–$100 as of 2026). New license processing typically takes four to eight weeks.

Michigan's three-year license renewal cycle is a key planning point: your state license renews every three years while your ARRT credential renews every two years. This means the cycles do not always align. You must maintain current ARRT certification throughout the Michigan license period even if your ARRT renewal falls mid-cycle. At Michigan license renewal, you must document current ARRT status. Practicing without a current Michigan license is a violation of state law regardless of ARRT status.

Continuing Education Requirements

ARRT's 24 CE credits per two-year cycle is the governing CE requirement. Note the timing mismatch: Michigan renews every three years, ARRT every two years. Over a six-year period you will complete three ARRT CE cycles (72 CE credits total) and two Michigan license renewals. At each Michigan renewal, document your current ARRT certification status. Michigan BPL does not impose a separate CE credit count beyond ARRT requirements, but major employers — Henry Ford Health, Corewell Health, and Michigan Medicine — add annual facility competency validations.

Radiologic Technologist Specializations in Michigan

CT is the most demanded specialty in Michigan, present at every hospital and imaging facility. MRI is particularly in demand at mid-size Michigan hospitals that struggle with MRI staffing due to the specialized training requirements. Michigan Medicine's research environment creates demand for advanced MRI protocols, functional MRI, and cardiac MRI specialists.

Mammography (R.T.(M)) positions are steady across Michigan given the state's strong cancer screening infrastructure at Karmanos Cancer Institute (Detroit) and Michigan Medicine's breast care program. Interventional radiology positions at Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit Medical Center/Sinai Grace, and Michigan Medicine are among the most competitive and well-compensated in the state. Nuclear medicine and PET/CT positions exist at academic centers in Detroit and Ann Arbor. The Upper Peninsula generates persistent travel demand — facilities in Marquette, Sault Ste. Marie, Ironwood, and Munising regularly post travel RT openings.

Michigan Salary Ranges

General radiologic technologists in Michigan earn $56,000–$78,000 annually. Detroit metro positions typically pay $59,000–$82,000. Ann Arbor (Michigan Medicine) positions pay at the higher end of the range, often $62,000–$85,000, reflecting academic market competition. Grand Rapids positions range $57,000–$79,000. CT and MRI specialists earn $65,000–$90,000.

Travel radiologic technologist assignments in Michigan pay $46–$64 per hour all-in. Detroit-area travel positions are competitive. Upper Peninsula Michigan assignments — particularly at OSF St. Francis Hospital (Escanaba), UP Health System Marquette, and War Memorial Hospital (Sault Ste. Marie) — are among the most in-demand rural travel positions in the Midwest due to geographic isolation and chronic staffing shortages.

Top Employers

Henry Ford Health is one of Detroit's largest employers, with Henry Ford Hospital (Detroit) as flagship and a regional network including Henry Ford Macomb, Henry Ford Wyandotte, and Henry Ford West Bloomfield. Corewell Health (formed by the merger of Beaumont Health and Spectrum Health) is Michigan's largest health system with hospitals across metro Detroit and west Michigan. Detroit Medical Center (DMC, part of Tenet Healthcare) operates eight hospitals including Detroit Receiving Hospital, Harper University Hospital, and Sinai Grace.

Michigan Medicine (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor) is the state's premier academic medical center and a major research imaging employer. Trinity Health Michigan (St. Joseph Mercy hospitals, Grand Rapids) is a significant Catholic health system employer. McLaren Health Care operates statewide. Ascension Michigan (Borgess, Providence) rounds out major system employers. The VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System and Detroit VA Medical Center are federal employers. Upper Peninsula Health Care (UPHC) and OSF Healthcare serve the UP market. Outpatient imaging at Radnet, Advanced Radiology Services, and hospital-affiliated imaging centers constitutes a growing segment of Michigan RT employment.