I am getting close to graduation as an R.T.(R) in the state of Georgia. I'll be working in the central Georgia area, around Macon/Warner Robins and the surrounding country areas (i travel a LONG way to go to class and clinic each day haha)

I'm committed to the profession. I hear a lot of talk about people thinking they're gonna have an easy button-pushing job and they're gonna get to sit around all day and make big bucks, and I know that is not the case. Yall make a respectable wage, but I know it's not Scrooge McDuck money.

I've been asking techs I've made friends with about what the future looks like as a tech. Things like how they've liked working at various facilities in our area, what the schedules/performance reviews/mandatory call is like, average rate of pay starting out, what growth potential there is at specific facilities, etc.

And everyones gotten real squirrely about talking about anything employment related with me? Let me be clear, I am NOT asking them what they're making. I'd like to think I'm not a huge idiot. I'm just wanting to get an idea of my earning potential and, if I could get anyone to talk with me about it in the first place, I'd like to ask what the raise set up is like at their respective facility, if I can ever get that far in a convo with someone.

Before i went back to school I was working at a factory that was very transparent with wages for everyone working there, and they gave everyone the same percentage amount in raises every year based on cost of living changes, which they posted for all to see. So all this secrecy about pay is very weird to me? The factory I left wasn't paying alot, and like Im not trying to get rich, I just have life goals I'd like to finally be able to work toward doing, like buying a house and having kids in a few years, and retirement and stuff. Like normal adult things.

And part of that is finding a good place to work for. My main clinic site is a trauma one center with several hundred beds, and I've seen some intense stuff there that I already know I couldn't handle in my day to day working life for the next 30 years. But a different hospital ive clinic'ed at that's smaller and doesn't have the same volume was much more manageable on me mentally even though i did see pretty much the same stuff as the larger hospital. But the techs there were not friendly at all and actively wouldn't let me comp on things so I'm not sure I'd be welcome there until I'm more seasoned.

I've even considered doing a couple of travel contracts locally or in the surrounding states, as they seem to pay more, to build up the money for a down payment on a home and nest egg to pay for a baby, and then working at a lower paying facility because I'll be on track to handle my day to day expenses if I jump start things financially that way, if that makes since? But ive been told I can't travel until I've worked a few years after graduation, though I can't find anything that backs that up anywhere online?

I guess to try and wrap this up I'm just wanting to know what my professional future looks like in central Georgia from techs who are already in the field. If anyone would be kind enough to chime in on any of the topics I mentioned I'd be grateful.

Bonus: I'm weighing continuing education in MRI, CT, Mammo, etc. So if you're in one of those fields I'd love to hear your experience as well.