Something has been getting under my skin lately.

How underpaid everyone is being right now, especially in this economy.

We should always be paid our worth, but on top of that, why not make more money doing what we're already doing?

A huge cause of burnout is people not feeling paid what they're worth. You work so hard, then you get your paycheck and think, I did all of that for that?

In 2013, when I was applying for my rad tech program, people kept telling me there were no jobs. Annual openings for the entire US were only 10,000. That averages out to about 200 openings per state. I still said I'm doing this anyway.

Today, that demand has surged by over 45%. The career is being glamorized on TikTok, and the need for techs has nearly doubled in the last 10 to 15 years. If you're worried about finding a job, don't be. Healthcare always has a shortage. If you're willing to be flexible, you will find something.

When I graduated almost 10 years ago, one of my first job offers wanted to pay me $17 an hour as a registered tech with an associate's degree. And to top it off this was for a CT position! I knew that was bullshit and didn't take it.

I had another offer at $21 an hour, with a $3 raise once I got registered within 12 months. Within ten months I was making $24 an hour. That wasn't even $50,000 a year.

I say all this because someone messaged me recently saying they're barely making $45,000 a year as a registered rad tech. I was making more than that ten years ago. You should be making well above that now.

Over the next four years I worked up to about $27 to $28 an hour before I quit to travel. My first year traveling, I hit six figures. And I want to be clear about why I'm sharing that. Not as a flex, but because I know how to get you the money you're worth without working 70 or 80 hour weeks.

I started traveling during the pandemic, but not when everyone else did. I started when people were getting laid off and assignments weren't paying the big COVID money yet. My first assignment was 13 hours from home because it was the only one I could get. I wasn't allowed any overtime, most contracts capped me under 36 hours, and I still surpassed six figures that year. I doubled my income and was working less.

Every year after that, my income grew. My second to last year traveling, I made at least $165,000 without working overtime.

When I decided to come home, everyone told me I wouldn't make anywhere close to that locally. I knew I wanted to get as close to $100,000 as possible in the Midwest, and I knew I'd have to think outside the box.

• Apply for PRN jobs to get my foot in the door

• Stay open to learning additional modalities, but only if compensated for it

• Negotiate before accepting anything

I was offered a PRN position and HR told me they had no more money to give. I told them that wasn't going to work for me, and I have an impeccable resume. I knew what I brought to the table. I went in with a pitch for how I could help the hospital bring in more patients and offer services they weren't currently utilizing. Management was on board.

I countered their offer. Asked for at least $37 an hour and a sign on bonus. They said sign on bonuses weren't being offered anymore. I pointed out their job posting said otherwise. They came back with a dollar more than I asked for and a $10,000 sign on bonus with no commitment required.

Once I moved into mammography training, I asked for another raise plus compensation for the required MTMI course.

By the time I accepted my full time position, I was making $41.50 an hour, around $86,000 a year, plus that $10,000 sign on bonus. $96,000 total in a rural Midwest hospital.

• Be open to broadening your skill set, but track your strong suits

• Don't be afraid to ask for what you're worth

• Remember healthcare is a business. If you're not giving them a reason to pay you more, they won't.