Nefesh BNefesh

X-ray technicians in Israel find employment in hospitals, dental clinics and private x-ray clinics. Salaries vary according to years of experience in the field and whether you are working in a private or public institution.

Professional Certification

Following a recent ruling of the Israeli Supreme Court, Misrad Habriut (Ministry of Health) is not allowed to process the licensing of x-ray technicians. This situation will continue until the relevant medical licensing laws are amended.

In the current situation, medical institutions have been employing individuals holding foreign licenses. Practically, this ruling has not affected the employment of medical professionals who make Aliyah. Most medical professionals who have made Aliyah since this ruling was instituted, are currently employed.

When you make Aliyah, bring the following documentation with you, so that you will be able to apply for Israeli licensing once this situation is resolved. All of these documents will eventually need to be notarized and translated by an Israeli notary. However, we recommend bringing them now, but waiting to notarize and translate them until it becomes relevant (in case further changes to the process are made).

• An application form.
• All original academic diplomas involving a minimum of 3.5 years of study (or letter from the dean of the faculty indicating that you completed your studies and are entitled to a diploma).
• Valid license.
• Teudat Zehut (Israeli identity card).
• 3 passport photos.
• Official document confirming the start and end date of studies.
• Official document confirming completion of the specified period of practical work.
• Official documents confirming clinical work in hospitals or medical institutions.
• Letter(s) of "Good Standing" from the appropriate professional boards.

Once the Supreme Court issues a ruling, it is likely that there will be a written and practical licensing exam.

Misrad Habriut offers a new customer call center to answer questions about licensing for health care professionals. Call *5400 from Israel or 972-8-6241010 from abroad. The center operates Sunday through Thursday, 8am-6pm, and Fridays from 8am-1pm, Israel time.

Please note: In order to work as an x-ray technician in the public sector, you must have a BA from a recognized institution of higher education. 

Knowledge of Hebrew

A good working knowledge of Hebrew is essential. It is strongly advised to study Hebrew before you arrive and then to take Ulpan upon arrival. Even where an immigrant technician works entirely with speakers of his/her mother tongue, it is still necessary to deal with the various agencies that make up the Israeli medical network. For a full listing of Ulpan options, see the Ulpan Guide.

In addition to regular ulpan, Misrad HaKlita offers an ulpan for medical professionals - shlav bet. The class opens provided there are enough people who are interested. Be in touch with your local branch of Misrad Haklita to find out when the next class will begin. For more information, see Medical Ulpan.

Interview with Ariyai Halevi, an NBN Oleh who is an X-Ray Technician at Nahariya Hospital:

Q: How did you find your job?
A: I found my job by emailing all the radiology departments in all the hospitals in Israel. The best response I got was from my current job.

Q: What degree should someone making Aliya come with in order to break into your field?
A: While someone without a BA can work in the private sector, to work for the government you need a BA and those are really the best jobs so it is worth the effort.

Q: Do you need Hebrew to work in your field in Israel?
A: Hebrew is definitely very necessary unless you want to limit your workplace to English speaking areas.  Passing Ulpan is required in order to be eligible for certain jobs.

Q: What are the benefits?
A: The benefits depend on whether you work for the government or in the private sector. In the public sector, employees receive pension, keren hishtalmut (a savings plan), travel expenses, life insurance, and more vacation days than most employees due to the fact that we work with radiation (34 a year where I work, not including national holidays). The benefits in the private system vary and may not be as favorable, but the hourly pay is higher.

Q: What recommendations can you offer the Oleh looking to work in this field?
A: It is important that an Oleh have strong convictions about living in Israel and realistic expectations of the earning power in this field.  More advice would be to break away from Jerusalem.  Government jobs have a standard salary across the nation irrelevant of the cost of living in your area.  Someone living in the North or South will make the same salary as someone in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem despite the fact that the latter's cost of living may be higher.  There is more job availability in the peripheral areas, especially with the continuing growth.

For more details, you can contact Ariyai at: ariyai@hotmail.com.