MRI training for Chicago
Tesla MR Institute has 9 clinical training sites in the Chicago metro area, in the city itself and in suburbs including Hinsdale, Evergreen Park, Tinley Park, and Bolingbrook, plus sites in northwest Indiana and southeast Wisconsin within commuting range.
The program is fully hybrid: complete your didactic coursework online on your own schedule, then do hands-on clinical rotations at a facility near you in Chicagoland. No commuting to a distant campus. No relocating. Train where you will eventually work.
Program details
- Duration: 12-18 months
- Prerequisites: None. High school diploma or GED. No prior radiology credentials required.
- Format: Online coursework + in-person clinical rotations in the Chicago area
- Certification: ARMRIT (accepted by most Chicago employers)
- Cost: Starting at $11,500 (payment plans available)
MRI technologist salary in Chicago
MRI technologists in the Chicago metro area earn approximately $82K-$103K per year. Entry-level positions start at the lower end, with experienced techs and those with specialty skills earning toward the top of the range. Chicago is one of the highest-paying MRI markets in the Midwest.
For detailed salary data, see our MRI technologist salary guide and Illinois MRI programs page.
How to become an MRI tech in Chicago
- Enroll in Tesla MR Institute’s ARMRIT-approved hybrid program
- Complete coursework online at your own pace
- Do clinical rotations at a Chicago-area facility
- Pass the ARMRIT exam and get certified
- Start working at hospitals and imaging centers in Chicago
No prior radiology experience needed. Healthcare workers, career changers, and MRI tech aides are all strong candidates.
MRI licensing in Illinois
Illinois requires licensure for certain medical imaging professionals through the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), but MRI technologists are exempt since MRI does not involve ionizing radiation. The Accreditation of Radiologic Technologists Act focuses on X-ray and CT modalities. Employers throughout Illinois require ARRT(MR) or ARMRIT certification, and Chicago-area hospitals often prefer candidates with multiple modality credentials.
Employers in the Chicago area accept both ARRT(MR) and ARMRIT certification. Tesla MR Institute’s program prepares you for the ARMRIT exam, which does not require prior X-ray credentials.
Where MRI techs work in Chicago
Major healthcare employers in the Chicago area include Northwestern Medicine, Advocate Health (formerly Advocate Aurora), Rush University Medical Center, and OSF HealthCare. Illinois offers a bifurcated MRI market: the Chicago metro area is one of the most competitive and highest-paying in the Midwest, with world-class academic medical centers like Northwestern and Rush, while downstate communities face persistent imaging workforce shortages. The recent merger creating Advocate Health (combining Advocate Aurora and Atrium Health) has created one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the country, headquartered in the Chicago area. Illinois’s diverse economy, major research universities, and strong union presence in some hospital systems contribute to relatively strong benefits packages and job protections for imaging professionals.
More resources
- MRI tech programs in Illinois — statewide overview
- How to become an MRI technologist — complete career guide
- MRI technologist salary guide — pay data by location
- ARRT vs ARMRIT certification — credential comparison