MRI Technologist Training

MRI Tech Programs in Phoenix

Every MRI technologist program a Phoenix resident can attend, compared side by side, plus which Phoenix hospital systems are in Tesla MR's clinical network and exactly how placement works.

Comparing programs nationally? See MRI tech school formats, costs, and certification paths. Checking accreditation? See every accredited MRI tech certification program.

View Program Details Compare every program near you
MRI technologist student training at a clinical site
$97K Avg. Salary
16 Affiliated Sites
12-18 mo Program Length
Starting at $11,500 Tuition
The path

How to become an MRI tech in Phoenix

Five steps, the same in Arizona as anywhere else. Where you do step four is what changes by city.

  1. Confirm you are eligible

    A high school diploma or GED is the floor. You do not need a prior X-ray, radiography, or healthcare credential for the ARMRIT route. Some in-person programs below do require one, so check the table.

  2. Pick the credential you are aiming for

    Employers in Phoenix hire both ARRT (MR) and ARMRIT technologists. ARRT usually means a two-year degree or a prior radiography license. ARMRIT is the certificate route for career changers.

  3. Choose a program format that fits your life

    Full-time campus programs are faster if you can stop working. Hybrid programs put the coursework online and the clinical hours at a facility near you, which is how most working adults finish.

  4. Complete supervised clinical hours

    Every path ends at a scanner. Clinical training is the part that depends on local capacity, so ask any program how placement works before you enroll. Ours is explained below.

  5. Pass the registry exam and get hired

    Arizona certifies radiographers but not MRI technologists; employers require ARRT (MR) or ARMRIT certification. Once certified, you can apply to the hospital systems and imaging groups listed further down this page.

Your options

MRI programs available to Phoenix residents

4 in-person or regional programs plus Tesla MR's hybrid option. Only one of them trains you in MRI directly without a prior X-ray credential. Facts come from each school's published pages. Confirm with the school before you apply.

Published cost is what each school states on its own site. Some schools publish tuition only; others include fees, books, or uniforms; public colleges often distinguish in-district from out-of-district rates. Each row says which. For the national list with accreditor and entry requirement for every program, see accredited MRI tech certification programs.

Program Path Credential Length Prior X-ray? Format Published cost
Tesla MR Online coursework, clinicals near you
MRI direct
Certificate (ARMRIT exam eligibility)ARMRIT
12 to 18 months
No
Hybrid: online lectures, in-person clinicals
$11,500 to $13,400 by payment plan
Smith Chason College, Phoenix Campus Phoenix, AZ No prerequisites; Wonderlic entrance exam; externship travel can exceed 75 miles
MRI direct
AS in Magnetic Resonance ImagingARRT (MR) and ARMRIT
21 months
No
Hybrid: online lectures, in-person labs and clinicals; 6-month externship
Not published on the program page
GateWay Community College, MRI Certificate Phoenix, AZ Requires ARRT, NMTCB, or ARDMS registry plus prerequisite courses
MRI after X-ray
Certificate of Completion in MRI (19 credits)ARRT (MR)
3 terms, August to May
Yes
Didactic plus clinical preceptorship
Not published
GateWay Community College, Radiologic Technology Phoenix, AZ JRCERT accredited
X-ray first
AAS in Radiologic Technology (X-ray)ARRT (R)
22 months
No
In-person lecture, lab, and four clinical practicums
$9,068 to $13,682 in-county, excluding books
Pima Medical Institute, Mesa Mesa, AZ Externships can be more than 60 miles away
X-ray first
Associate degree in Radiography (X-ray)ARRT (R)
About 24 months
No
On-campus with clinical externships
Not published on the page

Verified against each program's own website between Sep 2, 2026 and Sep 9, 2026. Tuition, length, and admission rules change; the school's page is the authority. Tesla MR is not a degree-granting institution and does not participate in federal financial aid. See accreditation. The schools named here are not affiliated with Tesla MR and do not endorse it; their names belong to their owners. Spot an error? Email info@teslamr.com and we will review it within 10 business days.

Where you would train and work

MRI employers in Phoenix, and which ones are in our clinical network

Tesla MR has 16 affiliated clinical sites in the Phoenix area. An affiliated site is a facility in our clinical network where students can be placed. The others are places MRI techs work in Phoenix that we have not affiliated with yet.

Affiliated site Employer, not yet affiliated

Abrazo Health

Affiliated site
  • Arizona Heart Hospital Phoenix
  • Arrowhead Campus Glendale
  • Buckeye Emergency Center Buckeye
  • Central Campus Phoenix
  • Peoria Emergency Center Peoria
  • Scottsdale Campus Phoenix
  • +2 more locations

Banner Health

Affiliated site
  • Baywood Medical Center Mesa
  • Desert Medical Center Mesa
  • Gateway Medical Center Gilbert
  • Ironwood Medical Center Queen Creek
  • Ocotillo Medical Center Chandler
  • University Medical Center - Phoenix Phoenix

Advanced Imaging

Affiliated site
  • Arizona Phoenix

SimonMed Imaging

Affiliated site
  • Arizona Phoenix

OrthoArizona

Employer, not yet affiliated
  • North Gilbert Gilbert

Sun Radiology

Employer, not yet affiliated
  • Sun Radiology Glendale

Pulled from Tesla MR's site database on September 9, 2026. Affiliations are added and change over time; the assessment you receive during admissions is the one that applies to you.

Clinical placement

How clinical placement works

Our Clinical Sites team leads placement. You are not expected to find or negotiate your own clinical site. We look for a facility within a reasonable commute of your home and widen the search only if we need to.

Timing depends on facilities having capacity when you reach clinicals. If your area is thin, we tell you during admissions, not after you enroll, and we talk through the options with you.

Established network · Phoenix

We have 16 affiliated sites in the Phoenix area. Most students here are placed within that network, and the site team adds facilities as students need them.

  1. We look at your area during admissions

    If you already have a facility in mind, maybe where you work, we reach out and see whether you can train there. If not, our site team maps the hospitals and imaging centers near your home and starts the conversation.

  2. You get a straight answer before you enroll

    Clinicals are still months away at this point, so a site's answer is usually "we expect so, check back closer to the date." We tell you what we heard and what it means for your timeline.

  3. You start the coursework while the site work continues

    Most students begin Phase I and Phase II before a specific facility is named. That is normal, and the site team keeps working your area in the background.

  4. Your site is confirmed as clinicals approach

    Once clinicals are weeks away rather than months, facilities can commit to dates. We work to have your placement set before Phase III begins. Which facility and which shift depends on who has capacity at that time.

MRI licensing in Arizona

Arizona certifies radiologic technologists through the Arizona Radiation Regulatory Agency, but MRI technologists are exempt because MRI does not produce ionizing radiation. Phoenix-area employers hire on ARRT (MR) or ARMRIT certification, and many require a state fingerprint clearance card. Read each posting, because some hospital roles still ask for ARRT.

What MRI techs earn in Phoenix

The BLS reports a median of about $97K for MRI technologists in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler metro (OEWS, May 2025). Entry-level pay sits below that, with shift differentials and specialty work pushing experienced techs above it. See the MRI technologist salary guide for the full breakdown by state.

💡

Key Takeaway

A site count on a web page is not the number that matters. What matters is what the site team finds when it looks at your specific location, and that happens during admissions, before you commit.

ARMRIT Accredited Nationally recognized certification
334+ Clinical Sites Partner network in 38 states
Starting at $11,500 Payment plans available

Frequently Asked Questions

Our Clinical Sites team leads placement. You are not expected to secure your own site. If you know a facility, you can propose it, but we review it, confirm capacity, sign the agreement, and approve it.

The site team keeps working your area, looks at nearby facilities and any leads you bring us, and talks through the options with you, which can include a farther site or adjusting your timeline. Placement timing depends on facilities having capacity, so we give you our read on your area during admissions rather than after you enroll.

Each student is matched to a facility with capacity for their dates. If one facility cannot take everyone, the site team works the other affiliated sites listed on this page and adds new ones as needed.

Yes. The ARMRIT route does not require a prior radiography credential. Several in-person programs in the comparison table do, so check that column before you apply anywhere.

Explore more MRI programs

Arizona$101KTucson, Arizona3+
Take the next step

Ready to start your MRI career in Phoenix?

Join hundreds of students training at clinical sites across the country. No prerequisites, no application fee, rolling admissions.

View Program Details Talk to an advisor

Related guides

For Students
MRI Tech Programs for Arizona: Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa, Gilbert, and Statewide Options
MRI tech programs for Arizona. Tesla MR Institute offers a 12-18 month hybrid program with 23 clinical training sites across Arizona. No prior credentials needed. Salary range: $84K-$106K.
For Students
MRI Tech Programs for Tucson, Arizona
MRI technologist training for Tucson, Arizona. 3+ clinical training sites in the Tucson area. Tesla MR Institute: 12-18 months, no prerequisites, tuition starting at $11,500.
For Students
MRI Tech Programs for Cleveland, Ohio
MRI technologist training for Cleveland, Ohio. 13 clinical training sites across Northeast Ohio, from Westlake to Chardon. Tesla MR Institute: 12-18 months, no prerequisites, tuition starting at $11,500.
For Students
MRI Tech Programs for Indianapolis, Indiana
MRI technologist training for Indianapolis, Indiana. 15 clinical training sites across the metro, from Carmel to Greenwood. Tesla MR Institute: 12-18 months, no prerequisites, tuition starting at $11,500.
MRI Training in Phoenix 12-18 months · No prerequisites
Apply Now