Job Satisfaction of Radiographers in Saudi Arabia

To examine the various facets of job satisfaction among radiographers in Saudi Arabia and compare the influential contributing factors locally and internationally.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in June and July 2020 with an electronic questionnaire distributed to radiographers in Saudi Arabia. The validated Job Satisfaction Survey was used to measure overall job satisfaction and specific satisfaction regarding pay, promotions, supervision, benefits, contingent rewards, operating conditions, coworkers, nature of work, and communication (total Job Satisfaction Survey score can range from 36 to 216). Additional personal and work-related characteristics were collected as explanatory variables. Data were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics, including 1-way analysis of variance, independent sample t test, and Spearman correlation.

A total of 412 radiographers in Saudi Arabia completed the survey. The total job satisfaction score was 140.0 (95% confidence interval [CI], 138.7-141.2), showing that 6 respondents (1.5%) were dissatisfied with their job, while the remaining majority were neutral (63%) or satisfied (36%). The radiographers were satisfied with the nature of work, contingent rewards, and coworkers. However, they were less satisfied with promotions, pay, operating conditions, and benefits. The only significant variable in overall job satisfaction was the working sector (P = .03), with radiographers working at Ministry of Health hospitals who were more satisfied than were their colleagues who worked at other types of facilities.

The radiographers in Saudi Arabia had higher overall job satisfaction than had other allied health science professionals in Saudi Arabia. The differences in job satisfaction subscales between radiographers from different countries suggest that their job satisfaction likely is related to culture and socioeconomics. Job satisfaction improvement programs should be tailored for each radiographer's community.

Radiographers in Saudi Arabia expressed moderate to high job satisfaction, which is relatively higher than their international peers and national colleagues in physical therapy and nursing. These job satisfaction results call for governmental policymakers to focus their efforts on improving radiographer promotion schemes and career development.