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Career overview · SOC 29-2033

Nuclear Medicine Technologists

Prepare, administer, and measure radioactive isotopes in therapeutic, diagnostic, and tracer studies using a variety of radioisotope equipment. Prepare stock solutions of radioactive materials and calculate doses to be administered by radiologists. Subject patients to radiation. Execute blood volume, red cell survival, and fat absorption studies following standard laboratory techniques.

Also called: Certified Nuclear Medicine Technologist (CNMT) · Nuclear Cardiology Technologist · Nuclear Medicine PET-CT Technologist (Nuclear Medicine Positron Emission Tomography - Computed Tomography Technologist) · Nuclear Medicine Technologist (NMT) · Radiation Safety Officer · Registered Nuclear Medicine Technologist

Median pay (national)
$97,020
$75,570–$128,090 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
16,960
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+3%
~900 openings/yr
Typical entry
Associate's degree

What the numbers say

Refit analysis ·Pay for nuclear medicine technologists shows a relatively narrow range: the top 10% earn $128,090 versus $75,570 at the bottom 10% — 1.7x. The median of $97,020 leaves roughly 32% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +3% from 2024 to 2034 — about as fast as the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 900 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 49 states with released data, California pays the most for this role (median $155,220, +60% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $46,040 — a 237% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Speaking as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list.

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Top skills employers ask for

Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.

  • Critical Thinking
  • Active Listening
  • Speaking
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Writing
  • Monitoring
  • Science
  • Mathematics
  • Active Learning
  • Learning Strategies

What they actually do

Core O*NET tasks for this role.

  • Administer radiopharmaceuticals or radiation intravenously to detect or treat diseases, using radioisotope equipment, under direction of a physician.
  • Detect and map radiopharmaceuticals in patients' bodies, using a camera to produce photographic or computer images.
  • Record and process results of procedures.
  • Produce a computer-generated or film image for interpretation by a physician.
  • Perform quality control checks on laboratory equipment or cameras.
  • Dispose of radioactive materials and store radiopharmaceuticals, following radiation safety procedures.
  • Maintain and calibrate radioisotope and laboratory equipment.
  • Measure glandular activity, blood volume, red cell survival, or radioactivity of patient, using scanners, Geiger counters, scintillometers, or other laboratory equipment.
  • Train or supervise student or subordinate nuclear medicine technologists.
  • Process cardiac function studies, using computer.

Tools & technology

  • MEDITECH software
  • Electronic medical record EMR software
  • Gamma camera software
  • Medovation RadRunner
  • Radiopharmacy inventory databases
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Word

Knowledge areas

  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Biology
  • English Language
  • Physics
  • Medicine and Dentistry
  • Chemistry
  • Computers and Electronics
  • Mathematics