Healthcare Practitioners and Technical

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.

MAY 2025 · OCCUPATIONAL WAGES

A wage reference for United States.

Published wage percentiles describe a distribution within the source occupation group. They provide context for a career decision; employer packages and job offers have their own terms.

Source wage group: Nuclear Medicine Technologists

This wage group may include multiple detailed occupations. The figures are for the source group, which may be broader than Nuclear Medicine Technologists. They are not an exact-title, employer, experience or seniority match.

May 2025 · USD · United States. Annual and hourly figures are shown only when the source publishes them; neither is calculated from the other.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational wage data, distributed through the O*NET® OnLine service.

Median annual wage$101,370USD per year · Published 50th percentile
Median hourly wage$48.74USD per hour · Published 50th percentile

Annual wage thresholds

USD per year

Hourly wage thresholds

USD per hour

Published occupational wage percentiles · United States · May 2025
PercentileAnnual wage (USD/year)Hourly wage (USD/hour)
10th$78,080$37.54
25th$86,720$41.69
50th · Median$101,370$48.74
75th$117,120$56.31
90th$134,500$64.66

“≥” means at least the published amount; “≤” means at most that amount. These are bounds, not exact values. “Not published” means the source did not provide that figure. Occupational wages follow the source definition and do not establish an employer’s base salary, equity or total compensation.

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THE WORK BEHIND THE TITLE

What this career involves.

Occupation definitions describe common work. Responsibilities and requirements vary by employer and specific job.

Selected title examples

Certified Nuclear Medicine Technologist (CNMT)Isotope TechnicianIsotope TechnologistMedical Radiation DosimetristNuclear Cardiology TechnologistNuclear Medical TechnologistNuclear Medicine PET-CT Technologist (Nuclear Medicine Positron Emission Tomography - Computed Tomography Technologist)Nuclear Medicine TechnicianNuclear Medicine Technologist (NMT)Nuclear TechnologistPET Technologist (Positron Emission Tomography Technologist)Radiation Safety Officer
Expand more title examples (4)
Radioisotope TechnicianRadioisotope TechnologistRegistered Nuclear Medicine TechnologistStaff Nuclear Medicine Technologist

Typical tasks

  • 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.
  • Process cardiac function studies, using computer.
  • Calculate, measure, and record radiation dosage or radiopharmaceuticals received, used, and disposed, using computer and following physician's prescription.
  • Record and process results of procedures.
  • Produce a computer-generated or film image for interpretation by a physician.
Expand more tasks (11)
  • Prepare stock radiopharmaceuticals, adhering to safety standards that minimize radiation exposure to workers and patients.
  • Explain test procedures and safety precautions to patients and provide them with assistance during test procedures.
  • Perform quality control checks on laboratory equipment or cameras.
  • Dispose of radioactive materials and store radiopharmaceuticals, following radiation safety procedures.
  • Gather information on patients' illnesses and medical history to guide the choice of diagnostic procedures for therapy.
  • 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.
  • Position radiation fields, radiation beams, and patient to allow for most effective treatment of patient's disease, using computer.
  • Add radioactive substances to biological specimens, such as blood, urine, or feces, to determine therapeutic drug or hormone levels.
  • Develop treatment procedures for nuclear medicine treatment programs.

Skills used in this work

Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Expand more skills (29)
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Science
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Mathematics
Using mathematics to solve problems.
Operations Monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Operation and Control
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
Quality Control Analysis
Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Persuasion
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Management of Personnel Resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Equipment Maintenance
Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Negotiation
Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Systems Analysis
Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Systems Evaluation
Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Troubleshooting
Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Equipment Selection
Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
Repairing
Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Management of Material Resources
Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.
Management of Financial Resources
Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.
Operations Analysis
Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
Technology Design
Generating or adapting equipment and technology to serve user needs.
Programming
Writing computer programs for various purposes.
Installation
Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.
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Sources and citation.

Cite this page: Wages.fyi, “Nuclear Medicine Technologists career and wage guide.” Link to this Wages.fyi page

This page includes information from the O*NET® 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Wages.fyi has selected and organized this information and added wage navigation and explanations. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Database license and attribution requirements.

Official occupation profile · Official wage reference . Wage reference: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, distributed through the O*NET® OnLine service. Source data and publication dates can differ from the date this page is accessed.