Nuclear Medicine Technologists

Overview

Introduction

Nuclear medicine technologists prepare and administer chemicals known as radiopharmaceuticals (radioactive drugs) that are used in the diagnosis and treatment of certain diseases. These drugs are administered to a patient and absorbed by specific locations in the patients body, thus allowing technologists to use diagnostic equipment to image and analyze their concentration in certain tissues or organs. Technicians also perform laboratory tests on patients blood and urine to determine certain body chemical levels. There are ...

Quick Facts


Median Salary

$92,500

Employment Prospects

Good

Minimum Education Level

Associates Degree


Experience

Volunteer or part-time experience


Skills

Interpersonal|Math|Scientific


Personality Traits

Helpful|Realistic|Technical

Earnings

Naturally, individual earnings vary based on factors such as a persons level of education and experience. Also, those who work overtime and on-call can add to their yearly income. The U.S. Department of Labor reports that the median annual salary for nuclear medicine technologists was $92,500 in May 2023. The lowest paid 10 percent of technologists earned less than $69,300 annually, and the hig...

Work Environment

Nuclear medicine technologists usually set their own schedules and can expect to work 35 to 40 hours a week, although larger hospitals often require overtime. Night and weekend work can also be expected. Because the job usually takes place inside a hospital or other health care facility, the environment is always clean and well lighted. The placing or positioning of patients on the diagnostic e...

Outlook

Employment of nuclear medicine technologists is expected to decline by 1 percent from 2023 through 2033, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. One factor limiting employment is an emphasis on less costly or noninvasive tests among medical providers and third-party payers (the government and private insurance companies). Most new job opportunities are expected to be in areas with large hosp...