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Nuclear Medicine Technologists

Typical education: Associate degreeHigh pressure

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

High pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $101,370 Median per year · $48.74/hr Most earn $78,080–$134,500

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Position radiation fields, radiation beams, and patient to allow for most effective treatment of patient's disease, using computer.
  • Prepare stock radiopharmaceuticals, adhering to safety standards that minimize radiation exposure to workers and patients.
  • Prepare stock radiopharmaceuticals, adhering to safety standards that minimize radiation exposure to workers and patients.
  • Position radiation fields, radiation beams, and patient to allow for most effective treatment of patient's disease, using computer.
  • Process cardiac function studies, using computer.
  • Detect and map radiopharmaceuticals in patients' bodies, using a camera to produce photographic or computer images.

Job outlook

United States
4% more jobs by 2035, about as fast as average · about 800 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • General medical and surgical hospitals69.2%
  • Offices of physicians13.5%
  • Medical and diagnostic laboratories8.0%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Associate degreeExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Nuclear medicine technology is usually not an entry-level job straight out of school. Most people earn an associate degree and then gain about 1 to 2 years of hands-on experience, often in a related imaging role, before working in this career. Your local pay range is on the career page, which also shows the full national range.

  1. High school diploma with strong science and math

    4 years

    Building a solid base in biology, chemistry, physics, and math prepares you for the medical imaging and radiation science courses ahead.

  2. Associate degree in nuclear medicine technology or radiologic science

    2 years

    This program teaches radioisotope handling, dose calculation, radiation safety, patient care, and imaging procedures, and it usually includes clinical training.

  3. Radiologic Technologist

    1-2 years

    Working in general imaging gives you patient-care and radiation-safety experience and builds the hands-on skills that many employers look for before hiring for nuclear medicine.

  4. Nuclear Medicine Technologist

    Career

    You prepare and administer radioactive materials, calculate doses for radiologists, and carry out diagnostic and therapeutic studies for patients.

Where it can lead

  1. Lead Nuclear Medicine Technologist

    3-5 years of experience first

    You take on training, scheduling, quality checks, and day-to-day supervision of other technologists, which requires strong communication and leadership skills.

  2. Medical Dosimetrist

    1-2 years of experience first

    You design radiation treatment plans with radiation oncology teams, which usually requires a bachelor's degree and additional training in dose planning software and physics.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take biology, chemistry, physics, and advanced mathThese classes build the science and calculation skills you will use in radiation and imaging coursework.
  • Join the health occupations or HOSA clubMany schools have health career clubs where you can learn about medical careers and meet people in healthcare.
  • Volunteer at a hospital, clinic, or nursing homeVolunteering shows you a real medical setting and helps you see whether patient care feels like a good fit for you.
  • Get a starter job that involves customer care or teamworkJobs like cashier, server, or lifeguard build reliability and communication skills that matter in patient-facing healthcare work.
  • Enter a science fair or math competitionProjects that involve measurement, data, and careful procedures give you practice with the kind of precise work used in nuclear medicine.

In college

  • Take anatomy, physiology, physics, and chemistryThese courses are the foundation for radiation science, imaging, and patient care in an associate degree program.
  • Apply to an accredited radiologic science or nuclear medicine programStarting an accredited program on time, or planning ahead for one, is the most direct route into this career.
  • Work or volunteer in a hospital or imaging departmentHands-on exposure to patient care and imaging equipment helps you learn the environment and strengthens future applications.
  • Join a health professions or science student organizationClubs like these offer networking, guest speakers, and leadership experience that employers and programs value.
  • Build strong math and documentation habitsCareful calculations and accurate record-keeping are everyday tasks for nuclear medicine technologists, so practicing them now pays off.

Tips for getting started

  • Shadow or talk with a nuclear medicine or radiologic technologist to see the daily work and ask what education they found most useful.
  • Check that any program you consider is accredited and includes clinical hours, since that is what prepares you for certification and hiring.
  • Get comfortable with math early, because calculating doses and working with measurements is a regular part of this job.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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