Salary and Outlook

According to the US Department of Labor, there are 18,900 people employed as nuclear medicine technologists in the United States. The median annual salary is $78,760. Entry level employees earn approximately $60,550 per year and senior employees earn approximately $105,530 per year.

Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime pay, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.

Job Duties

• 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.
• 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.

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