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.
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. The role reports a median annual salary of $97,020 in the US and is projected to grow 3% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Entry typically requires a Associate's degree, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.44 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include hygiene in a health care setting, pharmaceutical products, health care legislation, medical terminology, health care occupation-specific ethics.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £48,439 a year for Medical radiographers (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £39,854 to £54,805 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 2254). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Technicians and associate professionals” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Nuclear medicine technologists, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 3. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
How to get here in India
The usual route into this career in India. Each step links to the official page it comes from.
- 1 · Qualification B.Sc in Nuclear Medicine Technology (NMT), 4 years after Class 12[1]
- 2 · Registration Enrolment on the allied and healthcare professionals register under the NCAHP Act[2]
Rules change: check the exam body's and regulator's current notice before you apply.
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Customer and Personal Service
- Biology
- English Language
- Physics
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Chemistry
- Computers and Electronics
- Mathematics
What you'd actually do
- 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.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Nuclear medicine technologists 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.
How much does Nuclear medicine technologists earn?
The median annual salary for Nuclear medicine technologists in the US is $97,020.
What is the job outlook for Nuclear medicine technologists?
The role is projected to grow 3% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Current US employment is approximately 20,000 workers.
How do I become nuclear medicine technologists?
The typical entry education is a Associate's degree. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Nuclear medicine technologists need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include hygiene in a health care setting, pharmaceutical products, health care legislation, medical terminology, health care occupation-specific ethics, radiation physics in healthcare. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Nuclear medicine technologists?
Our AI-durability model gives Nuclear medicine technologists a score of 0.44 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Nuclear medicine technologists has moderate barrier to entry — moderately gated — a bachelor's degree or equivalent training is typically required.