Nuclear Medicine Technologists
Nuclear Medicine Technologists (SOC 29-2033) earn a median $101,370 a year ($48.74 an hour) in the United States, with 17,080 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is California.
What nuclear medicine technologists do
Nuclear medicine technologists prepare, administer and measure radioactive isotopes in therapeutic, diagnostic and tracer studies, using a variety of radioisotope equipment. They prepare stock radiopharmaceuticals while following safety standards that minimize radiation exposure to workers and patients, and calculate, measure and record the radiation dosage received, used and disposed of, following the physician's prescription. They administer radiopharmaceuticals intravenously to detect or treat disease, under the direction of a physician. A camera is used to detect and map the radiopharmaceutical in the patient's body and produce photographic or computer images, which may include processing cardiac function studies on a computer. The finished image is produced for interpretation by a physician. Technologists also explain test procedures and safety precautions to patients and help them during the tests. The SOC adds that they may carry out blood volume, red cell survival and fat absorption studies. Roughly three in five respondents report an associate degree and one in five a bachelor's degree. The work also goes by nuclear cardiology technologist and PET-CT technologist.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report an associate degree as the typical level of education for this occupation (63 percent).
Also called: Certified Nuclear Medicine Technologist (CNMT), Isotope Technician, Isotope Technologist, Medical Radiation Dosimetrist, Nuclear Cardiology Technologist.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $37.54 | $41.69 | $48.74 | $56.31 | $64.66 | $50.56 | 17,080 |
| Annual | $78,080 | $86,720 | $101,370 | $117,120 | $134,500 | $105,160 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where nuclear medicine technologists earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $59.02 | $65.78 | $78.07 | $85.67 | $96.63 | $76.98 | 1,500 | 0.08 | 0.75 |
| Annual | $122,760 | $136,820 | $162,380 | $178,190 | $200,990 | $160,110 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $49.51 | $52.70 | $60.67 | $66.27 | $76.32 | $61.48 | 320 | 0.09 | 0.83 |
| Annual | $102,970 | $109,620 | $126,200 | $137,840 | $158,740 | $127,880 | ||||
| Hawaii | Hourly | $51.99 | $55.01 | $60.41 | $61.91 | $62.61 | $58.38 | 30 | 0.05 | 0.47 |
| Annual | $108,140 | $114,420 | $125,650 | $128,780 | $130,220 | $121,430 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $48.96 | $52.01 | $59.75 | $62.10 | $67.47 | $58.79 | 540 | 0.13 | 1.15 |
| Annual | $101,830 | $108,180 | $124,280 | $129,170 | $140,340 | $122,290 | ||||
| Oregon | Hourly | $48.59 | $50.10 | $58.70 | $62.41 | $63.71 | $57.01 | 180 | 0.09 | 0.83 |
| Annual | $101,080 | $104,210 | $122,100 | $129,820 | $132,510 | $118,570 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Florida | Hourly | $38.50 | $41.02 | $46.78 | $50.00 | $53.19 | $46.34 | 1,740 | 0.18 | 1.59 |
| Annual | $80,070 | $85,330 | $97,310 | $104,010 | $110,640 | $96,390 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $59.02 | $65.78 | $78.07 | $85.67 | $96.63 | $76.98 | 1,500 | 0.08 | 0.75 |
| Annual | $122,760 | $136,820 | $162,380 | $178,190 | $200,990 | $160,110 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $39.10 | $44.92 | $48.64 | $53.75 | $59.87 | $48.93 | 1,060 | 0.08 | 0.69 |
| Annual | $81,330 | $93,440 | $101,170 | $111,790 | $124,530 | $101,770 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $46.57 | $50.22 | $57.04 | $61.64 | $64.61 | $56.09 | 890 | 0.09 | 0.83 |
| Annual | $96,870 | $104,450 | $118,650 | $128,200 | $134,400 | $116,660 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $36.19 | $38.71 | $45.47 | $49.76 | $56.79 | $44.92 | 740 | 0.12 | 1.11 |
| Annual | $75,270 | $80,510 | $94,570 | $103,500 | $118,110 | $93,430 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $74.17 | $90.02 | $95.65 | $103.46 | $111.42 | $94.10 | 100 | 0.09 | 0.79 |
| Annual | $154,280 | $187,230 | $198,950 | $215,210 | $231,750 | $195,730 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $65.57 | $82.40 | $91.25 | $94.76 | $98.53 | $87.00 | 170 | 0.07 | 0.66 |
| Annual | $136,390 | $171,400 | $189,790 | $197,110 | $204,930 | $180,970 | ||||
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | Hourly | $59.57 | $70.45 | $83.30 | $89.41 | $92.22 | $79.59 | 130 | 0.12 | 1.11 |
| Annual | $123,900 | $146,540 | $173,260 | $185,980 | $191,810 | $165,550 | ||||
| Modesto, CA | Hourly | $60.00 | $77.85 | $82.95 | $87.31 | $90.62 | $79.44 | 30 | 0.18 | 1.63 |
| Annual | $124,800 | $161,920 | $172,530 | $181,600 | $188,480 | $165,230 | ||||
| Fresno, CA | Hourly | $67.18 | $69.42 | $78.55 | $88.76 | $88.76 | $77.98 | 50 | 0.11 | 1.00 |
| Annual | $139,730 | $144,400 | $163,380 | $184,630 | $184,630 | $162,200 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $50.68 | $54.13 | $60.26 | $63.29 | $66.55 | $59.53 | 940 | 0.10 | 0.90 |
| Annual | $105,410 | $112,590 | $125,340 | $131,640 | $138,420 | $123,830 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $42.19 | $48.12 | $52.34 | $57.41 | $59.40 | $51.73 | 480 | 0.11 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $87,760 | $100,080 | $108,860 | $119,400 | $123,560 | $107,600 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $59.18 | $63.88 | $75.20 | $80.83 | $85.20 | $72.80 | 460 | 0.07 | 0.67 |
| Annual | $123,100 | $132,880 | $156,410 | $168,130 | $177,210 | $151,430 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $39.83 | $46.66 | $49.26 | $56.63 | $58.89 | $50.65 | 410 | 0.14 | 1.29 |
| Annual | $82,850 | $97,050 | $102,460 | $117,780 | $122,490 | $105,350 | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $38.18 | $40.90 | $47.99 | $51.47 | $55.81 | $46.94 | 400 | 0.14 | 1.29 |
| Annual | $79,410 | $85,080 | $99,810 | $107,070 | $116,080 | $97,640 | ||||
Top industries employing nuclear medicine technologists
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals employ 70.0% of nuclear medicine technologists nationally (11,950 jobs) at a median $101,000 a year ($48.56 an hour), followed by Offices of Physicians (13.4%) and Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (8.1%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals NAICS 622100 | 11,950 | 70.0% | $101,000 | $48.56 |
| Offices of Physicians NAICS 621100 | 2,290 | 13.4% | $98,420 | $47.32 |
| Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories NAICS 621500 | 1,390 | 8.1% | $103,410 | $49.72 |
| Outpatient Care Centers NAICS 621400 | 550 | 3.2% | $171,170 | $82.29 |
| Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals NAICS 622300 | 230 | 1.3% | $107,230 | $51.56 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (17,080). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $78,760 for nuclear medicine technologists in May 2021 and $101,370 in May 2025, with employment of 17,140 and 17,080.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $78,760 | $37.86 | 17,140 |
| May 2022 | $85,300 | $41.01 | 16,910 |
| May 2023 | $92,500 | $44.47 | 16,560 |
| May 2024 | $97,020 | $46.64 | 16,960 |
| May 2025 | $101,370 | $48.74 | 17,080 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
49 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California profile | $78.07 | $162,380 | $122,760 | $200,990 | 1,500 | 0.08 | 0.75 |
| 2 | Washington profile | $60.67 | $126,200 | $102,970 | $158,740 | 320 | 0.09 | 0.83 |
| 3 | Hawaii profile | $60.41 | $125,650 | $108,140 | $130,220 | 30 | 0.05 | 0.47 |
| 4 | New Jersey profile | $59.75 | $124,280 | $101,830 | $140,340 | 540 | 0.13 | 1.15 |
| 5 | Oregon profile | $58.70 | $122,100 | $101,080 | $132,510 | 180 | 0.09 | 0.83 |
| 6 | New York profile | $57.04 | $118,650 | $96,870 | $134,400 | 890 | 0.09 | 0.83 |
| 7 | Massachusetts profile | $56.85 | $118,250 | $88,470 | $148,900 | 380 | 0.10 | 0.95 |
| 8 | Connecticut profile | $56.32 | $117,150 | $98,800 | $129,720 | 170 | 0.10 | 0.90 |
| 9 | Colorado profile | $56.25 | $116,990 | $94,950 | $132,580 | 200 | 0.07 | 0.65 |
| 10 | District of Columbia profile | $56.07 | $116,630 | $96,160 | $150,860 | 30 | 0.04 | 0.40 |
| 11 | Utah profile | $53.74 | $111,770 | $91,570 | $129,590 | 120 | 0.07 | 0.65 |
| 12 | Nevada profile | $52.47 | $109,150 | $97,640 | $136,520 | 120 | 0.08 | 0.72 |
| 13 | New Hampshire profile | $51.87 | $107,890 | $103,570 | $123,450 | 60 | 0.09 | 0.81 |
| 14 | Minnesota profile | $51.63 | $107,380 | $96,440 | $119,650 | 200 | 0.07 | 0.63 |
| 15 | Illinois profile | $50.46 | $104,950 | $84,590 | $122,800 | 620 | 0.10 | 0.92 |
| 16 | Idaho profile | $50.31 | $104,630 | $83,550 | $123,990 | 80 | 0.09 | 0.81 |
| 17 | Nebraska profile | $50.15 | $104,320 | $58,130 | $124,410 | 120 | 0.12 | 1.09 |
| 18 | Maryland profile | $50.07 | $104,150 | $87,120 | $122,930 | 330 | 0.12 | 1.09 |
| 19 | Rhode Island profile | $50.00 | $104,000 | $99,230 | $133,890 | 110 | 0.22 | 2.02 |
| 20 | Indiana profile | $49.63 | $103,230 | $85,140 | $119,310 | 280 | 0.09 | 0.80 |
| 21 | North Dakota profile | $49.34 | $102,640 | $76,250 | $115,390 | 50 | 0.12 | 1.08 |
| 22 | Virginia profile | $48.95 | $101,820 | $84,600 | $120,070 | 430 | 0.11 | 0.95 |
| 23 | Texas profile | $48.64 | $101,170 | $81,330 | $124,530 | 1,060 | 0.08 | 0.69 |
| 24 | Georgia profile | $48.50 | $100,880 | $75,490 | $125,760 | 540 | 0.11 | 1.00 |
| 25 | Montana profile | $48.31 | $100,490 | $62,340 | $107,830 | 50 | 0.11 | 0.97 |
| 26 | Delaware profile | $48.30 | $100,470 | $83,190 | $122,490 | 70 | 0.14 | 1.24 |
| 27 | Arizona profile | $48.14 | $100,130 | $81,030 | $123,130 | 430 | 0.13 | 1.22 |
| 28 | Maine profile | $47.84 | $99,500 | $80,820 | $113,730 | 70 | 0.11 | 1.01 |
| 29 | Wisconsin profile | $47.33 | $98,450 | $77,380 | $118,560 | 390 | 0.13 | 1.22 |
| 30 | New Mexico profile | $47.31 | $98,400 | $74,820 | $125,230 | 70 | 0.08 | 0.71 |
| 31 | Missouri profile | $47.12 | $98,010 | $76,660 | $118,120 | 360 | 0.12 | 1.13 |
| 32 | Ohio profile | $46.91 | $97,570 | $80,620 | $105,990 | 670 | 0.12 | 1.11 |
| 33 | Florida profile | $46.78 | $97,310 | $80,070 | $110,640 | 1,740 | 0.18 | 1.59 |
| 34 | Kentucky profile | $45.90 | $95,470 | $75,360 | $117,540 | 270 | 0.14 | 1.24 |
| 35 | Michigan profile | $45.86 | $95,400 | $75,000 | $101,680 | 640 | 0.15 | 1.32 |
| 36 | Pennsylvania profile | $45.47 | $94,570 | $75,270 | $118,110 | 740 | 0.12 | 1.11 |
| 37 | Iowa profile | $44.66 | $92,890 | $80,090 | $105,970 | 150 | 0.10 | 0.89 |
| 38 | Oklahoma profile | $43.58 | $90,640 | $72,110 | $103,490 | 200 | 0.12 | 1.07 |
| 39 | South Carolina profile | $43.38 | $90,230 | $76,820 | $102,760 | 280 | 0.12 | 1.10 |
| 40 | Louisiana profile | $42.15 | $87,670 | $69,040 | $105,050 | 170 | 0.09 | 0.79 |
| 41 | North Carolina profile | $40.98 | $85,240 | $67,080 | $103,980 | 600 | 0.12 | 1.10 |
| 42 | Tennessee profile | $40.61 | $84,470 | $68,640 | $108,020 | 390 | 0.12 | 1.07 |
| 43 | Arkansas profile | $40.23 | $83,670 | $58,130 | $103,220 | 190 | 0.15 | 1.32 |
| 44 | Mississippi profile | $40.07 | $83,340 | $64,880 | $101,800 | 160 | 0.14 | 1.23 |
| 45 | Alabama profile | $39.72 | $82,630 | $64,150 | $100,310 | 320 | 0.15 | 1.38 |
| 46 | South Dakota profile | $39.43 | $82,010 | $39,090 | $101,940 | 140 | 0.30 | 2.76 |
| 47 | Wyoming profile | $39.37 | $81,900 | $78,580 | $119,660 | 40 | 0.14 | 1.27 |
| 48 | West Virginia profile | $36.76 | $76,460 | $65,570 | $101,300 | 150 | 0.21 | 1.89 |
| 49 | Kansas profile | $31.06 | $64,610 | $55,310 | $104,100 | 380 | 0.27 | 2.42 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (29-2030), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 29-2033 Nuclear Medicine Technologists.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 29-2033, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 29-2033.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.