Nuclear Medical Technology

Types of Degrees Nuclear Medical Technology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many nuclear medical technology/technologist graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	305
Associate Degree	202
Undergraduate Certificate	73
Basic Certificate	22
Master’s Degree	17

What Nuclear Medical Technology Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, nuclear medical technology/technologist majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Nuclear Medical Technology/Technologist Majors

Nuclear Medical Technology/Technologist majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills for Nuclear Medical Technology/Technologist Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to nuclear medical technology/technologist:

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities for Nuclear Medical Technology/Technologist Majors

A major in nuclear medical technology/technologist will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

What Can You Do With a Nuclear Medical Technology Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with nuclear medical technology/technologist:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Health Specialties Professors	25.9%	$97,370
Nuclear Medicine Technologists	10.0%	$76,820

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Nuclear Medical Technology?

This major is dominated by women with about 76% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of nuclear medical technology/technologist majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	20
Black or African American	23
Hispanic or Latino	32
White	197
International Students	9
Other Races/Ethnicities	24

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Nuclear Medical Technology/Technologist. About 3.0% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Nuclear Medical Technology Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Nuclear Medical Technology/Technologist majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $78,870 to $122,320 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Nuclear Medical Technology

Some careers associated with nuclear medical technology/technologist require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to nuclear medical technology/technologist have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	3.8%
Some College Courses	1.3%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	45.0%
Bachelor’s Degree	18.8%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	4.0%
Master’s Degree	10.9%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	2.8%
Doctoral Degree	7.5%
Post-Doctoral Training	5.8%

Online Nuclear Medical Technology Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 90 schools offered some type of nuclear medical technology/technologist program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	22	3
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	34	2
Bachelor’s Degree	4	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	3	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Nuclear Medical Technology Worth It?

The median salary for a nuclear medical technology/technologist grad is $78,870 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 98% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $779,400 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Nuclear Medical Technology

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to nuclear medical technology/technologist.

Major	Number of Grads
Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic)	26,641
Physician Assistant	11,351
Radiologic Technology	9,790
Surgical Technology	7,583
Respiratory Care Therapy	6,845
Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician	5,396
Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapy	4,850
Athletic Training	3,767
Other Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions	1,911
Cardiovascular Technology/Technologist	1,405
Electrocardiograph Technology/Technician	568
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Technology	525
Electroneurodiagnostic/Electroencephalographic Technology/Technologist	379
Polysomnography	302
Perfusion Technology/Perfusionist	138
Mammography Technician/Technology	69
Radiation Protection/Health Physics Technician	51
Cardiopulmonary Technology	40
Hearing Instrument Specialist	32
Gene/Genetic Therapy	31
Orthopedic Technology	15

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.