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Nuclear Medical Technology

A program that prepares individuals, under the supervision of physicians, to employ radioactive and stable nuclides in diagnostic evaluations and therapeutic applications while monitoring for patient health and safety. Includes instruction in nuclear physics, health physics, instrumentation and statistics, biochemistry, immunology, radiopharmacology, radiation biology, clinical nuclear medicine, radionuclide therapy, computer applications, safety regulations, equipment operation, quality control, laboratory procedures, taking patient histories, patient evaluation and monitoring, emergency first aid, administration and record-keeping, and personnel supervision.

Types of Degrees Nuclear Medical Technology Majors Are Earning

Those studying Nuclear Medical Technology can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	87
Associate’s Degree	240
Bachelor’s Degree	245
Master’s Degree	24

What Nuclear Medical Technology Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Nuclear Medical Technology build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Nuclear Medical Technology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Nuclear Medical Technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Nuclear Medical Technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Nuclear Medical Technology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Nuclear Medical Technology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.5 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Nuclear Medical Technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
MEDITECH software	Medical software	—
Electronic medical record EMR software	Medical software	—
Radiopharmacy inventory databases	Medical software	—
Gamma camera software	Medical software	—
Medovation RadRunner	Medical software	—
Turning Technologies TurningPoint	Multi-media educational software	—
Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS	Medical software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Nuclear Medical Technology graduates include:

• Nuclear Cardiology Technologist
• Isotope Technician
• Nuclear Medical Technologist
• Radiation Safety Officer
• Radioisotope Technician
• Certified Nuclear Medicine Technologist (CNMT)
• Nuclear Medicine Technologist (NMT)
• Nuclear Medicine Technician
• Radioisotope Technologist
• Staff Nuclear Medicine Technologist
• PET Technologist (Positron Emission Tomography Technologist)
• Isotope Technologist
• Nuclear Medicine PET-CT Technologist (Nuclear Medicine Positron Emission Tomography - Computed Tomography Technologist)
• Nuclear Technologist
• Registered Nuclear Medicine Technologist

What Can You Do With a Nuclear Medical Technology Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Nuclear Medical Technology commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary	10.7%	$46,663	$40,304–$53,022

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Nuclear Medical Technology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	35.4%
Bachelor’s degree	17.3%
Master’s degree	16.9%
Doctoral degree	11.7%
Post-doctoral training	9.0%
Postsecondary certificate	3.6%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	3.1%
First professional degree	2.2%
Some college courses	1.0%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Nuclear Medical Technology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 71% of Nuclear Medical Technology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	423	71.0%
Men	173	29.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Nuclear Medical Technology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	349	58.6%
Asian	37	6.2%
Hispanic or Latino	117	19.6%
Black or African American	53	8.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	2	0.3%
Two or More Races	11	1.8%
Race Unknown	14	2.3%
International Students	12	2.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Nuclear Medical Technology Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Nuclear Medical Technology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$67,845
4 years	$61,295
5 years	$69,015

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $69,015 — roughly 2% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Nuclear Medical Technology Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for Nuclear Medical Technology. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	3	0
Master’s	1	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Nuclear Medical Technology Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Nuclear Medical Technology graduates earn a median of $61,295 four years after completion — roughly 61% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions	90,379
Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic)	29,337
Physician Associate/Assistant	13,046
Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiographer	11,777
Surgical Technology/Technologist	7,626
Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist	6,686
Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapist	4,111
Athletic Training/Trainer	3,132
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions, Other	2,445
Cardiovascular Technology/Technologist	1,540
Electrocardiograph Technology/Technician	677
Electroneurodiagnostic/Electroencephalographic Technology/Technologist	374

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.