Nuclear Medicine Technologists Salary: $97,020 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 16,960 nuclear medicine technologists work nationally, and $97,020 is the BLS national median annual wage. Projections imply about 1.9% annual decline; much hiring sits in hospitals.
Nuclear Medicine Technologists: what the data shows
Common questions about nuclear medicine technologists careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a nuclear medicine technologists?
Nuclear Medicine Technologists is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 29-2033.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 16,960 workers.
What does a nuclear medicine technologists do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Assisting and Caring for Others, Working with Computers, Documenting/Recording Information, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Getting Information, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a nuclear medicine technologists make?
BLS national median annual wage: $97,020 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $154,765 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $121,587 |
| 25th percentile | $133,400 |
| Median (50th) | $159,438 |
| 75th percentile | $173,819 |
| 90th percentile | $190,285 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Critical Thinking, Speaking, Active Listening, Writing, Reading Comprehension, Monitoring, and knowledge areas including Customer and Personal Service, Biology, English Language, Physics. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is nuclear medicine technologists in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 1.9% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -9.4%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -17.8%.
Current U.S. headcount: 16,960.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do nuclear medicine technologistss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hospitals | 24,140 | 22.0% |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 23,800 | 21.7% |
| Cross-industry | 16,960 | 15.5% |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 16,250 | 14.8% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 15,330 | 14.0% |
| Ambulatory Health Care Services | 4,180 | 3.8% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Nuclear Medicine Technologists in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health Aides | — | — |
| Genetic Counselors | 3,510 | $98,910 |
| Audiologists | 14,730 | $92,120 |
| Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists | — | — |
| Biochemists and Biophysicists | 34,520 | $103,650 |
| Veterinary Technologists and Technicians | 131,320 | $45,980 |
| Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers | 114,190 | $37,320 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Nuclear Medicine Technologists workforce.
Employment Over Time
16,960 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Nuclear Medicine Technologists shrank from 7,040 in 2009 to 5,140 in 2025 (27.0%).
Historical employment for Nuclear Medicine Technologists from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$97,020 Median pay (BLS national)
Nuclear Medicine Technologists earn $97,020 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Nuclear Medicine Technologists.
Salary distribution for Nuclear Medicine Technologists.
Employment Growth Projections
-1.9% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
4,658 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -9.4%
4,222 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -17.8%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Nuclear Medicine Technologists.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Nuclear Medicine Technologists and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Nuclear Medicine Technologists employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Nuclear Medicine Technologists.
Wage Trends by Industry
0.9% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Nuclear Medicine Technologists.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Nuclear Medicine Technologists.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- FL: 1,740 employees, $91,130 avg wage
- CA: 1,380 employees, $150,670 avg wage
- TX: 1,040 employees, $95,740 avg wage
- NY: 940 employees, $109,670 avg wage
- OH: 790 employees, $96,340 avg wage
- PA: 720 employees, $87,860 avg wage
- NJ: 660 employees, $113,080 avg wage
- IL: 650 employees, $100,190 avg wage
- MI: 590 employees, $89,190 avg wage
- GA: 550 employees, $90,410 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Nuclear Medicine Technologists.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 1,050 employees, $116,140 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 510 employees, $94,280 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 500 employees, $102,560 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 460 employees, $144,880 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 440 employees, $99,510 avg wage
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 380 employees, $98,040 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 320 employees, $99,520 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 310 employees, $96,370 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 270 employees, $102,100 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 260 employees, $110,440 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Nuclear Medicine Technologists.
Diversity
Demographic information on Nuclear Medicine Technologists in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Nuclear Medicine Technologists is about 16,960 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Nuclear Medicine Technologists.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Nuclear Medicine Technologists.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Nuclear Medicine Technologists.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Nuclear Medicine Technologists in 2023 were Health Sciences, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Nuclear Medicine Technologists.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Nuclear Medicine Technologists workers.
Education level distribution for Nuclear Medicine Technologists.
Skills
Nuclear Medicine Technologists need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Speaking, Active Listening, Writing, Reading Comprehension.
Required skills for Nuclear Medicine Technologists.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Nuclear Medicine Technologists.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Nuclear Medicine Technologists include Customer and Personal Service, Biology, English Language, Physics, Medicine and Dentistry.
Knowledge areas required for Nuclear Medicine Technologists.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Nuclear Medicine Technologists include Oral Expression, Oral Comprehension, Problem Sensitivity, Near Vision, Written Comprehension.
Required abilities for Nuclear Medicine Technologists.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Nuclear Medicine Technologists.
Daily Activities
Nuclear Medicine Technologists spend their time on activities such as Assisting and Caring for Others, Working with Computers, Documenting/Recording Information, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Getting Information.
Most important work activities for Nuclear Medicine Technologists.
About
Nuclear Medicine Technologists
Nuclear Medicine Technologists earn $97,020 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
29-2033 - Nuclear Medicine Technologists
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Nuclear Medicine Technologists reports an average salary of $154,765, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 16,960 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -1.9%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.