How To Become A Nuclear Medicine Technologist
Search For Schools
When you click on a sponsoring school or program advertised on our site, or fill out a form to request information from a sponsoring school, we may earn a commission. View our advertising disclosure for more details.
Nuclear medicine technology—the process of elucidating various bodily processes using small amounts of radioactive drugs traced via diagnostic scans—is a relatively new (and lucrative) medical field, requiring at least a two-year postsecondary degree. In fact, O*NET (2024)—a data organization sponsored by the US Department of Labor—reports that 63 percent of these professionals have associate degrees and 22 percent have bachelor’s.
For a career that pays an average annual salary of $95,080 (Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2023)—much more than the average pay for all occupations at $65,470 (BLS May 2023)—this can be an enticing return on investment in a skill-based education.
So what do nuclear medicine technologists (NMTs) do? O*NET (2024) details some of the typical job responsibilities in this field which include educating patients and families on medical procedures; administering radioactive drugs (i.e., radiopharmaceuticals) to be traced through diagnostic imaging machinery under the supervision of a physician; working with various medical equipment (e.g., SPECT, PET, ECG, gamma camera, intravenous infusion pump, sphygmomanometer, etc.); applying expertise in radiation safety to limit exposure; monitoring patients’ health status for any adverse reactions; verifying the proper functioning of imaging equipment; keeping confidential patient records and digital images of scans; keeping abreast of changes in technology and processes through continued education; disposing properly of hazardous materials; and ensuring compliance with governmental regulations.
They may also choose to specialize in positron emission tomography (PET), computed tomography (CT), or nuclear cardiology. Due to the nature of the medical profession, NMTs may work evenings, weekends, and holidays. Seventy percent of NMTs work in hospitals (BLS 2024).
Finally, the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board (NMTCB) reports that at least 30 US states require licensure for NMTs and offers a table of regional requirements, including exams, continuing education, and local certifying board contact information. Most states also accept NMTCB certification in place of the state licensure examination.
Read on to discover how much money NMTs generally make and the steps to joining this high-paying profession, including the educational, experiential, and certification requirements.
Nuclear Medicine Technologist (NMT) Salary
As mentioned above, nuclear medicine technology can be a lucrative career. By illustration, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS May 2023) reports the following salary ranges for NMTs:
| United States | |
|---|---|
| Number employed in the U.S. | 16,560 |
| Average Annual Salary | $95,080 |
| 10th percentile | $69,300 |
| 25th percentile | $80,050 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $92,500 |
| 75th percentile | $104,540 |
| 90th percentile | $123,910 |
For comparison, Salary.com (2025)—an aggregator of HR-reported salaries—found slightly different salary ranges among its reporting organizations:
| United States | |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $77,393 |
| 25th percentile | $86,031 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $95,518 |
| 75th percentile | $105,226 |
| 90th percentile | $114,065 |
The BLS (May 2023) adds that the top-paying states for this occupation are the following:
| State | Average annual salary |
|---|---|
| California | $144,490 |
| Washington | $121,670 |
| Hawaii | $113,920 |
| Oregon | $109,230 |
| Rhode Island | $106,860 |
The above states were not necessarily the top-employing states for this profession, a factor that correlated more with state population size (BLS May 2023):
| State | Employment |
|---|---|
| Florida | 1,430 |
| California | 1,370 |
| Texas | 1,230 |
| New York | 930 |
| Ohio | 900 |
It’s important to note that although some regions pay NMTs higher average salaries, the cost of living is generally higher in those regions. In fact, the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC) found that in 2025, the five most expensive states were Hawaii, Massachusetts, California, the District of Columbia, and Alaska. Conversely, the most affordable states were West Virginia, Kansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Alabama.
Although it’s one of the most expensive states, there’s great news for Californians: eight of the 10 top-paying metropolitan areas for NMTs were located in the Golden State, mainly concentrated in the Bay Area (BLS May 2023):
| Metropolitan area | Average annual salary |
|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $180,070 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $170,840 |
| Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA | $153,490 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA | $138,570 |
| Fresno, CA | $138,360 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $137,920 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $130,430 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $127,540 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $124,960 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $114,520 |
Steps To Become A Nuclear Medicine Technologist (NMT)
There are varied paths to becoming a nuclear medicine technologist (NMT). Some choose to attend an accredited associate degree program, while others may seek a more advanced four-year bachelor’s program before becoming professionally certified.
Here is one possible path to joining this career.
Step 1: Graduate from High School (Four Years)
In anticipation of the college admissions process, aspiring NMTs are encouraged to excel in the prerequisite secondary school courses. These courses generally include pre-calculus, English composition, physics, chemistry, biology, and anatomy if available.
Also, since NMTs typically require immunizations to work in a medical setting, people interested in the career should ensure their tetanus-diphtheria, MMR, hepatitis B, and varicella (i.e., chickenpox), and COVID-19 vaccinations are up-to-date. Furthermore, students at this stage may choose to garner experience in a hospital setting as a volunteer or paid intern and are urged to check with local organizations for opportunities.
Step 2: Complete an Accredited College Program in Nuclear Medicine Technology (Two to Four Years)
As stated above, most NMTs have an associate degree or higher (O*NET 2024). In addition to the prerequisite coursework listed above, admissions committees to NMT programs typically call for a competitive GPA; a personal statement; proof of immunizations; letter(s) of recommendation; relevant volunteer or work experience; an interview (web-based or in-person); a background check; and an application fee. Please note that there may also be physical requirements to join this profession.
For example, California’s Kaiser Permanente School of Allied Health Sciences (KPSAHS) requires program applicants to be able to stand (or walk) at least eight hours daily; lift and move a 290-pound person with the assistance of 1-2 colleagues; reach above shoulders for up to six hours; reach forward 18 inches holding an object up to 15 lbs.; “bend, crouch, or stoop” up to 20 times hourly; push a wheelchair or gurney at least 300 feet; and move up to 45-pound loads 25 times hourly. Prospective NMTs with other allied health field certifications may also have an advantage in the application process.
Students are urged to seek out NMT programs accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology (JRCNMT), the primary accrediting agency for NMT programs which weighs factors such as school administration, resources, curricula, and operational policies to gauge program quality. For more information on the accreditation process, please visit JRCNMT’s Accreditation Standards Manual.
One exemplary JRCNMT-accredited program is Bellevue College (BC) in Washington state, which provides an NMT associate degree program. This associate of applied science (AAA) program typically takes 18 months to complete and combines general education requirements with specialized coursework in basic nuclear medicine science; radiopharmacy; positron emission tomography (PET); and instrumentation. The program is made up of 94 credits.
In addition to didactic instruction, Bellevue has partnered with several hospitals to give students the hands-on, supervised instruction they need to join this highly skilled field. Upon completing the program, students can take the national and Washington state NMT certification exams. Distance learning options are also available to aspiring NMTs in more rural regions of the state.
- Location: Bellevue, WA
- Accreditation: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU); Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology (JRCNMT)
- Expected Time to Completion: 18 months
Accredited bachelor’s programs are also available for those interested in potentially enhancing their employment and salary prospects.
State University in New York (SUNY) at Buffalo
For example, the State University in New York (SUNY) at Buffalo provides a four-year NMT bachelor’s degree program through its Biotechnical and Clinical Laboratory Sciences Department.
Boasting “a very high first-time pass rate on the certification exams,” SUNY at Buffalo offers training in immunology for NMT, radiation safety, patient care and management, X-ray and computed tomography (CT) physics, and in-vivo studies. Additionally, students spend four days weekly during their senior year in clinical rotations and gain empirical exposure to the tasks and challenges of a clinical setting.
This 125.8-credit program includes courses such as immunology for NMT; radiation safety for NMT; in-vivo studies; basic radiation science; nuclear medicine technology laboratory; nuclear medicine imaging physics; radiopharmacy; and radionuclide therapy.
- Location: Getzville, NY
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE); Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology (JRCNMT)
- Expected Time to Completion: Four years
Kaiser Permanente School of Allied Health Sciences
Finally, the California-based Kaiser Permanente School of Allied Health Sciences (KPSAHS) provides a bachelor’s NMT program for applicants who have already received their associate’s degrees. In this competitive 18-month bachelor of science (BS) program, students are prepared to take state and national certification exams with comprehensive training in the classroom, laboratory, and hospital environments.
The program’s curriculum includes courses such as radiation physics; nuclear medicine mathematics; introduction to nuclear medicine and patient care; radiation safety and radiobiology; nuclear cardiology imaging; diagnostic imaging; radiopharmaceuticals; positron emission tomography imaging; and computed tomography imaging.
With an incredible 100 percent of its graduates passing the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) or the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board (NMTCB) exams, KPSAHS focuses on clinical competence, professionalism, and critical thinking.
- Location: Richmond, CA
- Accreditation: WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC); Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology (JRCNMT)
- Expected Time to Completion: 18 months
Please visit the JRCNMT website or the nuclear medicine technology programs page for more information on accredited education in this field.
Step 3: Get Professional Certification (Timeline Varies)
As of January 2025, 30 states require NMTs to be licensed before employment. Requirements for licensure, certification, and registration vary by state. The Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board provides a convenient table of exams, continuing education requirements, and agency contact information by region. Although the state may not require certification, employers generally prefer it.
There are two leading certification organizations for NMTs: the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board (NMTCB) and the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT).
The NMTCB offers its certification exam to applicants who have completed a regionally accredited NMT program. However, beginning January 1, 2017, the qualifying program standards became more stringent. NMTCB will only accept applicants who have completed a program accredited by the JRCNMT or a qualified international accrediting body.
The NMTCB exam covers five areas: radiation physics & detection (7 percent), radiation safety and regulations (13 percent), pharmaceutical and radiopharmaceutical agents (25 percent), instrumentation operation & quality control (15 percent), and clinical procedures (40 percent). Certified individuals must register annually following the completion of at least one hour of qualifying continued education (CE) per month.
Finally, the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) offers an NMT certification exam to candidates who meet standards of education and ethics. For education, candidates must have a degree from a program accredited by an agency recognized by the US Department of Education (e.g., JRCNMT). They also must have documented all skills in ARRT’s competency area checklist, a form completed by a program director.
For ethics, aspiring NMTs must report any felonies, misdemeanors, or other criminal convictions and disclose whether they’d ever been disciplined by a medical regulatory authority. ARRT’s 200-question NMT exam covers the following:
- Patient Interactions and Management (24 questions)
- Radiation Physics, Radiobiology, and Regulations (25 questions)
- Instrumentation (33 questions)
- Radionuclides and Radiopharmaceuticals (28 questions)
- Cardiac Procedures (25 questions)
- Endocrine and Oncology Procedures (25 questions)
- Gastrointestinal and Genitourinary Procedures (18 questions)
- Other Imaging Procedures (22 questions)
Candidates have three chances to pass the exam. To maintain this credential, certified NMTs must formally comply with ARRT’s rules, regulations, and ethics annually; submit continuing education (CE) documentation biannually; and fulfill the continuing qualifications requirements (CQR) every ten years.
Step 4: Earn State Licensure (Timeline Varies)
As previously mentioned, 30 states require NMTs to be licensed to practice nuclear medicine technology. Most of those states consider current NMTCB certification as a valid qualification for the state licensure requirement. To be prepared for job searches, all aspiring NMTs are encouraged to research the state licensure requirements for where they plan to work.
The Society of Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) lists the requirements of nuclear medicine technologists by state. For example, California requires NMTs to be licensed, while Alaska does not. Keep in mind that even if a state does not require NMT licensure, having the certification is still recommended as it can lead to increased job opportunities and serve as proof of commitment to the profession.
