Occupation Summary

Nuclear Medicine Technologists

O*NET 29-2033.00

Description:

Prepare, administer, and measure radioactive isotopes in therapeutic, diagnostic, and tracer studies using a variety of radioisotope equipment. Prepare stock solutions of radioactive materials and calculate doses to be administered by radiologists. Subject patients to radiation. Execute blood volume, red cell survival, and fat absorption studies following standard laboratory techniques.

Annual Wages:
$88,633.00
Employment Rate:
Employment is expected to increase by 11.56%.
Education Level:
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree). According to O*Net, the majority of people employed in this occupation have this level of education.
Endorsement:
Public Service, Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM)

  1. Calculate, measure, and record radiation dosage or radiopharmaceuticals received, used, and disposed, using computer and following physician's prescription.
  2. Detect and map radiopharmaceuticals in patients' bodies, using a camera to produce photographic or computer images.
  3. Explain test procedures and safety precautions to patients and provide them with assistance during test procedures.
  4. Produce a computer-generated or film image for interpretation by a physician.
  5. Process cardiac function studies, using computer.
  6. Dispose of radioactive materials and store radiopharmaceuticals, following radiation safety procedures.
  7. Record and process results of procedures.
  8. Prepare stock radiopharmaceuticals, adhering to safety standards that minimize radiation exposure to workers and patients.
  9. Maintain and calibrate radioisotope and laboratory equipment.
  10. Gather information on patients' illnesses and medical history to guide the choice of diagnostic procedures for therapy.
  11. Measure glandular activity, blood volume, red cell survival, or radioactivity of patient, using scanners, Geiger counters, scintillometers, or other laboratory equipment.
  12. Train or supervise student or subordinate nuclear medicine technologists.
  13. Position radiation fields, radiation beams, and patient to allow for most effective treatment of patient's disease, using computer.
  14. Add radioactive substances to biological specimens, such as blood, urine, or feces, to determine therapeutic drug or hormone levels.
  15. Develop treatment procedures for nuclear medicine treatment programs.
  16. Administer radiopharmaceuticals or radiation intravenously to detect or treat diseases, using radioisotope equipment, under direction of a physician.
  17. Perform quality control checks on laboratory equipment or cameras.

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National Industry Employment Patterns


Industry % of Nuclear Medicine Technologists employed Annual Growth Rate
General medical and surgical hospitals 67.1 -0.17
Offices of physicians 14.4 0.38
Medical and diagnostic laboratories 6.9 0.80
Outpatient care centers 2.5 2.26


Labor Market Information


2023 Statewide average hourly wage $42.61
2023 National average hourly wage $45.71
2022 National employment 18,100
2022 Texas employment 1,211
Texas projected employment by 2032 1,351
Texas projected annual employment and Turnover openings through 2032 72




TEXAS COUNTY MAP BY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AREA
* Due to confidentiality rules, not all regions may have the data displayed. The sum of all the regions may not be equal to the state total.


Top 10 Relevant Knowledge Areas Relevant Importance Levels
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.
93.20%
Biology
Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
80.00%
English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
78.60%
Physics
Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
78.40%
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.
76.40%
Chemistry
Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
75.00%
Computers and Electronics
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
74.80%
Mathematics
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
73.40%
Public Safety and Security
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
67.40%
Administrative
Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
65.80%


Top 10 Relevant Skill Areas Relevant Importance Levels
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
77.60%
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.
75.00%
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
75.00%
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
70.00%
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
70.00%
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
70.00%
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
67.60%
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
65.00%
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
65.00%
Science
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
65.00%


Top 10 Relevant Abilities Relevant Importance Levels
Oral Expression
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
80.00%
Oral Comprehension
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
80.00%
Problem Sensitivity
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
77.60%
Near Vision
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
77.60%
Written Comprehension
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
75.00%
Information Ordering
The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
75.00%
Speech Recognition
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
72.40%
Speech Clarity
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
70.00%
Deductive Reasoning
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
70.00%
Inductive Reasoning
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
70.00%


  • Assisting and Caring for Others
    -- Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
  • Working with Computers
    -- Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
  • Documenting/Recording Information
    -- Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
    -- Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
  • Getting Information
    -- Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Other Activities


No Other Activities Found.


  • Relationships
    - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
  • Support
    - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.



Tools

Blood collection syringes: Blood drawing syringes;

Chart recorders: Strip chart recorders;

Desktop computers: Desktop computers;

Electrocardiography EKG units: Electrocardiography EKG units;

Electronic blood pressure units: Automated blood pressure cuffs;

Eye shields: Radiation protection eyewear;

Flow sensors or regulators or components: Oxygen delivery regulators;

Gamma counters: Gamma scintillation counters;

Goggles: Safety goggles;

Hypodermic needle: Subcutaneous hypodermic needles; Intramuscular hypodermic needles;

Intravenous infusion pumps for general use: Infusion pumps;

Intravenous tubing with catheter administration kits: Intravenous IV sets;

Laboratory tongs: Metal laboratory tongs;

Liquid scintillation counters: Well counters; Automated multisample liquid scintillation counters;

Medical computed tomography CT or CAT quality assurance or calibration phantoms or devices: Positron emission tomography PET calibration phantoms; Single positron emission computed tomography SPECT calibration phantoms;

Medical computed tomography CT or CAT scanners or tubes: Computed tomography CT scanners;

Medical gamma cameras for general use: Triple-head gamma cameras; Rotating gamma cameras; Dual headed gamma cameras; Large-field gamma cameras; Medical gamma cameras; Mobile gamma cameras;

Medical imaging dry laser printers or imagers: Medical image laser printers;

Medical imaging wet darkroom or daylight processors: Automatic film developing equipment;

Medical linear accelerator intensity modulated radiation therapy IMRT collimators: Linear accelerator collimator equipment;

Medical picture archiving computer systems PACS: Medical picture archiving computer systems PACS;

Medical positron emission tomography PET units: Medical positron emission tomography PET scanners;

Medical radiation dosimeters: Dose calibrators; Finger film badges;

Medical radiation films or badges: Radiation monitoring film badges;

Medical radiological positioning aids for general radiological use: Patient positioning blocks;

Medical radiological shielding aprons or masks or drapes: Radiation shielding lead aprons; Radiation shielding lead vests;

Medical radiological shielding gloves: Radiation shielding gloves;

Medical radiological shielding portable containers for radioactive materials: Syringe shields; Beta vial shields;

Medical single photon emission computed tomography SPECT units: Medical single photo emission computed tomography SPECT equipment;

Medical ultrasound bone densitometers: Ultrasound bone density scanners;

Microcentrifuges: Microhematocrit centrifuges;

Mobile medical services automated external defibrillators AED or hard paddles: Automated external defibrillators AED;

Notebook computers: Laptop computers;

Peripherally inserted central catheters PICC: Peripheral intravenous catheters;

Personal computers: Personal computers;

Phantom dosimeters: Radiation measurement phantoms;

Pulse oximeter units: Pulse oximeters;

Radiation detectors: Radiation survey meters; Radiation uptake detectors; Wipe test counters; Thermoluminescent dosimeters; Geiger-Mueller meters; Digital ratemeters; Ion chamber survey meters;

Scintillation crystal assemblies: Scintillation crystal detectors;

Specimen collection container: Specimen collection containers;

Spectrometers: Dual channel spectrometer systems; Spectrometers;

Surgical isolation or surgical masks: Surgical masks;

Vacuum blood collection tubes or containers: Evacuated blood collection tubes;


Technology

Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook;

Medical software: Radiopharmacy inventory databases; Electronic medical record EMR software; Gamma camera software; MEDITECH software; Medovation RadRunner;

Office suite software: Microsoft Office software;

Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint;

Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel;

Word processing software: Microsoft Word;


Related O*NET occupational titles for Nuclear Medicine Technologists include:
  • 29-2031.00 Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians
  • 29-2032.00 Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
  • 29-2035.00 Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists
  • 29-2012.00 Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians
  • 29-2011.00 Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists
  • 29-2036.00 Medical Dosimetrists
  • 29-2099.01 Neurodiagnostic Technologists
  • 29-1124.00 Radiation Therapists
  • 29-2034.00 Radiologic Technologists and Technicians
  • 29-1224.00 Radiologists


Sources of Additional Information
  • For more information about nuclear and radiologic medicine, visit: American Board of Nuclear Medicine
  • American Board of Radiology
  • American College of Nuclear Medicine
  • Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
  • For a list of accredited programs in nuclear medicine technology, visit: Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology
  • For more information about certification for nuclear medicine technologists, visit: Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board
  • American Registry of Radiologic Technologists
  • CareerOneStop

  • For a career video on nuclear medicine technologists, visit: Nuclear Medicine Technologists
  • Nuclear Medicine Technologists

  • Contact Texas Workforce Commission
    Labor Market and Career Information  |  101 E. 15th Street, Annex Room 0252  |  Austin, Texas 78778
    Official Website  |  1-800-822-PLAN (7526)  |  512.936.3200

    ** The information in this report may be derived from many sources like O*NET, BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics), OOH (Occupational Outlook Handbook), and Career One Stop.