Salary Range for Nuclear Medicine Technology
Nuclear medicine technologists are responsible for preparing, measuring and administering radioactive isotopes in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. When the isotopes are introduced into patients' bodies, the technologists map the concentrations and note any abnormalities. The salary range of nuclear medicine technologists varies according to a number of factors.
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National Salary Range
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According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average nuclear medicine technologist made an annual salary of around $67,000 in 2008. The median salary was around $65,000, with the bottom 10 percent of nuclear medicine technologists making around $48,000 a year, and the top 10 percent making an annual salary of around $88,000.
State Salary Range
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California was the highest-paying state for nuclear medicine technologists in 2008 at around $81,000, according to the BLS. Nevada, New Jersey, Maryland and Washington rounded up the top five with salaries in the high $70,000s. The states with the highest concentration of nuclear medicine technologists--South Dakota, Florida, West Virginia, Tennessee, Alabama--had salaries in the $55,000 to $63,000 range.
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Metropolitan Area Salary Range
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Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, California, was the metropolitan area with the highest average salary for nuclear medicine technologists in the country in 2008; according to the BLS, the salary was around $100,000. Bethesda-Gaithersburg-Frederick, Maryland, was second at $90,000. Three metropolitan regions in California rounded out the top five list with an average salary of $89,000.
Workplace Salary Range
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Most nuclear medicine technologists--about 60 percent--worked in hospitals in 2008, with an average salary of around $67,000. Other major employers, like outpatient care centers and medical/diagnostic laboratories, also provided salaries in the mid-$60,000s. Physicians' offices had an average salary of around $70,000.
Salary Outlook
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Salaries rose 0.4 percent between 2007 and 2008. According to salary.com, as of 2010, the average nuclear medicine technologist makes around $69,000 a year, slightly higher than the numbers the BLS reported in 2008. The BLS projects a 16 percent job growth from 2008 to 2018, so a similar increase in wages may occur.
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