How Much Does a Nuclear Medicine Technologist Make a Year?
Nuclear medicine technologists work closely with physicians to perform advanced diagnostic medical testing. Technologists administer radioactive pharmaceuticals to patients undergoing examinations such as cardiac nuclear stress tests and thyroid scans, and carry out procedures using radiation-detecting equipment. These specialists also explain details to patients and monitor them during tests. Many nuclear medicine technologists make much more a year than the national median household income, which was $52,029 in 2008, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
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General Salary Data
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Nuclear medicine technologists earned a median salary of $66,660 in 2008, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The highest earners made more than $87,770, while those at the lowest end received less than $48,450. Factors influencing salary increases include years of experience and type of employer.
Salary by Experience
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As nuclear medicine technologists gain experience, the amount they make a year can increase significantly. Those with less than one year of experience earned $41,430 to $51,739 in 2010, according to PayScale, while those with five to nine years of experience earned $55,688 to $69,751. Moving beyond the 20-year mark, nuclear medicine technologists earned $61,938 to $90,000. The most experienced and highest paid technologists typically have advanced to supervisory positions, notes the BLS, or they have specialized in clinical areas such as cardiology or positron emission tomography, also called PET scanning.
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Salary by Employer
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More than 65 percent of all nuclear medicine technologists worked in private and public hospitals in 2008, according to the BLS. Many others served in physician offices, diagnostic imaging centers and laboratories. Hospital technologists made $49,083 to $66,236 as of 2010, while those in private practice earned $53,448 to $70,520. Some technologists also worked in federal government positions, earning $49,132 to $67,648.
Certification
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Certification is not required for a nuclear medicine technologist position, and having it does not guarantee a technologist will make more, but most employers consider it essential. Two organizations offer certification examinations, the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists and the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board. Candidates can earn certification from one or both. Technologists must complete continuing education hours to remain certified, and these hours help technologists keep pace with the latest innovations in nuclear medicine.
Job Outlook
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The number of nuclear medicine technologist positions is expected to rise by 16 percent over a 10-year period, increasing to 25,400 in 2018 from 21,800 in 2008. Factors triggering job expansion will include a growing senior population in need of advanced diagnostic tests, and developments in technology that will make new nuclear medicine treatments possible. The BLS predicts that those with experience in nuclear cardiology in particular will be more marketable.
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References
- All Allied Health Schools: Become a Nuclear Medicine Technologist
- PayScale: Nuclear Medicine Technologist Salary by Employer Type
- PayScale: Salary Snapshot for Nuclear Medicine Technologist Jobs
- Society of Nuclear Medicine: Technologist - Careers in Nuclear Medicine
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistic: Nuclear Medicine Technologists
Resources
- Photo Credit cd_tac-8 image by Paco Ayala from Fotolia.com
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Comments
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I don't know about the whole "Certification" not required, but here in Florida you have to be licensed, and to receive your state license, certain requirements for post-secondary education have to be met. This article is a little deceiving in its wording, though the ARRT resource states the information for each state. The community colleges here offer-- not certificate programs--but Associate degrees for this position, though the education requirements may be different per your own state. You are also required to take Continuing Education courses to keep your license valid, much as in other health fields, such as nursing positions.
