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Boston Career Explorer

Healthcare Practitioners and Technical

Nuclear Medicine Technologists

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.

Also called: Certified Nuclear Medicine Technologist (CNMT), Nuclear Cardiology Technologist, Nuclear Medicine PET-CT Technologist (Nuclear Medicine Positron Emission Tomography - Computed Tomography Technologist), Nuclear Medicine Technologist (NMT), Radiation Safety Officer, Registered Nuclear Medicine Technologist

Median pay in Greater Boston
$123,450
$59.35/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
290
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+0.5%
20 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
Associate's degree

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$87,090$106,140$123,450$133,520$149,710

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • Administer radiopharmaceuticals or radiation intravenously to detect or treat diseases, using radioisotope equipment, under direction of a physician.
  • Detect and map radiopharmaceuticals in patients' bodies, using a camera to produce photographic or computer images.
  • Process cardiac function studies, using computer.
  • Calculate, measure, and record radiation dosage or radiopharmaceuticals received, used, and disposed, using computer and following physician's prescription.
  • Record and process results of procedures.
  • Produce a computer-generated or film image for interpretation by a physician.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Moderate exposure47 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 49
  • Language-model AIOE 47
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 44

Observed AI use today: Some (Anthropic Economic Index)

AI tools could help with computer-based parts of this job, like processing studies, doing dose calculations, and keeping records. Observed AI use is still limited. Giving radioactive materials to patients, running the camera, and following a physician's orders rely on trained people, and job growth in Massachusetts is expected to be slow.

Likely to change

  • Processing cardiac function studies on computer
  • Recording results and tracking radiation doses

Still relies on people

  • Giving radiopharmaceuticals safely to patients
  • Working under a physician's direction

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

3 programs near Boston

Related occupations

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