The nuclear medicine technologist salary is the highest in the US, where professionals earn $75,960 per year, while Australia pays its professionals AU$75,000 (US$56,761) per year. Those working in Canada, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand have similar salaries when converted to USD: C$70,000 (US$52,675), £41,212 (US$52,014), and NZ$72,000 (US$52,123), respectively.
The lowest salaries for nuclear medicine technologists of all English-speaking countries are registered in South Africa and India, where professionals earn about R360,000 (US$27,588) and Rs400,000 (US$6,194), respectively.
How Much Does a Nuclear Medicine Technologist Make per Year?
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Nuclear medicine technologists are usually tasked with operating the equipment necessary for creating images of different areas of the patients’ bodies. They prepare radioactive drugs that highlight affected areas, administer them to patients, and operate the imaging equipment.
Most nuclear medicine technologists work full time in hospitals, but it isn’t at all uncommon for them to work full or part time in imaging clinics, physicians’ offices, or diagnostic labs. Most educational requirements for the profession vary by country and state, although the most frequently met are an Associate’s degree and a certification from an accredited program.
Factors that Influence the Nuclear Medicine Technologist Salary
The nuclear medicine technologist salary can fluctuate quite a lot depending on certain factors. Whether it’s the geographical location of the place of employment, the level of experience of each employee, or the industry of the profession, each one of these factors will make a significant impact on the salary of these professionals.
Geographic Area
Each country has its unique job descriptions for nuclear medicine technologists and average wages for all professions. Therefore, the nuclear medicine technician salary is greatly affected by the geographical location of each place of employment.
Nuclear Medicine Technologist in the US
According to BLS, a nuclear medicine technologist earns $75,960 per year on average. PayScale, on the other hand, reports the national average for this profession at $65,000 per year. According to the latter, a beginner nuclear medicine technologist earns about $49,911 in their first years, while an experienced professional could earn as much as $89,368 per year. Bonuses can account for up to $4,637 of this amount, and profit sharing – for up to $2,948.
Highest Levels of Employment for Nuclear Medicine Technologists in the US
The states offering the highest levels of employment for nuclear medicine technologists are as follows:
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The metropolitan areas with the highest nuclear medicine technologist levels of employment are:
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The nonmetropolitan areas with the highest levels of employment for nuclear medicine technologists are:
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Highest Salaries for Nuclear Medicine Technologists in the US
Meanwhile, the states offering the highest salaries for the profession are the following:
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The highest nuclear medicine technologist salaries can be found in the following metropolitan areas:
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The nonmetropolitan areas with the top wages for the profession are:
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Nuclear Medicine Technologist Salary in Canada
The mean salary for nuclear medicine technologists working in Canada is C$70,000 (US$52,675) per year. The starting salary is C$59,731 (US$44,949), but experienced professionals with more than 15 years of experience behind could earn as much as C$84,657 (US$63,706) per year.
Neuvoo.ca, on the other hand, estimates the average salary for this profession at C$71,724 (US$53,936) per year. The lowest salary in a job offer from this website was C$52,982 (US$39,870), while the highest was C$114,665 (US$86,285).
Nuclear Medicine Technologist Salary in the UK
The starting salary of a nuclear medicine technologist working in the United Kingdom is £21,680 (US$27,350) per year. Experienced professionals, however, could earn as much as £78,906 (US$99,543) in the right industry and with experience. Indeed.co.uk estimates the average salary for this profession at £41,212 (US$52,014) per year.
Nuclear Medicine Technologist Salary in Australia
A nuclear medicine technologist earns about AU$75,000 (US$56,761) per year on average. Beginners in this field can expect salaries around AU$57,361 (US$43,412) for the first years. Nevertheless, if a professional stays in the field for more than 10-15 years, they can earn up to AU$100,171 (US$75,811) per year. Indeed.com, however, reports the national average at AU$99,359 (US$75,197).
Nuclear Medicine Technologist Salary in New Zealand
A nuclear medicine technologist working in New Zealand earns between NZ$50,000 (US$36,197) and NZ$69,000 (US$49,969) if they have less than six years of experience behind according to Careers.govt.nz. More experienced professionals, however, earn between NZ$71,000 (US$51,399) and NZ$98,000 (US$70,952) per year. Therefore, we can estimate the average around NZ$72,000 (US$52,123) per year.
Nuclear Medicine Technologist Salary in India
A nuclear medicine technologist working in India starts his career with a yearly salary of about Rs142,540 (US$2,207). After about 5-10 years on the job, a professional will get to earn the average salary for India: Rs400,000 or US$6,194. Experienced professionals, on the other hand, can earn as much as Rs1,183,591 (US$18,328) per year.
Nuclear Medicine Technologist Salary in South Africa
Although the info on the nuclear medicine technologist salary is very limited, PayScale reports the average at R360,000, or US$27,588.
Experience
The average nuclear medicine technologist salary can increase by more than $15,000 over the course of a career longer than twenty years, depending on location. That is perhaps one of the lowest wage raises in healthcare, as experience almost always yields a much higher salary in the industry.
Industry
Seeing as the nuclear medicine technologist job description can vary depending on the place of employment, so does the nuclear medicine technologist salary.
The industries which offer the highest levels of employment for nuclear medicine technologists are:
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The industries which offer the highest salaries for the profession are:
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Note: all tables are courtesy of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
If you are interested in other jobs in this field that require similar levels of education, visit our guide to the radiology technician salary.
Working Hours
Most people with the nuclear medicine technologist salary work 40-hour work weeks. Although most nuclear medicine technologists work in hospitals, they are rarely needed for emergencies. Working weekends, nights, and even holidays to accommodate their patients is still common among nuclear medicine techs.
Bonuses and Benefits Packages
The benefits packages that nuclear medicine technologists receive are some of the most advantageous technologist in healthcare. Other than a decent 401(K) plan and plenty of paid and sick leave days, about 76% of all nuclear medicine technologists in the US receive medical insurance, 60% receive dental, and 48% receive vision insurance. About 21% receive no insurance whatsoever. Unfortunately, no such data is available for other reviewed countries.
As for the bonuses of nuclear medicine technologists, these usually sum up to up to 10% of the yearly salary. Profit sharing can also lead to significant income increases, and overtime is almost always paid extra. This, however, depends on many factors, such as the location, employer, and the exact industry of the occupation.
Job Outlook
According to bls.com, the rate of employment for nuclear medicine technologists is estimated to grow only 2% by 2024. That is much lower than the 8% average for all the professions in the United States. This is owed to several internal and external factors.
The main reason for the occupation still being around is the constant increase of the elderly population. Most senior citizens are reluctant when it comes to new procedures and technologies, so they opt for nuclear medicine. However, as medicine is developing at a fast rate, the employment rate for the profession will soon start to drop.
Conclusion
Despite the occupation steadily becoming outdated because of the advent of technology, the nuclear medicine technologist salary still makes it one of the most sought-after positions in healthcare. While the wages may not compare to those of a medical specialist, they are among the highest technologist salaries in healthcare.
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