Average Nuclear Medicine Technologists Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Nuclear Medicine Technologists is $101,370 per year. The middle 50% earn between $86,720 and $117,120, with 17,080 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 49 states and 99 metro areas.
Pay distribution
Here is how Nuclear Medicine Technologists pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $78,080
- 25th
- $86,720
- Median
- $101,370
- 75th
- $117,120
- 90th
- $134,500
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Pay is well above the national median for all US workers. This is an upper-income occupation.
Pay is tightly clustered around the median. Most nuclear medicine technologists earn within a narrow band, with less variation than many other occupations. That is often a sign of standardized roles or union and public-sector pay scales.
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for nuclear medicine technologists from 2024 to 2034. Growth is roughly in line with the US average of about 4% across all occupations.
- Projected growth
- +3.0%
- 600 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 900
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave.
- Typical entry education
- Associate's degree
Where Nuclear Medicine Technologists earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where nuclear medicine technologists work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is California at $162,380, about 60.2% above the national median. At the metro level, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA leads with a median of $198,950.
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| California | $162,380 | 1,500 |
| Washington | $126,200 | 320 |
| Hawaii | $125,650 | 30 |
| New Jersey | $124,280 | 540 |
| Oregon | $122,100 | 180 |
| New York | $118,650 | 890 |
| Massachusetts | $118,250 | 380 |
| Connecticut | $117,150 | 170 |
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $198,950 | 100 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $189,790 | 170 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $173,260 | 130 |
| Modesto, CA | $172,530 | 30 |
| Fresno, CA | $163,380 | 50 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $162,380 | 110 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $156,410 | 460 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $150,870 | 160 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see nuclear medicine technologists pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2025, the national median salary for Nuclear Medicine Technologists rose from $77,950 to $101,370, a gain of +30.0% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +25.9%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $77,950 would need to be worth $98,161 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $101,370 is $3,209 above that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of +3.3% in purchasing power.
Real wages have outpaced inflation by 3.3%, a modest but real gain in purchasing power.
- Nominal change
- +30.0%
- 2019–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +25.9%
- US CPI, 2019–2025
- Real change
- +3.3%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
Nuclear Medicine Technologists median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $101,370
- 2024
- $97,020
- 2023
- $92,500
- 2022
- $85,300
- 2021
- $78,760
- 2020
- $79,590
- 2019
- $77,950
BLS did not publish a median for 2000–2018, so those years are omitted.
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
- $96,590
- Orthotists And Prosthetists
- $81,110
- Hearing Aid Specialists
- $65,160
- Surgical Technologists
- $64,650
Common salary questions for Nuclear Medicine Technologists
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Nuclear Medicine Technologists workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.