Explore occupational profile

Version:
OaSIS 2025 Version 1.0
Search the OaSIS

32121.02 – Nuclear medicine technologists

Nuclear medicine technologists operate radiation therapy equipment to administer radiation treatment and produce images of body structures for the diagnosis of diseases. This occupation includes supervisors and instructors.

Overview

Example job titles

  • Nuclear medicine technologist
  • Nuclear medicine technologists supervisor

Core competencies

  • Critical Thinking to assess the best course of action when unexpected issues occur and ensure the safety and effectiveness of treatments
  • Operation Monitoring of Machinery and Equipment to monitor laboratory equipment to identify errors and the need to calibrate
  • Near Vision to analyse photographic or computer images of patients' bodies to detect and map radiopharmaceuticals
  • Problem Identification and Inductive Reasoning to review patient medical histories and illness symptoms to determine the best choice of diagnostic procedures to assist nuclear medicine physicians
  • Attention to Detail to compile data by recording and processing results of procedures for use by nuclear medicine physicians
  • Knowledge in Biology to interpret images accurately and understand how radiopharmaceuticals react to certain cells and biological samples to detect disease

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Prepare and administer radiopharmaceuticals, such as radionuclides and other tracer materials to patients or to biological samples
  • Operate radiation detection equipment, such as gamma cameras, scanners, scintillation counters, tomodensitometers and ionization chambers, to acquire data for use by nuclear medicine physicians in the diagnosis of disease
  • Perform diagnostic procedures using radioactive materials on biological specimens, such as blood, urine and faeces
  • Record and process results of procedures
  • Check equipment to ensure proper operation
  • Provide appropriate care and monitoring of the patient during the examination
  • Apply radiation protection measures
  • May train and supervise student nuclear medicine technologists or supervise other nuclear medicine technologists.

Additional information

  • There is no mobility between the four types of medical radiation technologists without further training.
  • Experience as a medical radiation technologist is required for supervisors and instructors.

Similar occupations classified elsewhere

Exclusions:

  • Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians (32104)
  • Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists (32123)
  • Medical laboratory technologists (32120)
  • Medical sonographers (32122)
  • Other medical technologists and technicians (32129)
  • Pharmacy technicians (32124)
  • Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists (32103)

NOC hierarchy breakdown

NOC version

NOC 2021 Version 1.0

Broad occupational category

3 – Health occupations

TEER

2 – Occupations usually require a college diploma or apprenticeship training of two or more years; or supervisory occupations

Major group

32 – Technical occupations in health

Sub-major group

321 – Technical occupations in health (except practitioners of natural healing)

Minor group

3212 – Medical technologists and technicians

Unit group

32121 – Medical radiation technologists

Occupational profile

32121.02 – Nuclear medicine technologists

O*NET in-it

This page includes information from the O*NET 27.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Employment and Social Development Canada has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.