Mostly Resilient
Last Update: 7/31/2026
AI Resilience Score for Nuclear Med. Technologist:
54.4%
Median Score
Meaningful human contribution
Measures the parts of the occupation that still require a human touch. This score averages data from up to four AI exposure datasets, focusing on the role’s resilience against automation.
High
Long-term employer demand
Predicts the health of the job market for this role through 2034. Using Bureau of Labor Statistics data, it balances projected annual job openings (60%) with overall employment growth (40%).
Low
Sustained economic opportunity
Measures future earning potential and career flexibility. This score is a blend of total projected labor income (67%) and the role’s inherent ability to adapt to economic and technological shifts (33%).
Med
This reflects the reliability of your score based on the number of data sources available for this career and how closely those sources agree on the outlook. A higher confidence means more consistent evidence from labor experts and AI models.
Most data sources align, with only minor variation. This is a well-supported result.
Contributing sources
AI Resilience Report forNuclear Medicine Technologists
$101,370 median salary•900 annual openings•SOC Code: 29-2033.00
Nuclear Medicine Technologists are somewhat more resilient to AI impacts than most occupations, according to our analysis of 7 sources.
Nuclear medicine technologists are labeled "Mostly Resilient" because the most important parts of the job, like preparing radioactive materials, positioning patients, monitoring for reactions, and making real-time safety decisions, require a trained human on-site and cannot be handed off to software. AI is starting to help with tasks like cleaning up scan images and flagging urgent results, but less than 10% of FDA-approved AI tools even apply to nuclear medicine right now, so the technology is still pretty limited in this field.
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Nuclear medicine technologists are labeled "Mostly Resilient" because the most important parts of the job, like preparing radioactive materials, positioning patients, monitoring for reactions, and making real-time safety decisions, require a trained human on-site and cannot be handed off to software. AI is starting to help with tasks like cleaning up scan images and flagging urgent results, but less than 10% of FDA-approved AI tools even apply to nuclear medicine right now, so the technology is still pretty limited in this field.
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View analysisChat with CoachLatest newsMore career infoAnalysisChatNewsMoreAnalysis of Current AI Resilience
Nuclear Med. Technologist
Updated Quarterly
How is AI changing Nuclear Med. Technologist jobs?
Right now, AI is showing up in nuclear medicine as a helper, not a replacement. The Society of Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging's recent Bethesda Report notes that although radiology dominates FDA-approved AI algorithms, less than 10% of these algorithms are applicable in diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine, molecular imaging, and radiopharmaceutical therapy [1], meaning the AI tools you'll actually use on the job are still pretty limited. Where AI does help, it focuses on image-heavy tasks — denoising PET and SPECT scans, reconstructing images from lower radiation doses, prioritizing urgent studies, and drafting parts of reports for the physician.
A 2026 study highlighted by AuntMinnie even found that ChatGPT-5 matched expert nuclear medicine physicians on 89% of FDG-PET/CT brain scan diagnoses [2], but only when reading text — not when handling patients, injecting radiopharmaceuticals, or running the scanner. CNN reports that imaging is being treated as "a second set of eyes" that makes the job more efficient rather than replacing workers [3], which is exactly how nuclear medicine technologists are using it today.
Sources
How fast is AI adoption growing for Nuclear Med. Technologist?
Adoption is happening, but slowly and carefully. On the "speed up" side, hospitals face real staffing shortages, and researchers argue that AI can ease workforce gaps through automated scheduling, image quality checks, and assisted report generation [4]. On the "slow down" side, FDA clearance for medical AI can take years, and CNN notes that of 1,357 AI-enabled medical devices approved by the FDA, 1,041 are for radiology [3] — leaving nuclear medicine a small slice.
Patient safety, radiation rules, and the hands-on parts of the job (preparing radiopharmaceuticals, positioning patients, handling reactions) all need a trained human. The Bureau of Labor Statistics still projects employment of nuclear medicine technologists to grow 3% from 2024 to 2034, with about 900 openings per year [5]. The takeaway for you: AI will keep changing the tools you use, but skills like patient care, safety, and judgment make this career one where humans still lead.
Sources
Will AI replace Nuclear Med. Technologist?
No. We don't think AI will replace Nuclear Medicine Technologists, though we do expect the job to change.
Our 54.4% AI Resilience Score puts this career in "Mostly Resilient" territory, and the reasoning is pretty clear once you look at what AI can and can't do here. Right now, AI helps with image-heavy tasks like denoising PET and SPECT scans and drafting parts of reports for physicians [1]. It is genuinely useful, but less than 10% of FDA-approved AI algorithms even apply to nuclear medicine [1], so the tools reshaping this field are still limited compared to other imaging specialties.
The parts of this job that stay human are significant. Preparing radiopharmaceuticals, positioning patients, managing radiation safety, and responding to patient reactions all require a trained person in the room. Even when AI matched expert physicians on 89% of certain brain scan diagnoses, that was reading text only, not touching a patient or running a scanner [2]. CNN describes imaging AI as "a second set of eyes" that makes work more efficient rather than replacing workers [3].
The job market picture is more cautious. The BLS projects only about 900 openings per year through 2034 [5], so competition will matter. Building strong patient care and safety skills alongside AI fluency is the smartest move you can make.
Sources
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Latest AI news for Nuclear Med. Technologist
These articles highlight the growing role of AI in nuclear medicine, emphasizing the need for technologists to adapt and innovate. For instance, GE HealthCare's advancements in radiopharmaceuticals demonstrate how AI can enhance patient access and treatment options. Additionally, best practices for AI algorithm development in nuclear medicine showcase the importance of technologists in ensuring these technologies are effectively integrated into clinical settings. Embracing these changes can lead to a more resilient and impactful career in nuclear medicine.
GE HealthCare Focuses on Expanding Access to Nuclear Medicine Through AI, Radiopharmaceutical and Imaging Innovations
www.biospace.com • 6/20/2026
Nuclear medicine is reaching an inflection point as advances in imaging, theranostics and radiopharmaceuticals help accelerate clinical...
Stanford Radiology AI Development and Evaluation Lab Announces Strategic Partnership with Radiology Partners to Advance AI Safety and Reliability in Medical Imaging
med.stanford.edu • 1/28/2026
Stanford Radiology's AI Development and Evaluation (AIDE) Lab is launching a strategic research partnership with Radiology Partners (RP),...
Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) Mid-Winter Conference Focuses on Theranostics, AI, Diagnostic Imaging Innovations and Clinical Trials
www.itnonline.com • 2/6/2024
SNMMI drew global experts exchanging the latest innovations in diagnostic and molecular imaging, cancer therapies, clinical trials and theranostics.
Seven Ways AI Will Change Nuclear Science and Technology
www.iaea.org • 9/22/2022
Over the past decade, artificial intelligence (AI) has evolved rapidly, becoming increasingly sophisticated and capable of solving ever more...
Nuclear Medicine and Artificial Intelligence: Best Practices for Algorithm Development
jnm.snmjournals.org • 4/1/2022
In this article, recommendations on technical best practices for developing AI algorithms in nuclear medicine are provided.
More Career Info
Career: Nuclear Medicine Technologists
They use special machines to take images of patients' bodies, helping doctors see how organs and tissues are working to diagnose illnesses.
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Employment & Wage Data
Median Wage
$101,370
Jobs (2024)
20,000
Growth (2024-34)
+3.0%
Annual Openings
900
Education
Associate's degree
Experience
None
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2024-2034
Task-Level AI Resilience Scores
AI-generated estimates of task resilience over the next 3 years
1
Position radiation fields, radiation beams, and patient to allow for most effective treatment of patient's disease, using computer.
2
Prepare stock radiopharmaceuticals, adhering to safety standards that minimize radiation exposure to workers and patients.
3
Administer radiopharmaceuticals or radiation intravenously to detect or treat diseases, using radioisotope equipment, under direction of a physician.
4
Dispose of radioactive materials and store radiopharmaceuticals, following radiation safety procedures.
5
Train or supervise student or subordinate nuclear medicine technologists.
6
Gather information on patients' illnesses and medical history to guide the choice of diagnostic procedures for therapy.
7
Develop treatment procedures for nuclear medicine treatment programs.
Tasks are ranked by their AI resilience, with the most resilient tasks shown first. Core tasks are essential functions of this occupation, while supplemental tasks provide additional context.
