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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.
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:
| Employment (1) | Employment RSE (3) |
Mean hourly wage |
Mean annual wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18,930 | 1.4 % | $37.33 | $77,660 | 0.4 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) |
75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly Wage | $26.16 | $31.08 | $36.38 | $43.54 | $49.84 |
| Annual Wage (2) | $54,410 | $64,640 | $75,660 | $90,550 | $103,660 |
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 13,790 | 0.25 | $37.16 | $77,280 |
| Offices of Physicians | 2,930 | 0.11 | $37.27 | $77,520 |
| Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories | 930 | 0.35 | $35.62 | $74,090 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 540 | 0.06 | $47.93 | $99,700 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | 220 | 0.01 | $29.11 | $60,550 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories | 930 | 0.35 | $35.62 | $74,090 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 13,790 | 0.25 | $37.16 | $77,280 |
| Offices of Physicians | 2,930 | 0.11 | $37.27 | $77,520 |
| Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals | 200 | 0.08 | $38.30 | $79,670 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 540 | 0.06 | $47.93 | $99,700 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outpatient Care Centers | 540 | 0.06 | $47.93 | $99,700 |
| Employment Services | 90 | (7) | $41.47 | $86,260 |
| Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals | 200 | 0.08 | $38.30 | $79,670 |
| Offices of Physicians | 2,930 | 0.11 | $37.27 | $77,520 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 13,790 | 0.25 | $37.16 | $77,280 |
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 1,730 | 0.21 | 1.55 | $34.23 | $71,190 |
| California | 1,590 | 0.10 | 0.72 | $52.87 | $109,980 |
| New York | 1,150 | 0.13 | 0.94 | $40.64 | $84,540 |
| Texas | 1,030 | 0.09 | 0.65 | $36.69 | $76,310 |
| Ohio | 830 | 0.15 | 1.16 | $33.32 | $69,300 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | 150 | 0.35 | 2.66 | $29.07 | $60,470 |
| West Virginia | 170 | 0.25 | 1.87 | $28.57 | $59,420 |
| Mississippi | 240 | 0.22 | 1.65 | $30.94 | $64,360 |
| Louisiana | 410 | 0.22 | 1.64 | $31.31 | $65,130 |
| Tennessee | 610 | 0.21 | 1.57 | $30.62 | $63,700 |
Top paying States for this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 1,590 | 0.10 | 0.72 | $52.87 | $109,980 |
| District of Columbia | 50 | 0.07 | 0.52 | $44.42 | $92,390 |
| New Jersey | 580 | 0.14 | 1.08 | $44.13 | $91,790 |
| Washington | 380 | 0.12 | 0.89 | $43.49 | $90,460 |
| Hawaii | 60 | 0.10 | 0.76 | $42.91 | $89,260 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division | 740 | 0.11 | 0.83 | $43.34 | $90,140 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division | 420 | 0.11 | 0.87 | $39.33 | $81,800 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division | 370 | 0.08 | 0.62 | $49.48 | $102,920 |
| Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL Metropolitan Division | 310 | 0.28 | 2.08 | $32.89 | $68,400 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 290 | 0.10 | 0.75 | $38.25 | $79,550 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 280 | 0.11 | 0.81 | $36.83 | $76,610 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA NECTA Division | 260 | 0.14 | 1.08 | $37.56 | $78,120 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 250 | 0.21 | 1.57 | $33.18 | $69,010 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 250 | 0.18 | 1.37 | $35.78 | $74,430 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division | 230 | 0.09 | 0.70 | $40.46 | $84,150 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sioux Falls, SD | 100 | 0.69 | 5.20 | $28.09 | $58,420 |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL | 70 | 0.41 | 3.06 | $39.92 | $83,040 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | 50 | 0.38 | 2.89 | $27.87 | $57,970 |
| Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | 50 | 0.37 | 2.80 | $59.39 | $123,540 |
| Canton-Massillon, OH | 60 | 0.37 | 2.81 | $31.94 | $66,420 |
| Lafayette, LA | 70 | 0.36 | 2.68 | $31.37 | $65,250 |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | 80 | 0.35 | 2.60 | $33.46 | $69,600 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | 60 | 0.33 | 2.52 | $32.04 | $66,640 |
| Ocala, FL | 30 | 0.33 | 2.50 | $30.37 | $63,170 |
| Tacoma-Lakewood, WA Metropolitan Division | 90 | 0.31 | 2.36 | $44.66 | $92,900 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA | 100 | 0.11 | 0.79 | $59.63 | $124,020 |
| Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | 50 | 0.37 | 2.80 | $59.39 | $123,540 |
| San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA Metropolitan Division | 80 | 0.08 | 0.57 | $58.29 | $121,250 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | 40 | 0.16 | 1.20 | $57.28 | $119,140 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | (8) | (8) | (8) | $56.31 | $117,120 |
| Oakland-Hayward-Berkeley, CA Metropolitan Division | 130 | 0.11 | 0.85 | $54.91 | $114,210 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 50 | 0.18 | 1.32 | $53.07 | $110,380 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA | 110 | 0.08 | 0.60 | $51.97 | $108,110 |
| Fresno, CA | 40 | 0.11 | 0.82 | $51.64 | $107,410 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division | 120 | 0.07 | 0.54 | $50.56 | $105,160 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Northeastern Ohio non-metropolitan area (non-contiguous) | 60 | 0.18 | 1.38 | $32.25 | $67,080 |
| South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | 50 | 0.30 | 2.25 | $33.13 | $68,920 |
| Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | 50 | 0.21 | 1.58 | $30.92 | $64,300 |
| Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area | 40 | 0.13 | 0.99 | $30.50 | $63,440 |
| Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | 30 | 0.13 | 1.00 | $32.16 | $66,900 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | 50 | 0.30 | 2.25 | $33.13 | $68,920 |
| Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area | 30 | 0.24 | 1.77 | $26.37 | $54,840 |
| Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | 50 | 0.21 | 1.58 | $30.92 | $64,300 |
| Southern Ohio non-metropolitan area | 30 | 0.20 | 1.51 | $31.49 | $65,490 |
| West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | 30 | 0.20 | 1.54 | $26.77 | $55,670 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | 30 | 0.16 | 1.19 | $35.60 | $74,040 |
| South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | 50 | 0.30 | 2.25 | $33.13 | $68,920 |
| North Northeastern Ohio non-metropolitan area (non-contiguous) | 60 | 0.18 | 1.38 | $32.25 | $67,080 |
| Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | 30 | 0.13 | 1.00 | $32.16 | $66,900 |
| Southern Ohio non-metropolitan area | 30 | 0.20 | 1.51 | $31.49 | $65,490 |
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OES estimates and related information:
May 2017 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2017 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2017 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2017 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
Last Modified Date: March 30, 2018