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The differences between nuclear medicine technologists and cardiovascular technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a nuclear medicine technologist and a cardiovascular technician. Additionally, a nuclear medicine technologist has an average salary of $72,978, which is higher than the $62,986 average annual salary of a cardiovascular technician.
The top three skills for a nuclear medicine technologist include patients, PET and radiopharmaceuticals. The most important skills for a cardiovascular technician are patients, BLS, and patient care.
| Nuclear Medicine Technologist | Cardiovascular Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $72,978 | $62,986 |
| Hourly rate | $35.09 | $30.28 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 56,975 | 37,036 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Associate Degree, 39% |
| Average age | 47 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
The job of a nuclear medicine technologist is to examine how the body functions to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and medical conditions. These professionals perform various tasks that include preparing and administering radiopharmaceuticals and other medications to patients, monitoring a patient's physical condition during the procedure, and providing patient information, images, and data analysis for diagnosis and treatment. They are expected to answer patients' questions and explain the procedure to them. Nuclear medical technologists are also required to follow radiation safety procedures.
A cardiovascular technician is responsible for monitoring and administering treatment plans for patients with cardiovascular illnesses. Cardiovascular technicians operate various equipment and machinery to ensure the accuracy of diagnosis and determine the medical procedures to take. They also assist the doctors in performing medical operations, observing the patients' condition, and explaining the test findings to the patients. A cardiovascular technician keeps a record of medical charts for reference, as well as providing progress updates to the doctors and the patients' families.
Nuclear medicine technologists and cardiovascular technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Nuclear Medicine Technologist | Cardiovascular Technician | |
| Average salary | $72,978 | $62,986 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $151,000 | Between $43,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | Modesto, CA | Davis, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Community Medical Center | Heartland Home Health Inc. |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a nuclear medicine technologist and a cardiovascular technician in terms of educational background:
| Nuclear Medicine Technologist | Cardiovascular Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Associate Degree, 39% |
| Most common major | Nuclear And Industrial Radiologic Technologies | Medical Technician |
| Most common college | Texas A&M University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between nuclear medicine technologists' and cardiovascular technicians' demographics:
| Nuclear Medicine Technologist | Cardiovascular Technician | |
| Average age | 47 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.4% Female, 53.6% | Male, 35.5% Female, 64.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 3.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% Asian, 9.9% White, 69.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 3.3% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 13.9% White, 58.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 22% | 8% |