How To Become A Pet/Ct Technologist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a pet/ct technologist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

A PET/CT technologist is an individual who operates CT scanning equipment to take diagnostic images of a patient's internal organs and tissue to determine how they are functioning. PET/CT stands for Positron Emission Tomography/Computerized Tomography. A PET CT scan picks out anomalies such as internal injuries, tumors, brain disorders, and heart diseases, which helps physicians properly diagnose and treat diseases.

It is a PET/CT technologist's job to prepare patients and ensure they comfortable and safe at each step and to produce high-quality diagnostic images. PET/CT technologists typically work in hospitals, imaging clinics, research centers, universities, and diagnostic laboratories. They work hand-in-hand with physicians and other medical professionals to help them execute their job well.

PET/CT technologists usually work in shifts and up to 40 hours a week. They may be called upon to work on weekends once in a while.

ScorePet/Ct TechnologistUS Average

Salary

5.0

Avg. Salary $63,923

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.8

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.48%

Asian 6.05%

Black or African American 5.39%

Hispanic or Latino 10.19%

Unknown 4.14%

White 73.75%

Gender

female 59.71%

male 40.29%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

8.8

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.8

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

8.5

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a pet/ct technologist

Explore pet/ct technologist education requirements

Most common pet/ct technologist degrees

Bachelor's

44.2 %

Associate

29.7 %

High School Diploma

12.0 %

Start to develop specific pet/ct technologist skills

Skills	Percentages
PET	24.19%
Patients	15.63%
Radiology	7.44%
Radiation Safety	6.70%
Patient Safety	5.85%

Complete relevant pet/ct technologist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New pet/ct technologists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a pet/ct technologist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real pet/ct technologist resumes.

Research pet/ct technologist duties and responsibilities

Manage orders and workflow with GE Centricity RIS and Cerner software.
Adhere to ALARA protocol and site protocol.
Assist in ACR application process for accreditation.
Complete ACR accreditation process for various contract sites.

Prepare your pet/ct technologist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your pet/ct technologist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a pet/ct technologist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable pet/ct technologist resume templates

Build a professional pet/ct technologist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your pet/ct technologist resume.

Apply for pet/ct technologist jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a pet/ct technologist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do pet/ct technologists rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Pet/ct technologist reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2019

Pros

Is an experience that will make you love humanity and be kind to others ,using technology to help people get better is extremely rewarding , also the flexibility to work in different places with different people is a plus.

Cons

Most places need more CT techs ,we can't have enough people ,petty sure hospital in the world is understaffed .