Nuclear medicine technologist certification & jobs
The nuclear medicine technologist credential comes from the NMTCB or ARRT: pass a $200 exam after a JRCNMT-accredited program, then renew every year.
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A nuclear medicine technologist prepares a radiopharmaceutical dose behind a lead shield before a scan.
What is nuclear medicine technologist certification?
Nuclear medicine technologist certification is a national credential that confirms you can safely prepare and administer radiopharmaceuticals and run the imaging equipment that tracks them in the body. Two bodies issue it in the United States: the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board (NMTCB), whose entry-level certificants use the designation CNMT, and the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT), which offers Nuclear Medicine Technology as one of its disciplines, written N(ARRT). Both require a nuclear medicine program accredited through JRCNMT and a passing exam score, and US employers accept either one. You earn the certification once and then keep it current with an annual renewal and continuing education.
NMTCB vs ARRT for nuclear medicine
Two bodies certify nuclear medicine technologists, and most employers accept either, so the choice comes down to which registry fits your plans. The NMTCB is the specialty board built only for nuclear medicine; ARRT is the broader radiologic-technology registry that offers nuclear medicine as one credential among many.
| NMTCB (CNMT) | The nuclear-medicine-only board. Its entry-level exam is a 90-item computer adaptive test, and it issues nuclear medicine specialty credentials such as CT, PET, and nuclear cardiology. |
|---|---|
| ARRT Nuclear Medicine Technology, N(ARRT) | One discipline inside the ARRT registry that also covers radiography, CT, MRI, and radiation therapy. Useful if you plan to add another imaging modality under the same body. See the ARRT certification guide. |
| Which to earn | Either satisfies most jobs and most state boards. Match it to the employer or state board you're targeting, and hold both if you want the NMTCB specialty exams and the wider ARRT modality options. |
Both accept a JRCNMT-accredited program as the education route, and many technologists sit both exams early in their careers because the coursework overlaps. If your department images hearts or runs a PET/CT scanner, the NMTCB specialty exams give you a nuclear-medicine-specific way to document that skill.
Who requires nuclear medicine technologist certification
Hospitals, imaging centers, and cardiology and PET/CT practices ask for the credential on nearly every nuclear medicine posting. In our US listings the role is Nuclear Medicine Technologist, and it appears under titles like nuclear medicine technician and PET/CT technologist at employers such as large hospital systems. Postings typically ask for NMTCB or ARRT(N) certification and, where the state licenses the profession, a current state license on top of it. New graduates of a JRCNMT-accredited program are common hires, since the program itself sets up exam eligibility.
Requirements and eligibility
- Accredited program. Complete a nuclear medicine technology program recognized by NMTCB, which means one reviewed by JRCNMT or by the Armed Forces Military Training Commands, CAMRT, or ANZSNM. ARRT's primary pathway likewise expects a JRCNMT-accredited program.
- Degree. A certificate, associate, bachelor's, or master's degree qualifies for the NMTCB exam. ARRT's primary pathway requires an associate degree or higher.
- Clinical training. Your program's supervised rotations in radiation safety, radiopharmacy, imaging procedures, and instrumentation satisfy the hands-on requirement. You don't need separate paid work experience before the entry-level exam.
- The 5-year rule. For the NMTCB entry-level exam, you must meet every eligibility standard within 5 years of finishing your program.
- Ethics review. ARRT adds a Standards of Ethics requirement with a background review, and both bodies expect you to disclose criminal history or license discipline.
Cost, format, and renewal
The figures below are current as of 2026, from NMTCB and ARRT. Fees cover the entry-level nuclear medicine exam; specialty add-ons like CT are priced separately.
| Issuing bodies | Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board (NMTCB) or the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) |
|---|---|
| NMTCB exam fee | $200 examination processing fee (NMTCB, 2026) |
| NMTCB exam format | A computer adaptive test of 90 multiple-choice items with a 1 hour 55 minute limit, offered year-round at a testing center |
| ARRT(N) exam format | A computer-based exam at a Pearson VUE center; you pass with a scaled score of 75 on a 1 to 99 scale (ARRT, 2026) |
| NMTCB renewal fee | About $40 a year to renew the CNMT registration (NMTCB, 2026) |
| ARRT renewal fee | $65 a year for the ARRT registration (ARRT, 2026) |
| CE requirement | 24 continuing education hours every 2 years, at either body |
| Validity | Certification is earned once; you renew the registration every year |
| If it lapses | You stop working under the credential until you reinstate it, and departments verify status directly with the board |
Adding CT and other specialties
The CT add-on is a separate certification you earn after the entry-level credential, not part of it. The NMTCB(CT) exam is aimed at technologists who already run SPECT/CT or PET/CT and want to document CT skill on its own. It has real prerequisites: 300 clinical hours in PET/CT, SPECT/CT, or CT with 10 different procedures over 50 repetitions in the prior 3 years, plus 35 didactic contact hours in that same window (recent graduates of an accredited program are treated as meeting the didactic part). The application fee is $225, the exam runs 3.5 hours across 200 questions, and the credential is valid for one year at a time. To keep it you hold an active primary certification and log 12 CT-specific CE hours every 2 years. ARRT offers CT as a post-primary credential too, added the same way once you already hold a primary ARRT registration. NMTCB also runs PET and nuclear cardiology specialty exams on the same add-on model.
Certification and your state license
National certification and a state license are separate, and whether you need the license depends on your state. Many states license nuclear medicine technologists and accept your NMTCB or ARRT(N) certification as the qualifying standard, so you apply to the state board on your own after you pass. Some states don't license the profession at all. Because technologists handle radioactive material, a few states also run a separate radioactive-materials or radiation-control registration. Check your state's rules before your first job, because where a license is required the employer needs both it and your national certification.
How to get certified
- Enroll in a nuclear medicine technology program accredited through JRCNMT, and earn at least the degree your target certification requires.
- Finish the program's classroom coursework and supervised clinical rotations, which cover radiation safety, radiopharmacy, and instrumentation.
- Decide whether you're testing with the NMTCB, ARRT, or both, and confirm you meet each body's eligibility, including the NMTCB 5-year window.
- Apply and pay the exam fee. For the NMTCB, start at the NMTCB nuclear medicine exam page; for ARRT, use the ARRT credentialing handbook.
- Schedule and pass the exam, then apply for your state license if your state requires one.
- Renew your registration every year and log 24 CE hours per 2-year cycle, adding the CT or PET specialty exam later if your work moves into that scanner.
Demand for NMTCB on MedJobList
NMTCB is named in 50 of the active US openings we track right now. Those are nuclear medicine technologist roles at hospital systems and imaging centers, posted under titles like nuclear medicine technician and PET/CT technologist. You can browse them in the section below, or filter the full job list by the NMTCB credential yourself.
On the job
Keep your registration current before your start date, because departments verify NMTCB or ARRT status directly with the board and an expired credential can hold up your badge. Ask at the interview who covers continuing education: many hospitals reimburse the annual renewal fee and give staff paid CE time, since keeping technologists certified is on the department too. Track your 24 CE hours through the year rather than the month they're due, and if your unit adds a PET/CT or SPECT/CT scanner, start logging the clinical hours you'll need for the CT specialty exam while you're doing the work.
FAQ
Both certify nuclear medicine technologists and most employers accept either. NMTCB is the specialty board built only for nuclear medicine, with its own CT, PET, and nuclear cardiology exams. ARRT is the broader radiologic-technology registry that offers nuclear medicine as one discipline alongside radiography, CT, MRI, and radiation therapy. Many technologists hold both.
The NMTCB charges a $200 examination processing fee for the entry-level nuclear medicine exam as of 2026. After you're certified, the annual CNMT renewal fee is about $40 a year. The CT specialty exam is priced separately at $225.
You earn it once and keep it by renewing your registration every year and completing 24 continuing education hours every 2 years, at either the NMTCB or ARRT. The NMTCB(CT) specialty credential is shorter, valid one year at a time, and needs 12 CT-specific CE hours every 2 years plus an active primary certification.
You complete a nuclear medicine technology program recognized by NMTCB, which means one reviewed by JRCNMT or by the Armed Forces Military Training Commands, CAMRT, or ANZSNM. A certificate, associate, bachelor's, or master's degree qualifies, and you must meet every eligibility standard within 5 years of finishing your program.
It depends on the state. Many states license the profession and accept your NMTCB or ARRT(N) certification as the qualifying standard, so you apply to the state board separately after you pass. Some states don't license it at all. Because the work involves radioactive material, a few states also run a separate radiation-control registration.
You take a separate CT specialty exam after you already hold a primary credential. For the NMTCB(CT) you need 300 clinical hours in PET/CT, SPECT/CT, or CT with 10 different procedures over 50 repetitions in the prior 3 years, plus 35 didactic contact hours. The exam is 200 questions over 3.5 hours, costs $225, and the credential is renewed yearly. ARRT offers CT as a post-primary credential on the same model.