Also called: Radiochemist (PET Production)
Makes radioactive drugs for PET scans and cancer treatment that must be used within hours.
Starts at 3 a.m. to produce a radioactive tracer with a cyclotron, runs quality tests in minutes before it decays, and ships it to hospitals by morning.
Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in chemistry; radiation safety training.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Chemistry, Nuclear Engineering.
Growing faster than average. Growing with theranostics.
Low risk for 10 years. Making short-lived radioactive drugs at dawn under radiation rules is hands-on, fast-paced work; demand is rising.
Classes: AP Chemistry, AP Physics, Algebra II.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-2031.
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