NOC 32121 job description: nuclear medicine technologist duties and responsibilities
- Operate X-ray, radiographic and fluoroscopic equipment, computerized tomography (CT) scanners and mammography units to produce radiographs or anatomic images of the human body for the diagnosis by radiologists of disease or injury
- Record and process patient data
- Perform basic verification and quality control checks on radiographic and film processing equipment
- Provide appropriate care and monitoring of the patient during the radiographic examination
- Explain procedures, position patient and equipment and apply radiation protection measures
- May train and supervise student radiographers or supervise other radiological technologists.
- Prepare and administer radiopharmaceuticals, such as radionuclides and other tracer materials to patients or to biological samples
- Operate radiation detection equipment, such as gamma cameras, scanners, scintillation counters, tomodensitometers and ionization chambers, to acquire data for use by nuclear medicine physicians in the diagnosis of disease
- Perform diagnostic procedures using radioactive materials on biological specimens, such as blood, urine and faeces
- Record and process results of procedures
- Check equipment to ensure proper operation
- Provide appropriate care and monitoring of the patient during the examination
- Apply radiation protection measures
- May train and supervise student nuclear medicine technologists or supervise other nuclear medicine technologists.
- Operate linear accelerators, cobalt 60, X-ray and other radiation therapy equipment to administer radiation treatment prescribed by radiation oncologists
- Check radiation therapy equipment to ensure proper operation
- Assist radiation oncologists and clinical physicists with preparation of radiation treatment plan
- Assist in the preparation of sealed radioactive materials such as cobalt, radium, cesium and isotopes and the construction of devices such as plaster casts and acrylic moulds to assist with administration of radiation treatment
- Provide appropriate care and monitoring of the patient's physical and psychological well-being during the entire course of treatment
- Explain procedures and side effects of radiation
- May train and supervise student radiotherapy technologists or supervise other radiotherapy technologists.
- Operate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners to produce anatomic images of the human body for diagnosis by radiologists of disease or injury
- Record and process patient data
- Perform verification and quality control checks on magnet equipment
- Safety screen all patients for contra-indicators present that could harm the patient or would exclude the patient from having the examination
- Provide appropriate care and monitoring of the patient during the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination
- Administer and follow the necessary safety precautions for entry to the magnet room to protect themselves, the patient, their colleagues, other members of the health care team and any other individuals who may be present
- May train and supervise student magnetic resonance technologists or supervise other magnetic resonance technologists.
Job titles under NOC 32121
See every job title and its code in the A–Z job title index, or all TEER 2 jobs.
Is NOC 32121 eligible for Express Entry?
By TEER, yes. TEER 2 is inside the TEER 0 to 3 range that the Federal Skilled Worker Program and Canadian Experience Class accept. You still need qualifying work experience, language test results and enough CRS points to get an invitation. Category-based draws and provincial nominee programs use their own occupation lists.
| Program | TEER check | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Skilled Worker | TEER qualifies | TEER 2 is within TEER 0 to 3 |
| Canadian Experience Class | TEER qualifies | TEER 2 is within TEER 0 to 3 |
| Federal Skilled Trades | Not a listed trade | Only certain trade groups qualify. Check IRCC |
| Spouse's open work permit | Qualifies | On IRCC's TEER 2–3 list. SOWP rules |
Category-based draws: NOC 32121 is on IRCC's Healthcare and social services list (checked 2026-10-16). Under NOC 2016, TEER 2 was skill level B ("NOC B").
Category-based Express Entry draws and provincial nominee programs use their own occupation lists. Check the current lists on IRCC's Express Entry page and provincial nominee page.
NOC 32121: common questions
What is NOC 32121?
NOC 32121 is the code for medical radiation technologists in Canada's National Occupational Classification (NOC 2021). Its first digit, 3, is the broad category and its second digit, 2, is the TEER level. Immigration forms, job offers and LMIA applications use this five-digit code.
What TEER is NOC 32121?
NOC 32121 is TEER 2. Occupations that usually need a college program of two to three years or an apprenticeship of two to five years, or that carry supervisory or significant safety responsibilities. Under the older NOC 2016 system, TEER 2 lines up with skill level B.
Is NOC 32121 eligible for Express Entry and PR?
By TEER, yes. TEER 2 is inside the TEER 0 to 3 range that the Federal Skilled Worker Program and Canadian Experience Class accept. You still need qualifying work experience, language test results and enough CRS points to get an invitation. Category-based draws and provincial nominee programs use their own occupation lists.
Is NOC 32121 in a category-based Express Entry draw?
Yes. As of IRCC's list dated 2026-10-16, NOC 32121 is in the healthcare and social services category. Category-based draws invite candidates with at least 6 months of continuous work experience in one of the listed occupations, and IRCC updates the lists from time to time.
Is NOC 32121 eligible for a spousal open work permit (SOWP)?
Yes. NOC 32121 is on IRCC's list of TEER 2 occupations that qualify, so a worker in this job can support a spouse's open work permit, as long as their own work permit has at least 16 months left when the spouse applies (IRCC page modified 2026-06-12).
What is the NOC code for a nuclear medicine technologist?
Nuclear medicine technologist is listed under NOC 32121, medical radiation technologists. The job title alone does not decide your code: your duties should match the main duties of NOC 32121.
How do I know if NOC 32121 is my NOC code?
Compare what you actually do with the main duties listed for NOC 32121, not just your job title. IRCC expects your duties to match the lead statement and most of the main duties of the code you choose. If they fit another code better, use that one. You can paste your duties into nocfinder to see how they line up, duty by duty.
Source: ESDC NOC 2021 · IRCC program pages. Not legal advice.