Radiation Therapists
Health ScienceO*NET 29-1124.00United States
Provide radiation therapy to patients as prescribed by a radiation oncologist according to established practices and standards. Duties may include reviewing prescription and diagnosis; acting as liaison with physician and supportive care personnel; preparing equipment, such as immobilization, treatment, and protection devices; and maintaining records, reports, and files.
- Median annual earnings
- $105,310
- Projected change
- +6.1%
- Typical education
- Associate degree
- Employment
- 18.74K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
50.1% of the workforce
Growing to 19.89K by 2035
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ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What radiation therapists do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Administer prescribed doses of radiation to specific body parts, using radiation therapy equipment according to established practices and standards.
- Position patients for treatment with accuracy, according to prescription.
- Follow principles of radiation protection for patient, self, and others.
- Review prescription, diagnosis, patient chart, and identification.
- Enter data into computer and set controls to operate or adjust equipment or regulate dosage.
- Conduct most treatment sessions independently, in accordance with the long-term treatment plan and under the general direction of the patient's physician.
- Check radiation therapy equipment to ensure proper operation.
- Observe and reassure patients during treatment and report unusual reactions to physician or turn equipment off if unexpected adverse reactions occur.
- Maintain records, reports, or files as required, including such information as radiation dosages, equipment settings, or patients' reactions.
- Educate, prepare, and reassure patients and their families by answering questions, providing physical assistance, and reinforcing physicians' advice regarding treatment reactions or post-treatment care.
- Prepare or construct equipment, such as immobilization, treatment, or protection devices.
- Check for side effects, such as skin irritation, nausea, or hair loss to assess patients' reaction to treatment.
- Calculate actual treatment dosages delivered during each session.
- Help physicians, radiation oncologists, or clinical physicists to prepare physical or technical aspects of radiation treatment plans, using information about patient condition and anatomy.
- Photograph treated area of patient and process film.
- Act as liaison with physicist and supportive care personnel.
- Provide assistance to other healthcare personnel during dosimetry procedures and tumor localization.
- Schedule patients for treatment times.
- Train or supervise student or subordinate radiotherapy technologists.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $80,558
- 25th percentile
- $92,061
- 50th percentile
- $105,310
- 75th percentile
- $126,339
- 90th percentile
- $156,707
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $105,310 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+6.1%faster than average
202518,741 jobs
2035 projected19,888 jobs
1,147 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- Associate degree
- 50.1%
- Bachelor's degree
- 37.5%
- Certificate
- 8.9%
- Some college
- 3.5%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Radiation Therapists11,277 postings
- 02Lead Radiation Therapists355 postings
- 03Radiation Therapy Technologists265 postings
- 04Travel Radiology Technicians251 postings
- 05Radiation Oncology Registered Nurses174 postings
- 06Radiology Managers132 postings
- 07Radiation Oncology Managers116 postings
- 08Chief Radiation Therapists80 postings
- 09Radiologists66 postings
- 10Locum Tenens Radiation Oncology Physicians64 postings
- 11Radiation Oncology Physicians43 postings
- 12Outpatient Therapists40 postings
- 13Radiation Oncologists36 postings
- 14Allied Health Professionals/Physical Therapists25 postings
- 15Locum Tenens Radiologists23 postings
- 16CT/Radiologic Technologists14 postings
- 17Dosimetrists10 postings
- 18Outpatient Clinical Therapists10 postings
- 19Hematologists/Oncologists9 postings
- 20Clinic Radiologic Technologists8 postings
Top employers
- 01Soliant Health1,751 postings
- 02Aya Healthcare709 postings
- 03AMN Healthcare475 postings
- 04Fusion Medical Staffing377 postings
- 05Titan Medical372 postings
- 06MedPro Healthcare Staffing346 postings
- 07Triage Staffing250 postings
- 08Providence239 postings
- 09Supplemental Health Care235 postings
- 10K&A Recruiting218 postings
- 11Medical Solutions209 postings
- 12Anders Group185 postings
- 13Ingenovis Health180 postings
- 14Gqr162 postings
- 15Health Advocates Network157 postings
- 16Skincure Oncology147 postings
- 17US Oncology Network137 postings
- 18American Traveler133 postings
- 19Accountable Healthcare Staffing127 postings
- 20LeaderStat126 postings
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