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Radiation Therapist

$101,990
median pay per year
full range coming in the next data update

What the job actually is

Operate machines that deliver radiation treatments to cancer patients under a doctor's plan.

Where you work

Hospitals and cancer treatment centers

The hours

Full time, regular daytime hours

By the numbers

May 2024–25 BLS wage data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$101,990
per year
What most earn
range coming soon
Openings a year
~900
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+2%
About average
Working in the U.S.
19,200
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

How you get in

Typical starting education

Associate degree

Training path: Associate degree in radiation therapy.

License or certification

Most states require a license or certification, usually through the ARRT.

What it takes

Equipment operationPatient carePrecisionRecord-keeping

The honest take

Delivers prescribed radiation to cancer patients, a role reachable with a two-year degree rather than medical school.

Standard Occupational Classification 29-1124. Pay, employment, and outlook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wage survey and 2024–34 employment projections). See something off? Tell us.