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Radiation Therapist

$105,310
median / year
$80,560 – $156,710
what most earn per year (10th–90th percentile)

What the job actually is

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

You may also see this posted as: Dosimetrist, Radiation Therapist (RT), Registered Radiation Therapist, Staff Radiation Therapist, Computed Tomography Simulation Therapist (CT Simulation Therapist), Radiation Therapy Technologist (RTT).

Where you work

Hospitals and cancer treatment centers

The hours

Full time, regular daytime hours

The day to day

What you'd actually spend time doing

  • Position patients for treatment with accuracy, according to prescription.
  • Administer prescribed doses of radiation to specific body parts, using radiation therapy equipment according to established practices and standards.
  • Follow principles of radiation protection for patient, self, and others.
  • Review prescription, diagnosis, patient chart, and identification.
  • Conduct most treatment sessions independently, in accordance with the long-term treatment plan and under the general direction of the patient's physician.

Good fit if you like…

Realistic

working with tools, equipment, materials, or the physical world

Social

helping, teaching, caring for, or supporting other people

Investigative

solving problems, analyzing evidence, and figuring out how things work

O*NET job zone 3 of 5

Medium preparation—often vocational training, an associate degree, or substantial experience—is usually needed.

Work styles that matter most

EmpathyCooperationAttention to DetailDependability

Software that shows up in the work

Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.

eClinicalWorks EHR softwareEclipse IDEEpic SystemsMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft Word

By the numbers

May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$105,310
per year
Hourly median
$50.63
per hour
What most earn
$80,560–$156,710
yearly, 10th to 90th percentile
Openings a year
~900
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+1.9%
Little change
Working in the U.S.
17,070
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.

What it pays in your state

Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.

BLS state wage tables

How you get in

Typical starting education

Associate degree

Training path: Associate degree in radiation therapy.

Related work experience: None.

On-the-job training: None.

License or certification

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

Check the path where you live

Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.

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 and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.