Radiation Therapists
What Radiation Therapists Do
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. May assist in dosimetry procedures and tumor localization.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- Self-employed
- Not available
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 3 of 5Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
- Education
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- Job training
- Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.6/5
- English Languageimportance 4.0/5
- Medicine and Dentistryimportance 4.0/5
- Physicsimportance 3.8/5
- Mathematicsimportance 3.6/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 3.5/5
- Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.5/5
- Therapy and Counselingimportance 3.4/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Contact With Others5.0/5
- Physical Proximity4.9/5
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.9/5
- Exposed to Disease or Infections4.8/5
- E-Mail4.7/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.7/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Diagnostic Medical Sonographers95% skill match
- Prepress Technicians and Workers93% skill match
- Nuclear Technicians93% skill match
- Respiratory Therapists93% skill match
- Nuclear Medicine Technologists93% skill match
- Furniture Finishers92% skill match
- Chemical Technicians92% skill match
- Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders91% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.4/5
- Operations Monitoringimportance 3.4/5
- Coordinationimportance 3.3/5
- Service Orientationimportance 3.3/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.1/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 3.1/5
- Time Managementimportance 3.1/5
- Instructingimportance 3.0/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
- Beam analysis software
- Dose unit calculation software
- Electronic medical record EMR software
- Image processing software
- Lifeline Software RadCalc
- Nucletron planning systems
- Patient management software
- Procedure scheduling software
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Empathy
- Cooperation
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Integrity
- Self-Control
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticMedium
- SocialMedium
- InvestigativeMedium
- ConventionalMedium
- EnterprisingLow
- ArtisticLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where radiation therapists make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Eau Claire, WI8.22× national avg
- 2Columbia, MO4.93× national avg
- 3Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC2.42× national avg
- 4Portland-South Portland, ME2.34× national avg
- 5Winston-Salem, NC2.30× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Diagnostic Medical SonographersLateral Move
- Respiratory TherapistsLateral Move
- Nuclear Medicine TechnologistsLateral Move
- Cardiovascular Technologists and TechniciansLateral Move
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.
Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapist
- Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale (Fort Lauderdale, FL)grads earn ~$61,608
- Santa Rosa Junior College (Santa Rosa, CA)
- Victor Valley College (Victorville, CA)grads earn ~$119,604
- Meridian Institute of Surgical Assisting (Nashville, TN)grads earn ~$79,119
- Smith Chason College (Los Angeles, CA)grads earn ~$64,611