Radiation Therapists

Radiation therapists administer doses of radiation to patients who have cancer or other serious diseases.

Duties

Radiation therapists typically do the following:

• Explain treatment plans to the patient and answer questions about treatment
• Protect the patients and themselves from improper exposure to radiation
• Determine the location of tumors to ensure correct positioning of patients for administering each treatment
• Calibrate and operate the machine to treat the patient with radiation
• Monitor the patient to check for unusual reactions to the treatment
• Keep detailed records of treatment

Radiation therapists operate machines, such as linear accelerators, to deliver concentrated radiation therapy to the region of a patient’s tumor. Radiation treatment may shrink or eliminate cancers and tumors.

Radiation therapists are part of the oncology teams that treat patients with cancer. They often work with the following specialists:

• Medical dosimetrists calculate the correct dose of radiation for cancer treatment
• Medical physicists help in planning radiation treatments, develop better and safer radiation therapies, and check that radiation output is accurate
• Oncology nurses specialize in caring for patients with cancer
• Radiation oncologists are physicians who specialize in radiation therapy

Radiation therapists held about 19,200 jobs in 2024. The largest employers of radiation therapists were as follows:

Radiation therapists stand for long periods and may need to lift or turn patients.

Injuries and illnesses

Because radiation therapists work with radiation and radioactive materials, they should be aware of the risks involved and must follow safety procedures. These procedures require therapists to be in a different room while administering radiation to a patient and to wear a film badge dosimeter to track their exposure.

Work Schedules

Most radiation therapists work full time. They have a regular work schedule because radiation therapy procedures are usually planned in advance.

Radiation therapists typically need an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in radiation therapy. Most states require radiation therapists to be licensed or certified, which often includes passing a national certification exam.

The median annual wage for radiation therapists was $101,990 in May 2024.

Employment of radiation therapists is projected to show little or no change from 2024 to 2034.

Despite limited employment growth, about 900 openings for radiation therapists are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.