Career
Radiation therapists
Treat cancer with precisely targeted radiation.
$105,310
Median pay
+2.8%
Job growth, 2025–35
700
Openings a year
Associate's degree
Typical education
2 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- 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.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then people & care?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Position patients for treatment with accuracy, according to prescription.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Operations Monitoring.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
2 years of education after high school (associate's degree), for a median of $105,310 a year and 700 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Allied Health ProfessionsSee the degree →
- Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation TherapistCIP 51.0907
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians$74,310 · +3.7%
- Radiologic Technologists and Technicians$80,110 · +5.0%
- Respiratory Therapists$82,280 · +8.5%
- Nuclear Medicine Technologists$101,370 · +4.4%
- Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$96,590 · +13.9%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.