Locum radiation therapist vs certified medical technician

The differences between locum radiation therapists and certified medical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a locum radiation therapist, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a locum radiation therapist has an average salary of $86,279, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.

The top three skills for a locum radiation therapist include oncology, patients and aria. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Locum radiation therapist vs certified medical technician overview

	Locum Radiation Therapist	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$86,279	$38,859
Hourly rate	$41.48	$18.68
Growth rate	6%	5%
Number of jobs	39,165	164,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	42	44
Years of experience	2	12

What does a locum radiation therapist do?

A locum radiation therapist temporarily fulfills the duties of other therapists. They provide patients treatment services to the radiation oncology department whenever they are experiencing staff shortages and perform simulations and deliver all treatment efficiently. In oncology, a locum radiation therapist managed the day-to-day operation of radiation oncology services to ensure compliance with departmental operational goals and create a program to combine PET scan fusion with radiation oncology by forging a partnership with alliance imaging. Locum radiation therapists must have technical and interpersonal skills and be detailed oriented.

What does a certified medical technician do?

Certified Medical Technicians are specialists in medical diagnoses by performing laboratory testing and analysis for hospitals and physicians. Their duties include lab sanitization to prepare for testing and collection, recording medical samples for testing, specimen preparation, blood drawing for donation and testing, and assisting physicians with sample collection as well as equipment handling in surgical rooms. They must also understand how to use complex and sensitive testing equipment such as cell counters, analyzers, microscopes, and centrifuges.

Locum radiation therapist vs certified medical technician salary

Locum radiation therapists and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Locum Radiation Therapist	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$86,279	$38,859
Salary range	Between $64,000 And $116,000	Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	-	Denton, TX
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between locum radiation therapist and certified medical technician education

There are a few differences between a locum radiation therapist and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:

	Locum Radiation Therapist	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology	Nursing
Most common college	Duke University	University of Connecticut

Locum radiation therapist vs certified medical technician demographics

Here are the differences between locum radiation therapists' and certified medical technicians' demographics:

	Locum Radiation Therapist	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	42	44
Gender ratio	Male, 48.0% Female, 52.0%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 8.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 5.4% White, 69.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 15.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 10.0% White, 53.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	17%	8%

Differences between locum radiation therapist and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Locum radiation therapist example responsibilities.

Manage daily clinical staffing needs by appropriately deploying PRN therapist when need, which save company from employing an additional FTE.
Provide daily QA on Varian equipment.
Utilize a Varian 6EX machine with IMPAC record and verify software.
Work on Nucletron for HDR breast, skin and gynecologic treatments.
treat using Siemens Primus and Impac while studying for boards and job hunting.
Position and treat patients accurately according to physician's prescription.

Certified medical technician example responsibilities.

Maintain the cleanliness of storage areas, trays, centrifuges, refrigerators, freezers and work area.
Administer medications to patients according to their medication record as scheduled, as needed according to physician orders.
Perform laboratory test and procedures in areas including chemistry, hematology, urinalysis, coagulation, serology, and bacteriology.
Perform first aid and apply CPR when necessary.
Perform first aid or CPR during medical emergencies until paramedics arrive.
Assist the residents in their ADL needs and prepare their meals.

Locum radiation therapist vs certified medical technician skills

Common locum radiation therapist skills

Oncology, 25%
Patients, 23%
Aria, 12%
IMRT, 11%
IGRT, 10%
OBI, 4%

Common certified medical technician skills

Patients, 17%
Vital Signs, 12%
CPR, 8%
Administer Medications, 7%
Resident Care, 6%
HIPAA, 6%

Locum Radiation Therapist vs. similar jobs

Locum Radiation Therapist related careers

Locum Radiation Therapist related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Locum Radiation Therapist
Locum Radiation Therapist vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse healthcare practitioner and technical jobs