Radiation therapist vs mri technologist

The differences between radiation therapists and mri technologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a radiation therapist and an mri technologist. Additionally, a radiation therapist has an average salary of $84,981, which is higher than the $77,257 average annual salary of an mri technologist.

The top three skills for a radiation therapist include patients, patient care and radiation oncologist. The most important skills for an mri technologist are patients, ARRT, and magnetic resonance imaging.

Radiation therapist vs mri technologist overview

	Radiation Therapist	MRI Technologist
Yearly salary	$84,981	$77,257
Hourly rate	$40.86	$37.14
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	39,384	53,125
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 40%	Associate Degree, 56%
Average age	42	45
Years of experience	2	2

What does a radiation therapist do?

A radiation therapist is a medical professional who works in hospitals or cancer treatment centers and treats cancer and other diseases in patients by giving radiation treatments. Radiation therapists are required to explain the treatment plans to patients as well as conduct x-ray tests on patients to determine the exact location of the area that requires treatment. They must examine radiation machines to ensure that they are safe and working properly. Radiation therapists must also follow safety procedures to protect patients and themselves from overexposure.

What does an mri technologist do?

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technologists are medical professionals who manage everything involved in the MRI machine. They operate the machines to get scans of the patients' brain, spinal cord, or muscles, which would help doctors identify or diagnose clients' illnesses and diseases. They help the patients prepare for the MRI scans and ensure that they are properly protected. They also carefully take direction from attending physicians to ensure that they scan the correct body part needed for the diagnosis. MRI technologists are also in charge of maintaining the MRI machine and working on repairs whenever needed.

Radiation therapist vs mri technologist salary

Radiation therapists and mri technologists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Radiation Therapist	MRI Technologist
Average salary	$84,981	$77,257
Salary range	Between $63,000 And $113,000	Between $42,000 And $138,000
Highest paying City	Los Angeles, CA	Modesto, CA
Highest paying state	Mississippi	California
Best paying company	Cedars-Sinai	Siemens Healthineers
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between radiation therapist and mri technologist education

There are a few differences between a radiation therapist and an mri technologist in terms of educational background:

	Radiation Therapist	MRI Technologist
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 40%	Associate Degree, 56%
Most common major	Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology	Medical Technician
Most common college	Duke University	Texas A&M University

Radiation therapist vs mri technologist demographics

Here are the differences between radiation therapists' and mri technologists' demographics:

	Radiation Therapist	MRI Technologist
Average age	42	45
Gender ratio	Male, 34.3% Female, 65.7%	Male, 43.6% Female, 56.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 8.8% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.5% White, 69.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 5.4% Unknown, 3.3% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 10.4% White, 69.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	17%	12%

Differences between radiation therapist and mri technologist duties and responsibilities

Radiation therapist example responsibilities.

Manage all payroll, accounts receivable and payable, and maintain complete records of equipment and staff.
Manage daily clinical staffing needs by appropriately deploying PRN therapist when need, which save company from employing an additional FTE.
Perform SBRT and SRS, and IMRT treatments under the supervision of the physician.
Set up patients on treatment machine, port films and IGRT to line up patients.
Ensure treatment plans are consistent with oncologist's prescriptions and verify EMR for daily treatment delivery.
Monitor patients records through EMR, maintain weekly and monthly reports for the company, maintain and order supplies.

Mri technologist example responsibilities.

Manage and direct the ALARA program for the diagnostic imaging flight.
Contribute significantly to department's continuous quality improvement process; achieve ACR certification.
Position patients with superb quality care, professional courtesy & compassion.
Register, image, process, QC, and finalize all patient exams for specialist and radiologist review.
Perform routine MRI procedures, maintain daily QA, computer documentation, & screen patients for MRI safety.
Obtain and record weight, height, temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure and document in EMR system.

Radiation therapist vs mri technologist skills

Common radiation therapist skills

Patients, 28%
Patient Care, 9%
Radiation Oncologist, 8%
Patient Treatment, 6%
Dosimetry, 4%
Treatment Planning, 4%

Common mri technologist skills

Patients, 19%
ARRT, 11%
Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 10%
Radiology, 8%
Magnetic Resonance, 7%
CPR, 7%

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Radiation Therapist vs MRI Technologist

Updated January 8, 2025

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