Radiation therapist vs prn radiation therapist

The differences between radiation therapists and prn radiation therapists 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 prn radiation therapist. Additionally, a radiation therapist has an average salary of $84,981, which is higher than the $71,933 average annual salary of an prn radiation therapist.

The top three skills for a radiation therapist include patients, patient care and radiation oncologist. The most important skills for an prn radiation therapist are patients, social work, and CPR.

Radiation therapist vs prn radiation therapist overview

	Radiation Therapist	PRN Radiation Therapist
Yearly salary	$84,981	$71,933
Hourly rate	$40.86	$34.58
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	39,384	78,842
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 40%	Master's Degree, 39%
Average age	42	42
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 prn radiation therapist do?

PRN Radiation therapists are medical professionals who are responsible for administering and recording radiation treatments to patients that are prescribed by a radiation oncologist. These therapists must follow the orders of physicians and departmental guidelines when performing radiation therapy procedures as well as maintaining confidentiality in recording patient treatment information. They must communicate with the families of patients about the routine during radiation therapy. PRN Radiation therapists must also monitor the clinical education of radiation therapy students.

Radiation therapist vs prn radiation therapist salary

Radiation therapists and prn radiation therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Radiation Therapist	PRN Radiation Therapist
Average salary	$84,981	$71,933
Salary range	Between $63,000 And $113,000	Between $52,000 And $99,000
Highest paying City	Los Angeles, CA	Los Angeles, CA
Highest paying state	Mississippi	California
Best paying company	Cedars-Sinai	Erlanger Health System
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between radiation therapist and prn radiation therapist education

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

	Radiation Therapist	PRN Radiation Therapist
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 40%	Master's Degree, 39%
Most common major	Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology	Social Work
Most common college	Duke University	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Radiation therapist vs prn radiation therapist demographics

Here are the differences between radiation therapists' and prn radiation therapists' demographics:

	Radiation Therapist	PRN Radiation Therapist
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 34.3% Female, 65.7%	Male, 23.4% Female, 76.6%
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, 6.5% Unknown, 8.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 3.9% White, 70.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	17%	17%

Differences between radiation therapist and prn radiation therapist 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.

Prn radiation therapist example responsibilities.

Demonstrate working knowledge of community mental health services identify in the Medicaid guidelines and attain contractual outcomes within designate time frames.
Utilize special treatment procedures such as SBRT and SRS.
Operate treatment machines, associate equipment and computer verification systems to deliver the planned treatment accurately using IGRT.
Limit HDR planning, coding/billing.
Perform morning QA on machines.
Preform EKG's and monitor ventilators.

Radiation therapist vs prn radiation therapist skills

Common radiation therapist skills

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

Common prn radiation therapist skills

Patients, 28%
Social Work, 13%
CPR, 10%
Mental Health, 7%
Radiation Therapy, 7%
Patient Care, 6%

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Radiation Therapist
Radiation Therapist vs PRN Radiation Therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

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