Radiation therapist vs radiation therapy technician

The differences between radiation therapists and radiation therapy technicians 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 a radiation therapy technician. Additionally, a radiation therapist has an average salary of $84,981, which is higher than the $61,960 average annual salary of a radiation therapy technician.

The top three skills for a radiation therapist include patients, patient care and radiation oncologist. The most important skills for a radiation therapy technician are patients, radiology, and EMR.

Radiation therapist vs radiation therapy technician overview

	Radiation Therapist	Radiation Therapy Technician
Yearly salary	$84,981	$61,960
Hourly rate	$40.86	$29.79
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	39,384	34,724
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 40%	Associate Degree, 49%
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 a radiation therapy technician do?

Radar engineers are responsible for improving radar efficiency and fixing numerous technical bugs that can pop up. They will design radar equipment using advanced modeling and testing. Adhering to safety and compliance standards is also necessary. This career will require various mechanical, writing, and speaking skills for optimal success in developing mathematical algorithms.

Radiation therapist vs radiation therapy technician salary

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

	Radiation Therapist	Radiation Therapy Technician
Average salary	$84,981	$61,960
Salary range	Between $63,000 And $113,000	Between $40,000 And $94,000
Highest paying City	Los Angeles, CA	-
Highest paying state	Mississippi	-
Best paying company	Cedars-Sinai	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between radiation therapist and radiation therapy technician education

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

	Radiation Therapist	Radiation Therapy Technician
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 40%	Associate Degree, 49%
Most common major	Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology	Medical Technician
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Radiation therapist vs radiation therapy technician demographics

Here are the differences between radiation therapists' and radiation therapy technicians' demographics:

	Radiation Therapist	Radiation Therapy Technician
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 34.3% Female, 65.7%	Male, 36.1% Female, 63.9%
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, 6.8% Unknown, 8.8% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 3.0% White, 70.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	17%	17%

Differences between radiation therapist and radiation therapy technician 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.

Radiation therapy technician example responsibilities.

Manage flow and daily operation of the treatment linac.
Develop skills in RapidArc (or VMAT) treatment.
Train and supervise student radiotherapy technologists.
Deliver daily radiation therapy treatments to oncology patients.
Train or supervise student or subordinate radiotherapy technologists.
Administer and monitor anesthesia for patients receiving radiation therapy.

Radiation therapist vs radiation therapy technician skills

Common radiation therapist skills

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

Common radiation therapy technician skills

Patients, 50%
Radiology, 9%
EMR, 7%
Aria, 6%
Patient Treatment, 5%
Treatment Machines, 3%

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Radiation Therapist
Radiation Therapist vs Radiation Therapy Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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