Radiation therapist vs technician

The differences between radiation therapists and 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 technician. Additionally, a radiation therapist has an average salary of $84,981, which is higher than the $38,045 average annual salary of a technician.

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

Radiation therapist vs technician overview

	Radiation Therapist	Technician
Yearly salary	$84,981	$38,045
Hourly rate	$40.86	$18.29
Growth rate	6%	1%
Number of jobs	39,384	596,842
Job satisfaction	-	2
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Average age	42	40
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 technician do?

Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with. They are usually working with electricity or with technological advancements. Technicians may be assigned to do the construction of equipment or materials related to their field of study. They may also be assigned to conduct diagnostics and other maintenance activities to ensure that the equipment works properly. Technicians may also be required to conduct basic repairs in case of problems. It is important that technicians have good analytical skills and decision-making skills.

Radiation therapist vs technician salary

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

	Radiation Therapist	Technician
Average salary	$84,981	$38,045
Salary range	Between $63,000 And $113,000	Between $24,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City	Los Angeles, CA	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	Mississippi	Hawaii
Best paying company	Cedars-Sinai	Microsoft
Best paying industry	-	Telecommunication

Differences between radiation therapist and technician education

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

	Radiation Therapist	Technician
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common major	Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology	Business
Most common college	Duke University	-

Radiation therapist vs technician demographics

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

	Radiation Therapist	Technician
Average age	42	40
Gender ratio	Male, 34.3% Female, 65.7%	Male, 75.2% Female, 24.8%
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, 9.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 4.9% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	17%	2%

Differences between radiation therapist and 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.

Technician example responsibilities.

Achieve multiple ASE certifications within first year of employment.
Implement and manage UHF radio base stations, repeaters, and command network, effectively linking all regional headquarters.
Manage telecommunications installation and repair for hospital Nortel network.
Maintain numerous automate scripts to assist in managing Linux systems.
Manage, troubleshot and repair multiple wireless technologies including fiber optic transmission switches.
Install peripherals including printers, fax machines, scanners, and smartphones.

Radiation therapist vs technician skills

Common radiation therapist skills

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

Common technician skills

Patients, 16%
Customer Service, 14%
Patient Care, 8%
Hand Tools, 6%
Diagnosis, 5%
Preventative Maintenance, 4%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Radiation Therapist
Radiation Therapist vs Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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