X-ray technician vs radiation therapist

The differences between x-ray technicians and 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 an x-ray technician and a radiation therapist. Additionally, a radiation therapist has an average salary of $84,981, which is higher than the $51,642 average annual salary of an x-ray technician.

The top three skills for an x-ray technician include patients, ARRT and radiologic technologist. The most important skills for a radiation therapist are patients, patient care, and radiation oncologist.

X-ray technician vs radiation therapist overview

	X-Ray Technician	Radiation Therapist
Yearly salary	$51,642	$84,981
Hourly rate	$24.83	$40.86
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	60,780	39,384
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 62%	Associate Degree, 40%
Average age	43	42
Years of experience	2	2

What does an x-ray technician do?

The job of X-ray technicians, or X-ray technologists, is to detect medical issues that may need urgent medical treatment using cutting-edge imaging methods. The pictures they generate aid physicians in diagnosing and treating injuries and illnesses with better accuracy. They use a wide range of imaging technologies such as the traditional X-ray machines, computerized axial tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging. X-ray technicians may also perform some office work that includes preparing work schedules, managing radiologic departments, and setting up physicians' stations.

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.

X-ray technician vs radiation therapist salary

X-ray technicians and radiation therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	X-Ray Technician	Radiation Therapist
Average salary	$51,642	$84,981
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $81,000	Between $63,000 And $113,000
Highest paying City	Fresno, CA	Los Angeles, CA
Highest paying state	California	Mississippi
Best paying company	Stability Healthcare	Cedars-Sinai
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between x-ray technician and radiation therapist education

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

	X-Ray Technician	Radiation Therapist
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 62%	Associate Degree, 40%
Most common major	Medical Technician	Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology
Most common college	Texas A&M University	Duke University

X-ray technician vs radiation therapist demographics

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

	X-Ray Technician	Radiation Therapist
Average age	43	42
Gender ratio	Male, 40.3% Female, 59.7%	Male, 34.3% Female, 65.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 9.3% White, 57.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	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%
LGBT Percentage	10%	17%

Differences between x-ray technician and radiation therapist duties and responsibilities

X-ray technician example responsibilities.

Manage day-to-day operation of PACS equipment including image archiving.
Train personnel in triage, first aid, and CPR.
Put patients into rooms, pull charts, and learned EMR as the office transition to electronic records.
Input patient information in to the EMR, room patients, assist the doctor in all in office procedures.
Provide mobile x-rays and EKG's for nursing homes, state hospital, and patients unable to leave their homes.
Produce quality images using c-arm during surgical procedures.

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.

X-ray technician vs radiation therapist skills

Common x-ray technician skills

Patients, 22%
ARRT, 9%
Radiologic Technologist, 6%
CPR, 5%
Customer Service, 5%
Pacs, 3%

Common radiation therapist skills

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

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X-Ray Technician
X-Ray Technician vs Radiation Therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

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