How much do radiation therapists make?

Radiation Therapist salary 2026 · BLS occupation: Radiation Therapists (SOC 29-1124) · Updated October 28, 2026

Answer

Radiation therapists in the US earned a median of $105,310 a year ($50.63 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $92,060 to $126,340.

Median annual pay: $105,310; Mean $114,990
Median hourly pay: $50.63; Mean $55.28
Typical range (10th–90th): $80.6K–$157K; $80,560 to $156,710
US jobs: 17,070; +2.8% projected, 2025–35

BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology

How to become a radiation therapist: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: California

Radiation Therapist pay range

Annual wages, May 2025

10th percentile$80,560
25th percentile$92,060
Median$105,310
75th percentile$126,340
90th percentile$156,710

Half of all radiation therapists earned more than $105,310 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $80,560; the top 10% made over $156,710. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $92,060 to $126,340.

These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.

Percentile	Annual	Hourly	Monthly
10th	$80,560	$38.73	$6,713
25th	$92,060	$44.26	$7,672
Median (50th)	$105,310	$50.63	$8,776
75th	$126,340	$60.74	$10,528
90th	$156,710	$75.34	$13,059
Mean (average)	$114,990	$55.28	$9,583

Radiation Therapist salary by state

Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024

Median annual pay for radiation therapists by state. Darker tiles pay more. A dash means BLS did not publish a figure.

Highest-paying states

1. California $166,450
2. Oregon $131,600
3. New York $129,620
4. New Jersey $129,460
5. Washington $125,880

Lowest-paying states

46. West Virginia $71,590
45. Arkansas $78,950
44. Iowa $81,610
43. Tennessee $83,520
42. Alabama $87,330

Best after cost of living: California. Its median of $166,450 is worth about $150,334 at national-average prices.


Alabama	$87,330	42	$98,319	38	$41.99	120	0.06
Alaska	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Arizona	$108,760	10	$108,029	19	$52.29	410	0.13
Arkansas	$78,950	45	$90,813	45	$37.96	80	0.06
California	$166,450	1	$150,334	1	$80.02	1,720	0.09
Colorado	$108,020	11	$104,821	25	$51.93	320	0.11
Connecticut	$116,170	8	$112,122	9	$55.85	110	0.07
Delaware	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
District of Columbia	$100,250	24	$91,218	43	$48.20	70	0.10
Florida	$100,920	21	$97,588	40	$48.52	1,280	0.13
Georgia	$94,460	38	$98,096	39	$45.41	470	0.10
Hawaii	$125,520	6	$114,160	8	$60.35	—	—
Idaho	$99,660	27	$104,363	26	$47.92	100	0.12
Illinois	$124,600	7	$124,652	3	$59.91	—	—
Indiana	$96,690	35	$103,601	27	$46.49	360	0.11
Iowa	$81,610	44	$92,990	42	$39.24	120	0.08
Kansas	$108,830	9	$120,831	4	$52.32	240	0.17
Kentucky	$97,760	33	$108,431	18	$47.00	170	0.09
Louisiana	$94,710	37	$107,372	21	$45.54	230	0.12
Maine	$101,980	19	$105,080	24	$49.03	140	0.21
Maryland	$107,120	13	$102,059	31	$51.50	250	0.09
Massachusetts	$106,300	14	$100,513	34	$51.10	330	0.09
Michigan	$95,890	36	$99,660	35	$46.10	450	0.10
Minnesota	$98,000	32	$99,370	37	$47.11	210	0.07
Mississippi	$88,100	41	$101,319	33	$42.36	70	0.06
Missouri	$99,890	26	$109,990	13	$48.03	420	0.14
Montana	$105,400	17	$111,364	11	$50.67	50	0.11
Nebraska	$98,670	29	$109,508	14	$47.44	120	0.12
Nevada	$92,990	40	$93,010	41	$44.71	110	0.07
New Hampshire	$106,270	15	$102,021	32	$51.09	60	0.08
New Jersey	$129,460	4	$118,984	6	$62.24	600	0.14
New Mexico	$100,010	25	$108,457	17	$48.08	100	0.12
New York	$129,620	3	$120,106	5	$62.32	820	0.09
North Carolina	$99,250	28	$105,220	23	$47.72	710	0.14
North Dakota	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Ohio	$98,650	30	$106,334	22	$47.43	690	0.12
Oklahoma	$98,390	31	$112,007	10	$47.30	120	0.07
Oregon	$131,600	2	$127,321	2	$63.27	160	0.08
Pennsylvania	$100,540	23	$103,042	29	$48.34	560	0.09
Rhode Island	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
South Carolina	$100,790	22	$107,510	20	$48.46	200	0.09
South Dakota	$97,470	34	$110,029	12	$46.86	—	—
Tennessee	$83,520	43	$90,911	44	$40.15	350	0.11
Texas	$105,770	16	$108,977	15	$50.85	1,000	0.07
Utah	$107,660	12	$108,897	16	$51.76	70	0.04
Vermont	$101,060	20	$103,167	28	$48.59	50	0.17
Virginia	$103,310	18	$102,182	30	$49.67	500	0.12
Washington	$125,880	5	$117,631	7	$60.52	540	0.15
West Virginia	$71,590	46	$79,992	46	$34.42	120	0.18
Wisconsin	$93,600	39	$99,474	36	$45.00	550	0.19
Wyoming	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure (5 states). State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.

Best-paying metro areas for radiation therapists

74 metro areas with published pay

Highest median pay
Metro area	Median	Adjusted	Jobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$206,350	$186,872	130
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$205,670	$177,895	220
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	$182,240	$170,845	110
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	$171,500	$153,280	140
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$169,150	$148,944	480
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$135,550	$120,421	960
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$133,410	$120,045	250
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	$130,800	$122,884	—
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	$128,650	$122,035	130
Urban Honolulu, HI	$125,520	$113,121	—

Most jobs
Metro area	Jobs	Median	Adjusted
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	960	$135,550	$120,421
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	480	$169,150	$148,944
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	390	$119,960	$116,973
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC	360	$99,250	$101,954
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	350	$105,770	$107,240
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ	350	$108,770	$105,279
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	310	$92,060	$80,645
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	280	$99,860	$99,802
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	270	$108,450	$99,601
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	260	$106,300	$98,184

BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).

What moves radiation therapist pay: employers and settings

Radiation therapy is one of the better-paid two-year health careers. The median is $105,310, with the 10th percentile at $80,560, and the 90th at $156,710, which is a spread that reflects differences between employers and places in a given year, not a pay ladder by years of service.

Work setting makes a real difference. Hospitals employ more than half of all therapists at a median of $103,880 and physicians' offices, which include many private oncology practices, pay $110,610 at the median. Outpatient care centers pay the most at $127,680 and specialty hospitals such as cancer hospitals pay $120,910 at the median. Staffing agencies sit lower, at $81,540.

Location matters even more. California leads with a median of $166,450, and also has the most jobs, 1,720; it remains the best-paying state after adjusting for living costs ($150,334). Next come Oregon at $131,600, New York at $129,620, New Jersey at $129,460, and Washington ($125,880). The lowest-paying states are Arkansas at $78,950, Iowa at $81,610, and West Virginia at $71,590. Moving into dosimetry, CT simulation or a lead therapist role can raise pay within a department.

Where radiation therapists work
Industry	Share of jobs	Median pay
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	54.8%	$103,880
Offices of Physicians	27.9%	$110,610
Outpatient Care Centers	5.6%	$127,680
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals	5.3%	$120,910
Employment Services	2.1%	$81,540
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	1.3%	$113,230

Private employers and government
Employer type	Jobs	Median pay
Private employers	15,500	$105,300
Local government (incl. schools and hospitals)	680	$102,960

BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).

Radiation Therapist pay over time

Median annual pay, 2015–2025

$105K $80.2K

2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Nominal median (dollars of each year)In May 2025 dollars (adjusted with CPI-U)

The median rose from $80,220 in 2015 to $105,310 in 2025, up 31% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2015 median is worth $108,441 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay fell 3% over the period.

BLS OEWS, May 2025 and earlier May releases; inflation from the CPI-U, US city average, May of each year.

What radiation therapists do

A radiation therapist delivers the radiation treatments that a radiation oncologist prescribes, mostly to people with cancer. The main tool is a linear accelerator, a machine the size of a small room that aims high-energy beams at a tumor while sparing the tissue around it. Before treatment starts, therapists often run the CT simulation scan used to map the tumor and build the molds, masks or cushions that hold a patient in exactly the same position every day.

The work is done in hospital cancer centers, freestanding radiation oncology clinics and physician-owned practices. Therapists work in a team with the radiation oncologist, the medical dosimetrist who plans the dose, the medical physicist who checks the machine's output, and oncology nurses. Because a course of treatment usually runs several weeks with sessions most weekdays, therapists see the same patients again and again and get to know them. They operate the machine from a shielded control room and watch the patient on camera, and they spend much of the day on their feet positioning and helping patients onto the treatment table.

A typical day

Check the prescription, the treatment plan and the patient's identity before every session
Line the patient up on the table using tattoo marks, lasers and the custom immobilization device
Take X-ray or cone-beam CT images to confirm the tumor is exactly where the plan expects it
Run the linear accelerator from the control room and watch the patient on camera and intercom
Ask about skin changes, fatigue and nausea and pass concerns to the nurse or oncologist
Run CT simulation scans and build masks, molds and other positioning aids for new patients
Record each dose and setting, and run the daily machine safety checks

Also called: computed tomography simulation therapist (ct simulation therapist), dosimetrist, radiation therapist (rt), radiation therapy technologist (rtt), registered radiation therapist, staff radiation therapist.

How to become a radiation therapist

Full guide

To become a radiation therapist, finish a JRCERT-accredited radiation therapy program (usually a 2-year associate degree or a 4-year bachelor's), then pass the ARRT radiation therapy exam and get any license your state requires. Most people are working within 2 to 4 years of starting.

Typical time: 2-4 years; Fastest: 2 years
Minimum education: Associate degree plus completion of an ARRT-approved (JRCERT-accredited) radiation therapy program
License: Required in most states (license or certification, usually based on ARRT certification); rules vary by state
Typical training cost: $9.5K–$42.1K; See the guide for what it includes

Read the step-by-step guide to becoming a radiation therapist: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.

Is it worth it? Training cost against pay

Compare careers

Training time: 2-4 years; Typical path in our guide
Training cost: $9.5K–$42.1K; Tuition and exam fees, before aid
Median pay: $105,310; $54,330 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
Cost vs. one year's pay: 9–40%; Training cost as a share of a year at the median

Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($54,330 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in less than a year after training ends (2-4 years in our guide). This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.

Job outlook for radiation therapists

BLS Employment Projections 2025–35

Projected growth: +2.8%; All occupations +3.5%
Jobs in 2025: 17,400; 17,900 projected for 2035
Openings each year: 700; New jobs plus replacements
Self-employed: —; Not in the pay figures above

BLS projects employment of radiation therapists to rise 2.8% from 2025 to 2035, from 17,400 to 17,900 jobs, a bit slower than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 700 openings a year are expected, most of them created when therapists retire or leave the field.

Two forces pull in opposite directions. An aging population means more cancer and more people needing radiation. But newer techniques deliver higher doses in fewer sessions, so each therapist can treat more patients. With a small workforce, new graduates may need to be flexible about location.

Related careers and their pay

Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.

Radiation Therapist salary FAQ

How much do radiation therapists make an hour?

The median hourly wage for radiation therapists was $50.63 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $38.73 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $75.34. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.

Which state pays radiation therapists the most?

California has the highest median pay for radiation therapists, $166,450 a year, followed by Oregon ($131,600) and New York ($129,620). After adjusting for each state's price level, California comes out ahead at about $150,334 in national-average dollars.

Do radiation therapists make $200,000 a year?

Few do: based on the BLS percentiles, fewer than 10% of radiation therapists earn more than $200,000 a year. The median is $105,310, and the top 10% earn more than $156,710. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.

Is a radiation therapist the same as a radiologic technologist?

No. A radiologic technologist, or X-ray tech, takes diagnostic images to help doctors find disease. A radiation therapist uses radiation to treat disease, mainly cancer, following a radiation oncologist's prescription. Both hold ARRT credentials, but they are separate certifications with separate exams. Some therapists start as X-ray techs and then complete a shorter radiation therapy certificate program to switch.

Is being a radiation therapist dangerous?

The exposure risk is low when safety rules are followed. Therapists leave the treatment room before the beam turns on and run the machine from a shielded control area. Each one wears a dosimeter badge that tracks any radiation they receive, and departments review those readings. The bigger day-to-day strain is physical and emotional: standing for long stretches, helping patients move, and working closely with people who are seriously ill.

Do radiation therapists work nights and weekends?

Rarely. Radiation treatments are planned weeks ahead and scheduled during the workday, so most therapists work full time on a regular weekday schedule. Some busy cancer centers run early-morning or evening shifts to fit more patients on each machine, and a few cover urgent treatments, but overnight and weekend work is uncommon compared with most hospital jobs.

Sources

Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 29-1124
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
O*NET 31.0 Database (29-1124.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
Fees, American Registry of Radiologic Technologists · checked October 28, 2026
Radiation Therapists: Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
Education Requirements (Primary Pathway), American Registry of Radiologic Technologists · checked October 28, 2026
License Finder, CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor) · checked October 28, 2026
Eligibility; Exam Dates and Fees, Medical Dosimetrist Certification Board · checked October 28, 2026
Radiation Therapy Professional Curriculum, American Society of Radiologic Technologists · checked October 28, 2026
Continuing Qualifications Requirements, American Registry of Radiologic Technologists · checked October 28, 2026
Continuing Education, American Registry of Radiologic Technologists · checked October 28, 2026
Student FAQs, Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) · checked October 28, 2026

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