Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 29-1124

Radiation Therapists

Median pay sits 69% below the mid peer in Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations (neighbors include Radiologists, Orthodontists, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, Dermatologists).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Radiation Therapists: Radiologists ($421K) , Orthodontists ($289K) , Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons ($352K) , Dermatologists ($329K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Radiation Therapists publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 29-1124 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Position patients for treatment with accuracy, according to prescription
  2. 2. Administer prescribed doses of radiation to specific body parts, using radiation therapy equipment according to established practices and…
  3. 3. Follow principles of radiation protection for patient, self, and others
  4. 4. Review prescription, diagnosis, patient chart, and identification
  5. 5. Conduct most treatment sessions independently, in accordance with the long-term treatment plan and under the general direction of the pat…
  6. 6. Enter data into computer and set controls to operate or adjust equipment or regulate dosage
  7. 7. Check radiation therapy equipment to ensure proper operation
  8. 8. Observe and reassure patients during treatment and report unusual reactions to physician or turn equipment off if unexpected adverse reac…
  9. 9. Educate, prepare, and reassure patients and their families by answering questions, providing physical assistance, and reinforcing physici…
  10. 10. Maintain records, reports, or files as required, including such information as radiation dosages, equipment settings, or patients' reactions
  11. 11. Check for side effects, such as skin irritation, nausea, or hair loss to assess patients' reaction to treatment
  12. 12. Prepare or construct equipment, such as immobilization, treatment, or protection devices

Radiation Therapists: O*NET ranks Reading Comprehension first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 29-1124 - lead skill Reading Comprehension at 3.8 ; lead knowledge Customer and Personal Service. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Reading Comprehension 3.8
  2. 2. Active Listening 3.8
  3. 3. Critical Thinking 3.5
  4. 4. Social Perceptiveness 3.4
  5. 5. Operations Monitoring 3.4
  6. 6. Speaking 3.3
  7. 7. Monitoring 3.3
  8. 8. Coordination 3.3

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Customer and Personal Service 4.6
  2. 2. English Language 4.0
  3. 3. Medicine and Dentistry 4.0
  4. 4. Physics 3.8
  5. 5. Mathematics 3.6
  6. 6. Education and Training 3.5
Pay vs Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations peers
-69%
vs mid peer median $335,550
This role $105,310/yr
$105K
National median
↑ +2%
Growth 2024-2034
900
Annual openings
17,070
Estimated US jobs
Radiologists
Highest-pay peer · $421K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Associate's degree

Top Paying States for Radiation Therapists

1. Oregon $131,600
2. Washington $125,880
3. New York $129,620
4. Illinois $124,600
5. Hawaii $125,520
6. Connecticut $116,170
7. California $166,450
8. Kansas $108,830
9. New Jersey $129,460
10. Arizona $108,760

Other Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations titles

  1. 1. Radiologists $420,860
  2. 2. Orthodontists $289,140
  3. 3. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons $352,220
  4. 4. Dermatologists $328,730
  5. 5. Prosthodontists $311,180
  6. 6. Anesthesiologists $391,490

Among Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations peers on this card, Radiation Therapists sits 69% below the mid peer median ($335,550). Its own median is $105,310.

Employment Projections expect +2% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 900 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Associate's degree as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Oregon at $131,600. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Radiologists at $420,860. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Radiation Therapists pay-rank #33 in Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations

Radiation Therapists sits at pay-rank #33 of 71 detailed Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations, the middle third of the major-group median table. ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.

Other mid-table titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 29-1124 · national median $105,310 · middle third of Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations (#33/71). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Radiation Therapists salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 29-1124

Oregon · top state for Radiation Therapists

$132K published median

Washington · #2 state pay

$126K · behind Oregon

Radiologists

Highest-pay peer vs Radiation Therapists · $421K

Orthodontists

Lower-pay peer beside Radiation Therapists · $289K

Compare Radiation Therapists

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Radiation Therapists with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Radiation Therapists

Against another occupation

Radiologists card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Radiation Therapists mid-table among Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations? ▼
Yes: pay-rank #33 of 71 detailed Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations, the middle third. Mid-table neighbors: Physical Therapists ($103K), Nuclear Medicine Technologists ($101K), Occupational Therapists ($100K), Genetic Counselors ($100K). ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.
What do radiation therapists do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Radiation Therapists. Leading ones include: Position patients for treatment with accuracy, according to prescription; Administer prescribed doses of radiation to specific body parts, using radiation therapy equipment according to established practices and…; Follow principles of radiation protection for patient, self, and others; Review prescription, diagnosis, patient chart, and identification. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for radiation therapists? ▼
For SOC 29-1124, O*NET importance scores lead with Reading Comprehension (3.8), Active Listening (3.8), Critical Thinking (3.5), Social Perceptiveness (3.4). Knowledge areas emphasize Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Medicine and Dentistry. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Radiation Therapists? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $105,310 as the national median for Radiation Therapists. The published 10th-90th range is $80,560 to $156,710. Beside Radiologists ($420,860), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Radiation Therapists? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Radiation Therapists is +2%. Projected annual openings: about 900. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Radiation Therapists? ▼
BLS assigns Associate's degree as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Radiation Therapists. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Radiation Therapists? ▼
Oregon ($131,600), Washington ($125,880), New York ($129,620) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Radiation Therapists card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 29-1124. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Radiation Therapists. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics