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Oncology treatment delivery
Radiation Therapist
Two-year degree, excellent pay, and you see the same patients for weeks.
Typical pay
$85k-$120k
How you get in
2-year associate or bachelor's plus ARRT certification
Outlook
Steady; a small, well-compensated specialty
Radiation therapists deliver prescribed radiation treatments to cancer patients. It is among the best-paid two-year healthcare credentials, and the daily continuity with patients through a treatment course is unlike most imaging roles.
A day in the life
- 7:00aMachine warm-up and quality assurance checks
- 7:30aFirst treatments — positioning, imaging, delivery
- 10:00aNew patient simulation and immobilization setup
- 12:00pLunch
- 1:00pAfternoon treatment schedule
- 4:00pChart checks and coordination with the oncology team
How to get in
Associate degree
Duration
2-3 years
Cost
$10,000-$35,000
Credential
ARRT(T) certification
- Complete a JRCERT-accredited radiation therapy program
- Finish clinical rotations in a cancer center
- Pass the ARRT radiation therapy exam
- Get state licensed where required and enter a hospital or cancer center
Rad tech into radiation therapy
Duration
12-24 months
Cost
$8,000-$25,000
Credential
ARRT(T) added to your existing registry
- Work as a radiologic technologist first
- Complete a shorter certificate bridge program
- Pass the radiation therapy board exam
- A meaningful pay increase over general radiography
Bachelor's degree
Duration
4 years
Cost
$40,000-$120,000
Credential
BS plus ARRT(T)
- Complete a four-year radiation therapy program
- Same certification as the associate route
- Better positioned for dosimetry, management and education roles
- Medical dosimetry is the natural high-paying next step
What people love
- · Excellent pay for a two-year credential
- · Daytime weekday hours with little call
- · Deep relationships with patients over a treatment course
- · Technically sophisticated equipment
What wears people down
- · Emotionally heavy — many patients do not survive
- · Extremely precise positioning with no room for error
- · Small field with limited program seats
- · Radiation safety discipline is constant