Radiation Therapists earn an average annual salary of $162,797, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. The field has seen strong growth, with employment increasing by 26.5% over recent years. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Hospitals and General Medical and Surgical Hospitals.

Key Statistics

1,240
2023 Workforce
None
Average Age
$162,797
Average Salary

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Radiation Therapists workforce.

Employment Over Time

1,240 Workforce in 2023

The Radiation Therapists workforce has been growing over time.

Historical employment trends for Radiation Therapists.

Yearly Wage Ranking

$162,797 Average Wage

In 2023, Radiation Therapists earned an average of $162,797.

Wage ranking compared to other occupations.

Wage Distribution

This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Radiation Therapists.

Salary distribution for Radiation Therapists.

Employment Growth Projections

-1.5% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

4,234 Projected Employment (5 years)

Projected growth: -7.1%

3,931 Projected Employment (10 years)

Projected growth: -13.8%

This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.

Historical employment trends and future projections for Radiation Therapists.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Radiation Therapists and on wages for those in the field.

Occupations by Industries

This graphic shows the share of Radiation Therapists employed by various industries.

Industry distribution for Radiation Therapists.

Wage Trends by Industry

1.5% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate

Total, All Industry: -10.4% growth (Current: $198,174)

Historical wage growth trends by industry for Radiation Therapists.

Geographic Distribution

Employment and wage information by geographic location for Radiation Therapists.

Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).

Top States by Employment

Top States by Employment:

  • CA: 1,040 employees, $165,912 avg wage

Top 10 states by employment for Radiation Therapists.

Top Metropolitan Areas

Top Metropolitan Areas:

  • Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 310 employees, $155,001 avg wage
  • San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 140 employees, $157,384 avg wage
  • Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 120 employees, $121,495 avg wage
  • San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 120 employees, $195,112 avg wage
  • Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 100 employees, $178,215 avg wage
  • San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 100 employees, $198,174 avg wage
  • Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 80 employees, $191,523 avg wage
  • Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 70 employees, $164,433 avg wage

Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Radiation Therapists.

Diversity

Demographic information on Radiation Therapists in the US.

Gender and Age

The workforce of Radiation Therapists in 2023 was 1,240 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.

Gender and age distribution for Radiation Therapists.

Races

Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.

Race and ethnicity distribution for Radiation Therapists.

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices and required skills for Radiation Therapists.

Majors

The most common majors achieved by Radiation Therapists in 2023 were Health Sciences, Biology, Psychology.

Common majors for Radiation Therapists.

Education Levels

The main educational levels achieved by Radiation Therapists workers.

Education level distribution for Radiation Therapists.

Skills

Radiation Therapists need many skills, but most especially Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness, Operations Monitoring.

Required skills for Radiation Therapists.

Knowledge & Abilities

Knowledge areas and abilities required for Radiation Therapists.

Knowledge Areas

The most important knowledge areas for Radiation Therapists include Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Medicine and Dentistry, Physics, Mathematics.

Knowledge areas required for Radiation Therapists.

Abilities

Key abilities needed for Radiation Therapists include Oral Comprehension, Problem Sensitivity, Oral Expression, Written Comprehension, Written Expression.

Required abilities for Radiation Therapists.

Work Activities

Common work activities performed by Radiation Therapists.

Daily Activities

Radiation Therapists spend their time on activities such as Assisting and Caring for Others, Controlling Machines and Processes, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Documenting/Recording Information, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events.

Most important work activities for Radiation Therapists.

About

Radiation Therapists

The average yearly wage for Radiation Therapists was $162,797 in 2023.

SOC Code

29-1124 - Radiation Therapists

Insights and Analysis

High earnings profile: Radiation Therapists reports an average salary of $162,797, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.

Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 1,240 workers, indicating sustained demand.

Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -1.5%, which should inform long-term career planning.

Data Sources

This page uses data from the following sources:

  • College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
    • Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
    • Employment and wage data by occupation
    • Latest data: May 2024
    • Source: bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
    • Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
    • Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
    • Source: onetcenter.org
  • IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
    • Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
  • Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
    • Demographic and workforce data
    • Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
    • Source: census.gov/acs

Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.

Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.

Methodology

Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.

All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.