Radiation Therapists vs Radiologic Technologist: $105K vs $80K Median Pay

Radiation Therapists vs Radiologic Technologist: what changes?

Consider Radiation Therapists if you want to provide radiation therapy to patients as prescribed by a radiation oncologist according to established practices and standards. Consider Radiologic Technologist if you would rather take x-rays and CAT scans or administer nonradioactive materials into patient's bloodstream for diagnostic or research purposes. Both list associate's degree; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Radiation Therapists and Radiologic Technologist. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Radiation Therapists

National median pay (2025): $105,310
Route into the job: Associate's degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Position patients for treatment with accuracy, according to prescription.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 700

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (17,400 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Radiation Therapists brief

Radiologic Technologist

National median pay (2025): $80,110
Route into the job: An associate degree with clinical training is typical. Check the program's full timeline, certification eligibility, and state licensing requirements before estimating when you can start paid work.
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Physical work: Long periods on your feet, patient positioning, and sometimes lifting or turning patients.
Schedule and hours: Hospital imaging may require evening, weekend, or overnight coverage; outpatient schedules can differ.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 13,000

Know before you choose

Imaging is hands-on patient care. Ask about help with transfers and the staffing of the shifts you would actually work.

BLS: entry routes, workplace, and schedules · Reviewed September 6, 2026. BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections.

What the workforce research adds

ASRT's 2025 staffing survey reported a 15.6% radiography vacancy rate, indicating continued staffing demand.

ASRT · 2025. Survey measures differ across careers; their percentages are not directly comparable. A national survey does not establish local hiring odds or the quality of a particular employer.

See the full Radiologic Technologist brief

How the national numbers differ

Radiologic Technologist has the edge on annual openings

Radiologic Technologist is at 13,000 annual openings, compared with 700 annual openings for Radiation Therapists.

Radiologic Technologist has the edge on projected growth

Radiologic Technologist is at 5% projected growth, compared with 2.8% projected growth for Radiation Therapists.

Radiation Therapists has the edge on median pay

Radiation Therapists is at $105,310, compared with $80,110 for Radiologic Technologist.

49.4/ 100

Radiation Therapists

67.7/ 100

Radiologic Technologist

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Radiation Therapists vs Radiologic Technologist

Dimension	Radiation Therapists	Radiologic Technologist
Median pay (2025)	$105,310	$80,110
Pay percentile	86 percentile	72.4 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	2.8%	5%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	700	13,000
2025 employment	17,400	234,200
How you qualify	Associate's degree	An associate degree with clinical training is typical. Check the program's full timeline, certification eligibility, and state licensing requirements before estimating when you can start paid work.
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 3	Job Zone 3
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Schedules	Varies by employer and setting; ask about shifts, overtime, on-call work, and predictable hours.	Hospital imaging may require evening, weekend, or overnight coverage; outpatient schedules can differ.
Physical work	Unknown: review standing, lifting, repetitive movement, and posture with a practitioner. No overall physical-demand rating is assigned.	Long periods on your feet, patient positioning, and sometimes lifting or turning patients.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Radiation Therapists brief Read Radiologic Technologist brief

Radiation Therapists vs Radiologic Technologist: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Radiation Therapists

Radiologic Technologist

How the national numbers differ

Radiologic Technologist has the edge on annual openings

Radiologic Technologist has the edge on projected growth

Radiation Therapists has the edge on median pay

Radiation Therapists vs Radiologic Technologist

Try another comparison

Radiation Therapists vs Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians

Radiation Therapists vs Nuclear Medicine Technologists

Radiologic Technologist vs Diagnostic Medical Sonographer

Radiologic Technologist vs Registered Nurse