Radiation therapists employed in the United States typically report earning salaries in the range from $48,187 to $90,161 a year including bonuses and earnings from profit sharing according to the salary information provided by Payscale.
The annual bonuses can amount to up to $1,979 and contributions from profit sharing are generally in the range between $2,896 and $3,104 a year according to Payscale’s salary data.
Radiation therapists with the certification of Registered Technologist in Radiation Therapy (RT ARRT) typically make between $48,171 and $91,313 annually and therapists with the certification from the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists generally earn an annual pay in the range from $55,931 to $90,585.
Therapists with the qualification of ARRT Registered Technologist in Radiography are usually paid between $53,582 and $121,198 a year according to Payscale’s salary figures.
Professionals specializing in radiation therapy typically earn between $52,933 and $92,655 a year and those whose expertise lies in computed tomography (CT) are generally paid between $63,500 and $77,949 annually according to Payscale.
Average salary
The average salary for radiation therapists employed in the United States is $71,000 a year according to the salary data reported by Indeed and $64,238 a year according to the salary figures provided by Payscale.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports a mean annual income of $80,410 and a median yearly salary of $77,560 for this occupation. 10% of the best paid radiation therapists earn $113,810 a year or more, and the 10% on the lower end of the pay scale make $51,720 a year or less. The middle 50% of radiation therapists are paid an annual income in the range from $63,340 to $94,790 according to the BLS.
Image: Linda Bartlett
Other industries with a high average yearly income are medical and diagnostic laboratories, where radiation therapists are paid an average annual income of $83,910, and universities, colleges, and professional schools, where the median salary for these professionals is $81,170 a year.
Radiation therapists employed at general medical and surgical hospitals typically make about $77,360 annually and those working at outpatient care centers are paid $80,050 a year on average according to the BLS salary data.
Starting salary
The average salary for radiation therapists in their first year on the job is generally in the range from $29,696 to $73,011 a year according to the salary statistics provided by Payscale. Radiation therapists with less than a year of experience typically make between $15.26 and $34.14 per hour.
Salary by state
Radiation therapists’ yearly salaries can vary considerably from state to state. Therapists based in New York generally report earning an annual pay in the range from $47,667 to $100,294, those employed in Texas are typically paid between $54,248 and $82,045 annually, and professionals working in California make between $66,226 and $91,563 a year.
Radiation therapists employed in Florida generally earn an annual income in the range from $30,913 to $87,262 and those working in Michigan are usually paid between $55,028 and $75,188 annually.
Therapists based in Missouri report earning salaries in the range from $50,980 to $67,000 a year and those employed in Illinois are generally paid an annual salary in the range from $42,500 to $67,407 according to Payscale’s salary statistics.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reveals that the top paying states for radiation therapists are Connecticut, where these professionals earn an average annual salary of $99,440, followed by Washington, where the median yearly salary for this occupation is $98,970, and California, where radiation therapists make $97,480 a year on average. Other states with a high average annual income are New Jersey, with a median annual salary of $92,960, and New York, with $92,190 a year.
Based on the BLS salary figures, radiation therapists based in Vermont earn $75,910 a year on average, those working in Mississippi are paid $76,630 a year on average, and professionals employed in Arizona earn an average annual salary of $75,510. Therapists working in Montana make $80,910 a year on average and those based in Florida earn around $79,920 annually. Professionals employed in Pennsylvania are paid $75,740 a year on average and those based in Texas earn a median yearly income of $75,470 according to the BLS.
Salary by city
Radiation therapists’ annual salaries can also vary considerably from city to city. For example, radiation therapists employed in New York generally report earning salaries in the range from $55,000 to $89,430 a year, while those based in Houston typically make between $60,000 and $68,986 a year according to the salary data reported by Payscale.
Salary range
The salary range for radiation therapists working in the U.S. depends on a number of factors. Work experience in the field is one of the major ones. Based on the salary data reported by Payscale, radiation therapists with 1 to 4 years of work experience are typically paid between $40,968 and $78,155 a year and those with 5 to 9 years of experience earn salaries in the range from $50,910 to $85,893 annually. Radiation therapists with 10 to 19 years of professional experience generally make between $51,387 and $106,214 a year and those with 20 or more years of work experience under their belt typically report earning an annual income in the range from $70,390 to $97,957 according to Payscale.
In terms of industry, radiation therapists working in the health care sector generally make between $41,426 and $89,388 a year and those working in outpatient radiation therapy typically earn an income in the range from $49,226 to $80,537 a year. Therapists working at hospitals are usually paid between $39,149 and $87,500 a year, those employed at oncologists’ offices make between $58,000 and $82,500 annually, and professionals working at cancer treatment hospitals generally earn an annual pay in the range from $61,003 to $78,617 according to Payscale’s salary data.
Men typically make between $46,000 and $89,669 a year and women generally earn an income in the range from $51,219 to $90,528 a year based on Payscale’s data.
Benefits
Radiation therapists typically get a variety of benefits and perks along with their basic yearly salary and bonus earnings, and their beneits packages can sometimes reflect their annual income.
Radiation therapists who have 401(k) plans included in their benefits package are usually paid between $51,765 and $89,954 a year, those who have paid vacations and holidays generally make between $51,826 and $87,103 annually and professionals who have life and disability insurance report earning an annual pay in the range from $50,893 to $88,507.
Radiation therapists who have paid sick leave earn between $49,627 and $87,050 annually and those with a company pension plan are generally paid between $55,234 and $89,568 a year. Professionals who get reimbursement for training, education, certification, or tuition typically report earning an income in the range from $53,582 to $89,329 a year and those who have 403(b) plans are generally paid between $43,278 and $95,019 a year according to the salary figures reported by Payscale.
The most popular benefits among radiation therapists, as reported by Payscale, are 401(k), paid holidays and vacations, life and disability insurance, 403(b), paid sick leave, reimbursement for professional education, training, tuition, and certification, and company pension plans.
Hourly wage
The hourly wage of radiation therapists employed in the U.S. is generally in the range from $23.76 to $43.04 per hour, with overtime rates ranging from $35.37 to $61.37 per hour according to the salary figures reported by Payscale.
The hourly pay can vary depending on a number of factors, including years of experience. Radiation therapists with 1 to 4 years of experience generally make between $22.81 and $36.09 per hour and those with 5 to 9 years of experience are paid between $25.17 and $41.18 per hour. Professionals with 10 to 19 years of experience earn an hourly salary in the range from $29.06 to $49.51 and those with 20 or more years of experience are generally paid between $25.60 and $51.52 per hour according to Payscale.
The hourly rate also depends on geographical location. Radiation therapists working in California generally make between $18.25 and $55.74 per hour, those based in Florida are paid between $22.38 and $37.85 per hour, and professionals employed in Texas earn an hourly salary in the range from $23.24 to $32.07 based on Payscale’s data. Therapists based in Pennsylvania make between $19 and $45.20 per hour and those working in New York earn an hourly wage in the range from $22.29 to $51.17 per hour. Professionals employed in Virginia are paid between $24 and $36.84 per hour and those working in Illinois earn an hourly pay in the range from $25.19 to $37.03 according to the salary data reported by Payscale.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports a mean hourly salary of $38.66 and a median hourly wage of $37.29 for this profession. 10% of radiation therapists employed in the U.S. earn $24.86 per hour or less, and the 10% on the higher end of the scale are paid $54.72 per hour or more. The middle 50% of radiation therapists generally earn an hourly pay in the range from $30.45 to $45.57 according to the BLS salary data.
The hourly rate for this occupation varies from industry to industry. Radiation therapists employed at general medical and surgical hospitals typically earn around $37.19 per hour, those working at offices of physicians make $40.93 per hour on average, and professionals working at outpatient care centers are paid a median hourly salary of $38.49. Radiation therapists employed at specialty hospitals (not including psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals) earn $42.09 per hour on average and those employed by universities, colleges, and professional schools are paid $39.03 per hour on average. Professionals working at medical and diagnostic laboratories earn an average hourly pay of $40.34 and those working in employment services make $41.39 per hour on average according to the salary figures provided by the BLS.
Radiation therapists’ hourly salary can also vary significantly from state to state. Therapists employed in New York are usually paid about $44.32 per hour, those based in California earn $46.87 per hour on average, and professionals working in Florida make $38.42 per hour on average. Radiation therapists working in Texas are paid $36.29 per hour on average, those employed in Pennsylvania earn around $36.41 per hour, and professionals based in Vermont earn an average hourly pay of $36.50 according to the BLS.
Radiation therapists employed in Arizona make $36.30 per hour on average, those working in Mississippi are paid around $36.84 per hour, and professionals based in Montana earn a median hourly wage of $38.90. Therapists based in Washington make around $47.58 per hour, those working in New Jersey earn $44.69 per hour on average, and professionals employed in Connecticut earn an average hourly salary of $47.81 based on the salary statistics provided by the BLS.
Other income factors
Radiation therapists’ salaries also depend on the type of employer. Therapists working at hospitals generally earn between $39,777 and $87,401 a year and those employed by companies are usually paid between $30,639 and $88,084 annually. Radiation therapists working for the state or local government earn a yearly income in the range from $62,351 to $77,948 and those employed by private practices and firms are generally paid between $51,047 and $92,000 a year according to Payscale.
Hospital setting is another factor that can affect a radiation therapist’s annual salary. Therapists working at general hospitals are usually paid between $40,695 and $83,345 a year, those employed at physicians’ offices and private practices typically make between $45,981 and $93,258 annually, and professionals working in other settings generally report earning salaries in the range from $62,110 to $88,902 a year according to Payscale’s salary statistics.
Radiation therapists’ annual pay can also vary depending on academic degree. Professionals with an associate’s degree typically make between $45,688 and $90,604 a year, those with an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Radiation Therapy are paid between $48,980 and $68,986 annually, and therapists with an Associate of Science (AS) in Radiation Therapy earn salaries in the range from $56,000 to $85,000 a year.
Radiation therapists with a bachelor’s degree are usually paid between $53,432 and $83,353 a year and those with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Radiation Therapy typically report earning an annual pay in the range from $52,933 to $95,914 a year according to Payscale.
The yearly earnings from profit sharing also depend on a number of factors, including years of professional experience. Radiation therapists with 1 to 4 years of experience earn $1,600 a year on average and those with 10 to 19 years of experience get $3,000 a year on average based on Payscale’s salary data.