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OaSIS 2025 Version 1.0
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32121.03 – Radiation therapists

Radiation therapists operate radiation therapy equipment to administer radiation treatments. This occupation includes supervisors and instructors.

Overview

Example job titles

  • Radiation therapist
  • Radiation therapists supervisor
  • Radiation therapy technical coordinator
  • Radiation therapy technologist (RTT)

Core competencies

  • Critical Thinking to review prescribed doses of radiation and actual treatment doses delivered during sessions to ensure compliance to safety standards
  • Operation Monitoring of Machinery and Equipment to check radiation therapy equipment to ensure proper operation or identify the need to calibrate
  • Problem Identification and Deductive Reasoning to report unusual reactions to radiation therapies to physician or turn equipment off if unexpected adverse reactions occur
  • Categorization Flexibility and Information Ordering to consult with healthcare teams to recommend dosages or treatments that are best suited to patient conditions and anatomy
  • Attention to Detail to enter data into computer and set controls to operate or adjust equipment or regulate dosage
  • Knowledge in Biology to comprehend how radiation affects different tissues and organs in the body

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Operate linear accelerators, cobalt 60, X-ray and other radiation therapy equipment to administer radiation treatment prescribed by radiation oncologists
  • Check radiation therapy equipment to ensure proper operation
  • Assist radiation oncologists and clinical physicists with preparation of radiation treatment plan
  • Assist in the preparation of sealed radioactive materials such as cobalt, radium, cesium and isotopes and the construction of devices such as plaster casts and acrylic moulds to assist with administration of radiation treatment
  • Provide appropriate care and monitoring of the patient's physical and psychological well-being during the entire course of treatment
  • Explain procedures and side effects of radiation
  • May train and supervise student radiotherapy technologists or supervise other radiotherapy technologists.

Additional information

  • There is no mobility between the four types of medical radiation technologists without further training.
  • Experience as a medical radiation technologist is required for supervisors and instructors.
  • Radiation therapists may specialize in areas such as dosimetry, stereotaxy, computed tomography (CT) simulation or brachytherapy.

Similar occupations classified elsewhere

Exclusions:

  • Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists (32123)
  • Medical laboratory technologists (32120)
  • Medical sonographers (32122)
  • Other medical technologists and technicians (32129)
  • Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists (32103)

NOC hierarchy breakdown

NOC version

NOC 2021 Version 1.0

Broad occupational category

3 – Health occupations

TEER

2 – Occupations usually require a college diploma or apprenticeship training of two or more years; or supervisory occupations

Major group

32 – Technical occupations in health

Sub-major group

321 – Technical occupations in health (except practitioners of natural healing)

Minor group

3212 – Medical technologists and technicians

Unit group

32121 – Medical radiation technologists

Occupational profile

32121.03 – Radiation therapists

O*NET in-it

This page includes information from the O*NET 27.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Employment and Social Development Canada has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.