Will “Radiation Therapy Technician” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔

34% Chance of Automation

“Radiation Therapy Technician” will probably not be replaced by robots.

This job is ranked #248 out of #702. A higher ranking (i.e., a lower number) means the job is less likely to be replaced.

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Job Description

Provide radiation therapy to patients as prescribed by a radiologist according to established practices and standards. Duties may include reviewing prescription and diagnosis; acting as liaison with physician and supportive care personnel; preparing equipment, such as immobilization, treatment, and protection devices; and maintaining records, reports, and files. May assist in dosimetry procedures and tumor localization.

Job Details

The SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code is 29-1124.00
The Mean Annual Wage in the U.S. is $ 84,980.00
The Mean Hourly Wage is $ 40.00
Currently, there are 17,450 people on this job

☝️ Information based on the reference occupation “Radiation Therapists”.

Also Known As…

Tasks for “Radiation Therapy Technician”

Prepare or construct equipment, such as immobilization, treatment, or protection devices.
Conduct most treatment sessions independently, in accordance with the long-term treatment plan and under the general direction of the patient's physician.
Position patients for treatment with accuracy, according to prescription.
Check radiation therapy equipment to ensure proper operation.
Photograph treated area of patient and process film.
Assist in the preparation of sealed radioactive materials, such as cobalt, radium, cesium, or isotopes, for use in radiation treatments.
Administer prescribed doses of radiation to specific body parts, using radiation therapy equipment according to established practices and standards.
Calculate actual treatment dosages delivered during each session.
Implement appropriate follow-up care plans.
Train or supervise student or subordinate radiotherapy technologists.
Act as liaison with physicist and supportive care personnel.
Observe and reassure patients during treatment and report unusual reactions to physician or turn equipment off if unexpected adverse reactions occur.
Schedule patients for treatment times.
Help physicians, radiation oncologists, or clinical physicists to prepare physical or technical aspects of radiation treatment plans, using information about patient condition and anatomy.
Store, sterilize, or prepare the special applicators containing the radioactive substance implanted by the physician.
Check for side effects, such as skin irritation, nausea, or hair loss to assess patients' reaction to treatment.
Follow principles of radiation protection for patient, self, and others.
Provide assistance to other healthcare personnel during dosimetry procedures and tumor localization.
Maintain records, reports, or files as required, including such information as radiation dosages, equipment settings, or patients' reactions.
Enter data into computer and set controls to operate or adjust equipment or regulate dosage.
Educate, prepare, and reassure patients and their families by answering questions, providing physical assistance, and reinforcing physicians' advice regarding treatment reactions or post-treatment care.
Review prescription, diagnosis, patient chart, and identification.

Related Technology & Tools

Drill presses
Medical imaging fluoroscopes
Treatment room intercoms
Survey meters
Radiation therapy beam directing wedges
Daylight medical film processing equipment
Optical distance indicators
Wireless patient dosimeters
Body-fat calipers
Heat guns
Dynamic phantoms
Area radiation monitors
Personal radiation monitors
Power drills
Automated external defibrillators AED
Digital cameras
Medical diagnostic x ray equipment
Cobalt radiation therapy machines
Electrometers
X ray or fluoroscopy treatment planning simulators
Treatment verification equipment
Solid state diode detectors
Protective medical gloves
Brachytherapy units
Laboratory water baths
Magnetic resonance imaging MRI systems
35 millimeter cameras
Medical linear accelerator intensity modulated radiation therapy IMRT three dimensional units
Desktop computers
Computed tomography CT radiation therapy planning simulators
Patient positioning straps
Thyroid shields
Workshop lathes
Laptop computers
Lead alloy shielding blocks
Wood chisels
Respiration monitors
Immobilizing bite blocks
Patient positioning headrests
Patient treatment area casts
Patient positioning neck rests
Radiation shielding lead aprons
Computerized block cutting equipment
Multi-monitor dosimetry systems
Ultrasound imaging scanners
Medical linear accelerator intensity modulated radiation therapy IMRT collimators
Medical linear accelerator intensity modulated radiation therapy IMRT two dimensional units
Computed tomography CT scanners
Medical x ray image intensifiers
Vacuum formers
Multi-leaf radiation therapy collimators
Radiation protection eyewear
Dual diode dosimeter patient dose monitors
Position verification lasers
Patient positioning devices
Linear accelerator compensation filters
Beam direction shells
Band saws

Procedure scheduling software
Dose unit calculation software
Web browser software
Image processing software
Lifeline Software RadCalc
Nucletron planning systems
Electronic medical record EMR software
Microsoft Word
Radiation dose calculation software
Radiation therapy equipment software
Beam analysis software
Virtual simulation software
Sun Nuclear MapCHECK
Treatment planning software
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Excel