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Radiation therapist salary in California

Updated October 30, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Published by Humblebee.

$166,450median pay per year in California, or $80.02 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $130,150lowest 10% earn less
  2. $131,57025th percentile
  3. $166,450median
  4. $182,14075th percentile
  5. $208,100top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[2]US median for this job, $105,310[3]

The median pay for radiation therapists in California was $166,450 a year in May 2025[1]. That was the highest of any state[5].

Jobs in CA
1,720[4]
Rank by median pay
1 of 46[5]
Compared with US median
+58.1%[6]

How much do radiation therapists make in California?

Half of the radiation therapists in California earned more than $166,450 a year, and half earned less[1]. That works out to $80.02 an hour[1]. The US median for the job was $105,310, so California was $61,140 higher[3][6]. Across all jobs in the state, the median was $58,240, which puts radiation therapists $108,210 above it[7][8].

The lowest-paid 10% of radiation therapists in California earned less than $130,150[2]. The highest-paid 10% earned more than $208,100[2]. The average wage was $161,890[9]. About 1,720 people held these jobs in the state[4].

Among the metro areas with published figures, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara had the highest median at $206,350[10]. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont followed at $205,670[11]. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim had about 480 jobs, with a median of $169,150[11]. OEWS counts wage and salary workers only. It leaves out the self-employed and owners of unincorporated firms. It also leaves out bonuses that are not tied to production and the cost of benefits like health insurance[12].

California vs US pay

Pay for radiation therapists in California next to the national figures[1][3].

CAUS
Median per year$166,450[1]$105,310[3]
Median per hour$80.02[1]$50.63[3]
Lowest 10% earn less than$130,150[2]$80,560[13]
Top 10% earn more than$208,100[2]$156,710[13]
Jobs1,720[4]17,070[3]

Pay by metro area in California

Metro areas in California with the most jobs for radiation therapists, and the median pay in each[11].

Metro areaMedian per yearJobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA[11]$169,150480
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$205,670220
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$171,500140
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$206,350130
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$182,240110

Pay in nearby states

Median pay for radiation therapists in the states that border California, highest first[14].

StateMedian per yearJobs
Oregon[14]$131,600160
Arizona$108,760410
Nevada$92,990110

Median pay for radiation therapists in every state

Job outlook and training

Across the US, jobs for radiation therapists are projected to grow 2.8% from 2025 to 2035[15]. BLS does not publish this projection by state. The typical education for entry is: associate's degree[16].

How to become one: steps, training and duties

Frequently asked questions

How much does a radiation therapist make in California?
The median was $166,450 a year in May 2025, and the average was $161,890[1][9]. The US median was $105,310[3].
How much does a radiation therapist make an hour in California?
The median was $80.02 an hour[1]. The hourly average was $77.83[9].
Which city in California pays radiation therapists the most?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara had the highest median among published metro areas, at $206,350 a year[10]. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont was next at $205,670[11].
Is California a good state for radiation therapists?
California had the 1st highest median annual wage for the job out of 45 states and DC with a published median[5]. Its median was $61,140 above the US median[6].
What do you need to become a radiation therapist in California?
Across the US, the typical entry education is an Associate's degree, with no work experience or on-the-job training usually needed[16]. This is a national figure, not one for California.

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Radiation Therapists in California was $166,450 per year and $80.02 per hour. Half of these workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Radiation Therapists in California: 10th percentile $130,150, 25th percentile $131,570, 75th percentile $182,140, 90th percentile $208,100. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less, the 90th means 10% earned more. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Radiation Therapists in the US as a whole was $105,310 per year and $50.63 per hour, with about 17,070 jobs nationwide. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 1,720 people worked as Radiation Therapists in California (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: California had the 1st highest median annual wage for Radiation Therapists out of the 45 states and DC with a published median (the highest of all). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Radiation Therapists in California ($166,450) was $61,140 (58.1%) higher than the US median ($105,310). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in California was $58,240. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Radiation Therapists in California was $108,210 higher than the median for all occupations in the state ($58,240). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Radiation Therapists in California was $161,890 per year and $77.83 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS, May 2025: of the 5 metro areas in or partly in California with a published median for Radiation Therapists, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA had the highest median annual wage, $206,350. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. Metro areas with the most jobs in this occupation, with median annual wage, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Radiation Therapists in the US: 10th percentile $80,560, 25th percentile $92,060, 75th percentile $126,340, 90th percentile $156,710. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, median annual wage for Radiation Therapists in states that border California (highest first): Oregon $131,600; Arizona $108,760; Nevada $92,990. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state): employment of Radiation Therapists is projected to grow 2.8% nationwide from 2025 to 2035, with about 700 openings a year on average. All occupations are projected to grow 3.5%. BLS Employment Projections
  16. BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state), typical path into Radiation Therapists: education needed for entry: Associate's degree; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: None. BLS Employment Projections

State figures cover only California. Job outlook and entry requirements are national (US) figures: BLS does not publish them by state in our sources. Figures labelled “CareerFacts calculation” are simple differences between the BLS numbers shown.