ASRT Radiation Therapy Staffing and Workplace Survey Shows Decrease in 2026 Vacancy Rates

The 2026 vacancy rate for radiation therapists decreased to 11.4% and the vacancy rate for medical dosimetrists decreased to 6.8%, according to the biennial ASRT Radiation Therapy Workplace and Staffing Survey. This is compared to a 13.6% vacancy rate for radiation therapists and 9.6% for medical dosimetrists reported in the 2024 staffing survey.

Vacancy rates represent the number of unfilled positions that are actively being recruited. The changes in vacancy rates in medical imaging and radiation therapy captured in ASRT's staffing surveys have served as a catalyst for the Society to work with peer organizations to develop strategies to address the current workforce shortage. In addition, the survey results provide employers with data so they can make informed decisions.

"ASRT is leading action to address workforce shortages through work groups from the Consensus Committee on the Future of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy, the Be Seen public awareness campaign and the Planting Seeds outreach initiative, which encourages students to enter the professional pipeline," said Melissa Culp, M.Ed., R.T.(R)(MR), ASRT executive vice president of member engagement.

The survey also tracks longitudinal changes in staffing levels in radiation therapy and medical dosimetry. According to survey results, the average number of full-time equivalent radiation therapist positions budgeted at each facility decreased slightly from 8.3 in 2024 to 8.1. The number of FTE dosimetrist positions budgeted per facility increased slightly from 2.7 in 2024 to 2.8 in 2026.

Overall, the average number of FTE therapists budgeted per facility increased from 6.0 in 2004 to 8.1 in 2026, an increase of 2.1 over the 22-year period. The number of FTE dosimetrists budgeted per facility increased from 1.6 in 2004 to 2.8 in 2026, an increase of 1.2 throughout the same period.

ASRT emailed the biennial survey in February 2026 to 23,145 radiation therapists and medical dosimetrists. At the close of the survey in March 2026, 560 respondents had completed the questionnaire, for a response rate of 2.4%. At its widest, a sample size of 560 yields a margin of error of ± 4.1% for overall percentages at the 95% confidence level.