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Dosimetrist vs locum radiation therapist

The differences between dosimetrists and locum radiation therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a dosimetrist and a locum radiation therapist. Additionally, a dosimetrist has an average salary of $110,837, which is higher than the $86,279 average annual salary of a locum radiation therapist.

The top three skills for a dosimetrist include patients, radiation therapy and patient care. The most important skills for a locum radiation therapist are oncology, patients, and aria.

Dosimetrist vs locum radiation therapist overview

DosimetristLocum Radiation Therapist
Yearly salary$110,837$86,279
Hourly rate$53.29$41.48
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs3,29839,165
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Associate Degree, 46%
Average age4242
Years of experience22

What does a dosimetrist do?

A dosimetrist is a medical professional who assists patients undergoing radiation therapy. You are responsible for determining the proper radiation dosage being used in treating patients with cancer. Your duties include explaining the procedure to patients and responding to their questions and concerns, working closely with physicians to determine the amount and duration of radiation therapy, and assisting in the simulations and tumor localization using various imaging devices such as MRI, CT, and PET.

What does a locum radiation therapist do?

A locum radiation therapist temporarily fulfills the duties of other therapists. They provide patients treatment services to the radiation oncology department whenever they are experiencing staff shortages and perform simulations and deliver all treatment efficiently. In oncology, a locum radiation therapist managed the day-to-day operation of radiation oncology services to ensure compliance with departmental operational goals and create a program to combine PET scan fusion with radiation oncology by forging a partnership with alliance imaging. Locum radiation therapists must have technical and interpersonal skills and be detailed oriented.

Dosimetrist vs locum radiation therapist salary

Dosimetrists and locum radiation therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.

DosimetristLocum Radiation Therapist
Average salary$110,837$86,279
Salary rangeBetween $73,000 And $166,000Between $64,000 And $116,000
Highest paying CityCape Girardeau, MO-
Highest paying stateMississippi-
Best paying companyKaiser Permanente-
Best paying industryHealth Care-

Differences between dosimetrist and locum radiation therapist education

There are a few differences between a dosimetrist and a locum radiation therapist in terms of educational background:

DosimetristLocum Radiation Therapist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Associate Degree, 46%
Most common majorMedical TechnicianBiochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

Dosimetrist vs locum radiation therapist demographics

Here are the differences between dosimetrists' and locum radiation therapists' demographics:

DosimetristLocum Radiation Therapist
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 48.5% Female, 51.5%Male, 48.0% Female, 52.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 8.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 6.4% White, 69.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 8.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 5.4% White, 69.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage17%17%

Differences between dosimetrist and locum radiation therapist duties and responsibilities

Dosimetrist example responsibilities.

  • Manage flow and daily operation of the treatment linac.
  • Focuse on developing radiation therapy treatment plans for cancer patients.
  • Train in Brainlab's iPlan; using it for SBRT with the VERO SBRT Linac.
  • Single dose and full dose TBI calculation.
  • Have planned HDR at other locations, no HDR at current offices.
  • Use MOSAIQ to transfer treatment set up information between simulation and treatment computers.
  • Show more

Locum radiation therapist example responsibilities.

  • Manage daily clinical staffing needs by appropriately deploying PRN therapist when need, which save company from employing an additional FTE.
  • Provide daily QA on Varian equipment.
  • Utilize a Varian 6EX machine with IMPAC record and verify software.
  • Work on Nucletron for HDR breast, skin and gynecologic treatments.
  • treat using Siemens Primus and Impac while studying for boards and job hunting.
  • Position and treat patients accurately according to physician's prescription.
  • Show more

Dosimetrist vs locum radiation therapist skills

Common dosimetrist skills
  • Patients, 24%
  • Radiation Therapy, 10%
  • Patient Care, 9%
  • PET, 6%
  • IMRT, 4%
  • Patient Treatment, 4%
Common locum radiation therapist skills
  • Oncology, 25%
  • Patients, 23%
  • Aria, 12%
  • IMRT, 11%
  • IGRT, 10%
  • OBI, 4%

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