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Dosimetrist vs radiation therapy technician

The differences between dosimetrists and radiation therapy technicians 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 radiation therapy technician. Additionally, a dosimetrist has an average salary of $110,837, which is higher than the $61,960 average annual salary of a radiation therapy technician.

The top three skills for a dosimetrist include patients, radiation therapy and patient care. The most important skills for a radiation therapy technician are patients, radiology, and EMR.

Dosimetrist vs radiation therapy technician overview

DosimetristRadiation Therapy Technician
Yearly salary$110,837$61,960
Hourly rate$53.29$29.79
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs3,29834,724
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Associate Degree, 49%
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 radiation therapy technician do?

Radar engineers are responsible for improving radar efficiency and fixing numerous technical bugs that can pop up. They will design radar equipment using advanced modeling and testing. Adhering to safety and compliance standards is also necessary. This career will require various mechanical, writing, and speaking skills for optimal success in developing mathematical algorithms.

Dosimetrist vs radiation therapy technician salary

Dosimetrists and radiation therapy technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

DosimetristRadiation Therapy Technician
Average salary$110,837$61,960
Salary rangeBetween $73,000 And $166,000Between $40,000 And $94,000
Highest paying CityCape Girardeau, MO-
Highest paying stateMississippi-
Best paying companyKaiser Permanente-
Best paying industryHealth Care-

Differences between dosimetrist and radiation therapy technician education

There are a few differences between a dosimetrist and a radiation therapy technician in terms of educational background:

DosimetristRadiation Therapy Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Associate Degree, 49%
Most common majorMedical TechnicianMedical Technician
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

Dosimetrist vs radiation therapy technician demographics

Here are the differences between dosimetrists' and radiation therapy technicians' demographics:

DosimetristRadiation Therapy Technician
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 48.5% Female, 51.5%Male, 36.1% Female, 63.9%
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, 6.8% Unknown, 8.8% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 3.0% White, 70.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage17%17%

Differences between dosimetrist and radiation therapy technician 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

Radiation therapy technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage flow and daily operation of the treatment linac.
  • Develop skills in RapidArc (or VMAT) treatment.
  • Train and supervise student radiotherapy technologists.
  • Deliver daily radiation therapy treatments to oncology patients.
  • Train or supervise student or subordinate radiotherapy technologists.
  • Administer and monitor anesthesia for patients receiving radiation therapy.
  • Show more

Dosimetrist vs radiation therapy technician skills

Common dosimetrist skills
  • Patients, 24%
  • Radiation Therapy, 10%
  • Patient Care, 9%
  • PET, 6%
  • IMRT, 4%
  • Patient Treatment, 4%
Common radiation therapy technician skills
  • Patients, 50%
  • Radiology, 9%
  • EMR, 7%
  • Aria, 6%
  • Patient Treatment, 5%
  • Treatment Machines, 3%

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