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The differences between medical dosimetrists and medical physicists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a medical dosimetrist, becoming a medical physicist takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a medical physicist has an average salary of $122,845, which is higher than the $116,829 average annual salary of a medical dosimetrist.
The top three skills for a medical dosimetrist include patients, dosimetry and oncology. The most important skills for a medical physicist are patients, oncology, and radiology.
| Medical Dosimetrist | Medical Physicist | |
| Yearly salary | $116,829 | $122,845 |
| Hourly rate | $56.17 | $59.06 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 47,581 | 46,513 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| Average age | 42 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
A medical dosimetrist is a health professional who plans radiation treatment for oncology patients. They with other members of the oncology team to oversee treatment implementation, offer support with radiation equipment, design radiation treatment for oncology patients, perform calculations to determine effective dosing, and create a treatment plan that will be reviewed by a physician. They are also sometimes required to teach at universities and participate in research laboratories.
A Medical Physicist develops and tests new systems to help investigate patients' conditions. They work for hospitals, diagnostic or medical instrumentation manufactures, or universities.
Medical dosimetrists and medical physicists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Dosimetrist | Medical Physicist | |
| Average salary | $116,829 | $122,845 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $179,000 | Between $77,000 And $193,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fargo, ND | Rochester, NY |
| Highest paying state | Utah | New York |
| Best paying company | Billings Clinic | Saint Luke's Health System |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a medical dosimetrist and a medical physicist in terms of educational background:
| Medical Dosimetrist | Medical Physicist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| Most common major | Medical Technician | Physics |
| Most common college | Duke University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between medical dosimetrists' and medical physicists' demographics:
| Medical Dosimetrist | Medical Physicist | |
| Average age | 42 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.2% Female, 53.8% | Male, 73.4% Female, 26.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 8.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 6.4% White, 69.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 1.9% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.4% Asian, 12.8% White, 73.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 17% | 24% |