Medical physicist demographics and statistics in the US
Medical physicist demographics research summary. Zippia estimates medical physicist demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our medical physicist estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about medical physicists after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 12,689 medical physicists currently employed in the United States.
- 26.6% of all medical physicists are women, while 73.4% are men.
- The average medical physicist age is 47 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of medical physicists is White (73.9%), followed by Asian (12.8%), Hispanic or Latino (7.4%) and Unknown (3.4%).
- Medical physicists are most in-demand in Portland, OR.
- Rochester, NY pays an annual average wage of $145,497, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women medical physicists earned 96% of what men earned.
- New Mexico is the best state for medical physicists to live.
- Medical physicists are 72% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to education companies.
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Medical physicist demographics by:
Medical physicist gender statistics
26.6% of medical physicists are women and 73.4% of medical physicists are men.
- Male, 73.4%
- Female, 26.6%
Medical physicist gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 73.4% |
| Female | 26.6% |
Medical physicist gender pay gap
Women earn 96¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$113,197
Female income
$108,148
Medical physicist gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in medical physicist positions over time. Currently, 26.6% of medical physicists are female.
Medical physicist gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 74.38% | 25.62% |
| 2011 | 78.52% | 21.48% |
| 2012 | 71.17% | 28.83% |
| 2013 | 66.03% | 33.97% |
| 2014 | 74.98% | 25.02% |
| 2015 | 84.10% | 15.90% |
| 2016 | 72.87% | 27.13% |
| 2017 | 73.67% | 26.33% |
| 2018 | 66.03% | 33.97% |
| 2019 | 80.92% | 19.08% |
| 2020 | 69.72% | 30.28% |
| 2021 | 73.36% | 26.64% |
Medical physicist related jobs gender ratio
We compared medical physicists with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, seismologist and optical scientist have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Aerologist | 11% | 89% |
| Senior Advocate | 33% | 67% |
| Medical Physicist | 73% | 27% |
| Remote Sensing Engineer | 91% | 9% |
| Optical Scientist | 91% | 9% |
| Seismologist | 94% | 6% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Medical physicist demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among medical physicists is White, which makes up 73.9% of all medical physicists. Comparatively, 12.8% of medical physicists are Asian and 7.4% of medical physicists are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 73.9%
- Asian, 12.8%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.4%
- Unknown, 3.4%
- Black or African American, 1.9%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
Medical physicist race
| Medical physicist race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 73.9% |
| Asian | 12.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.4% |
| Unknown | 3.4% |
| Black or African American | 1.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.6% |
Medical physicist race and ethnicity over time
See how medical physicist racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Medical physicist race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 77.03% | 2.92% | 14.27% | 3.85% |
| 2011 | 65.41% | 5.81% | 20.54% | 4.81% |
| 2012 | 75.59% | 2.46% | 14.83% | 4.27% |
| 2013 | 70.14% | 3.94% | 20.12% | 3.62% |
| 2014 | 73.88% | 5.52% | 14.60% | 4.46% |
| 2015 | 72.79% | 2.68% | 14.73% | 5.64% |
| 2016 | 72.62% | 1.69% | 20.38% | 3.30% |
| 2017 | 74.96% | 4.72% | 13.72% | 5.14% |
| 2018 | 76.18% | 4.62% | 12.76% | 4.30% |
| 2019 | 78.42% | 2.39% | 13.45% | 4.33% |
| 2020 | 70.76% | 1.99% | 14.88% | 5.95% |
| 2021 | 73.92% | 1.87% | 12.79% | 7.37% |
Medical physicist wage gap by race
According to our data, white medical physicists have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american medical physicists have the lowest average salary at $107,669.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $114,907 |
| White | $115,753 |
| Black or African American | $107,669 |
| Asian | $115,695 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $112,175 |
Medical physicist age breakdown
The average age of medical physicists is 40+ years years old, representing 68% of the medical physicist population.
Medical physicist age breakdown
| Medical Physicist Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 68% |
| 30-40 years | 28% |
| 20-30 years | 4% |
Medical physicist educational attainment
The most common degree for medical physicists is bachelor's degree, with 41% of medical physicists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 40% and master's degree degree at 14%.
- Bachelor's, 41%
- Master's, 40%
- Doctorate, 14%
- Associate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
Medical physicists by degree level
| Medical physicist degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 41% |
| Master's | 40% |
| Doctorate | 14% |
| Associate | 2% |
| Other Degrees | 3% |
Medical physicist jobs you might like
Medical physicist wage gap by degree level
According to the data, medical physicists with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $142,207 annually. With a Master's degree, medical physicists earn a median annual income of $124,305 compared to $107,990 for medical physicists with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $124,305 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $107,990 |
| Doctorate Degree | $142,207 |
Medical physicist employment statistics
Most medical physicists work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where medical physicists work
Below, you can see the size of companies where medical physicists work.
Medical physicist jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 5% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 16% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 16% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 7% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 33% |
| > 10,000 employees | 23% |
Medical physicist jobs by company type
Employees with the medical physicist job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most medical physicists prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Medical physicist jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 21% |
| Public | 6% |
| Private | 72% |
| Government | 1% |
Medical physicist jobs by industry
The most common industries for medical physicists are health care, education and non profits.
Medical physicist industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 65% |
| Education | 15% |
| Non Profits | 4% |
| Manufacturing | 3% |
| Professional | 3% |
| Fortune 500 | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Government | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Technology | 1% |
Medical physicist turnover and employment statistics
Medical physicist unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for medical physicists between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Medical physicist unemployment rate by year
| Year | Medical physicist unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 0.75% |
| 2011 | 3.97% |
| 2012 | 4.03% |
| 2013 | 1.65% |
| 2014 | 2.56% |
| 2015 | 2.08% |
| 2016 | 1.54% |
| 2017 | 0.85% |
| 2018 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | 0.57% |
| 2020 | 2.81% |
| 2021 | 0.52% |
Average medical physicist tenure
The average medical physicist stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 661 medical physicists resumes in Zippia's database.
Medical physicist tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 22% |
| 1-2 years | 28% |
| 3-4 years | 16% |
| 5-7 years | 13% |
| 8-10 years | 7% |
| 11+ years | 14% |
Medical physicist LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of medical physicists that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Petrologist | 4.45% | 351 |
| Chief Chemist | 5.26% | 15,406 |
| Remote Sensing Program Manager | 8.32% | 71,760 |
| Asbestos Microscopist | 15.61% | 249 |
| Medical Physicist | 24.12% | - |
Similar medical physicist jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Petrologist | 4.45% | 351 |
| Chief Chemist | 5.26% | 15,406 |
| Remote Sensing Program Manager | 8.32% | 71,760 |
| Asbestos Microscopist | 15.61% | 249 |
Foreign languages spoken by medical physicists
The most common foreign language among medical physicists is German at 25.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Spanish at 25.0% and Italian is the third-most popular at 16.7%.
- German, 25.0%
- Spanish, 25.0%
- Italian, 16.7%
- Hindi, 8.3%
- Cantonese, 8.3%
- Other, 16.7%
Medical physicist languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| German | 25.0% |
| Spanish | 25.0% |
| Italian | 16.7% |
| Hindi | 8.3% |
| Cantonese | 8.3% |
| Other | 16.7% |
