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The differences between medical physicists and doctors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a doctor has an average salary of $208,582, which is higher than the $122,845 average annual salary of a medical physicist.
The top three skills for a medical physicist include patients, oncology and radiology. The most important skills for a doctor are patients, customer service, and emergency medicine.
| Medical Physicist | Doctor | |
| Yearly salary | $122,845 | $208,582 |
| Hourly rate | $59.06 | $100.28 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 46,513 | 14,571 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 6 | - |
A Medical Physicist develops and tests new systems to help investigate patients' conditions. They work for hospitals, diagnostic or medical instrumentation manufactures, or universities.
A doctor is a medical expert who diagnoses and treats illnesses and injuries, often specializing in particular areas. Their responsibilities revolve around conducting initial interviews and examinations, studying a patient's medical history and laboratory results, providing consultations and care advice, prescribing medication, and referring patients to specialists when necessary. They must also coordinate and maintain an active communication line with nurses, administrators, and technicians for a smooth workflow. Moreover, a doctor must educate patients about their health conditions, helping them understand their situation better.
Medical physicists and doctors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Physicist | Doctor | |
| Average salary | $122,845 | $208,582 |
| Salary range | Between $77,000 And $193,000 | Between $106,000 And $408,000 |
| Highest paying City | Rochester, NY | Green Bay, WI |
| Highest paying state | New York | Ohio |
| Best paying company | Saint Luke's Health System | Saint Luke's Health System |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a medical physicist and a doctor in terms of educational background:
| Medical Physicist | Doctor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Most common major | Physics | Medicine |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between medical physicists' and doctors' demographics:
| Medical Physicist | Doctor | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.4% Female, 26.6% | Male, 45.8% Female, 54.2% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 18.6% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 24% | 13% |