Radiation therapist vs dosimetrist

The differences between radiation therapists and dosimetrists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a radiation therapist and a dosimetrist. Additionally, a dosimetrist has an average salary of $110,837, which is higher than the $84,981 average annual salary of a radiation therapist.

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

Radiation therapist vs dosimetrist overview

	Radiation Therapist	Dosimetrist
Yearly salary	$84,981	$110,837
Hourly rate	$40.86	$53.29
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	39,384	3,298
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	2	2

What does a radiation therapist do?

A radiation therapist is a medical professional who works in hospitals or cancer treatment centers and treats cancer and other diseases in patients by giving radiation treatments. Radiation therapists are required to explain the treatment plans to patients as well as conduct x-ray tests on patients to determine the exact location of the area that requires treatment. They must examine radiation machines to ensure that they are safe and working properly. Radiation therapists must also follow safety procedures to protect patients and themselves from overexposure.

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.

Radiation therapist vs dosimetrist salary

Radiation therapists and dosimetrists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Radiation Therapist	Dosimetrist
Average salary	$84,981	$110,837
Salary range	Between $63,000 And $113,000	Between $73,000 And $166,000
Highest paying City	Los Angeles, CA	Cape Girardeau, MO
Highest paying state	Mississippi	Mississippi
Best paying company	Cedars-Sinai	Kaiser Permanente
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between radiation therapist and dosimetrist education

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

	Radiation Therapist	Dosimetrist
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common major	Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology	Medical Technician
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Radiation therapist vs dosimetrist demographics

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

	Radiation Therapist	Dosimetrist
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 34.3% Female, 65.7%	Male, 48.5% Female, 51.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 8.8% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.5% White, 69.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black 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%
LGBT Percentage	17%	17%

Differences between radiation therapist and dosimetrist duties and responsibilities

Radiation therapist example responsibilities.

Manage all payroll, accounts receivable and payable, and maintain complete records of equipment and staff.
Manage daily clinical staffing needs by appropriately deploying PRN therapist when need, which save company from employing an additional FTE.
Perform SBRT and SRS, and IMRT treatments under the supervision of the physician.
Set up patients on treatment machine, port films and IGRT to line up patients.
Ensure treatment plans are consistent with oncologist's prescriptions and verify EMR for daily treatment delivery.
Monitor patients records through EMR, maintain weekly and monthly reports for the company, maintain and order supplies.

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.

Radiation therapist vs dosimetrist skills

Common radiation therapist skills

Patients, 28%
Patient Care, 9%
Radiation Oncologist, 8%
Patient Treatment, 6%
Dosimetry, 4%
Treatment Planning, 4%

Common dosimetrist skills

Patients, 24%
Radiation Therapy, 10%
Patient Care, 9%
PET, 6%
IMRT, 4%
Patient Treatment, 4%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Radiation Therapist
Radiation Therapist vs Dosimetrist

Updated January 8, 2025

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