Radiation therapist vs medical dosimetrist

The differences between radiation therapists and medical 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 medical dosimetrist. Additionally, a medical dosimetrist has an average salary of $116,829, 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 medical dosimetrist are patients, dosimetry, and oncology.

Radiation therapist vs medical dosimetrist overview

	Radiation Therapist	Medical Dosimetrist
Yearly salary	$84,981	$116,829
Hourly rate	$40.86	$56.17
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	39,384	47,581
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
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 medical dosimetrist do?

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.

Radiation therapist vs medical dosimetrist salary

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

	Radiation Therapist	Medical Dosimetrist
Average salary	$84,981	$116,829
Salary range	Between $63,000 And $113,000	Between $75,000 And $179,000
Highest paying City	Los Angeles, CA	Fargo, ND
Highest paying state	Mississippi	Utah
Best paying company	Cedars-Sinai	Billings Clinic
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between radiation therapist and medical dosimetrist education

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

	Radiation Therapist	Medical Dosimetrist
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology	Medical Technician
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Radiation therapist vs medical dosimetrist demographics

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

	Radiation Therapist	Medical Dosimetrist
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 34.3% Female, 65.7%	Male, 46.2% Female, 53.8%
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, 69.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	17%	17%

Differences between radiation therapist and medical 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.

Medical dosimetrist example responsibilities.

Manage patient charts in MOSAIQ record and verify system.
Gain experience in planning 3D-CRT, IMRT, and VMAT plans as well as SBRT and SRS plans.
Conduct port management as necessary using IGRT, CBCT and electronic portal imaging.
Generate computerized treatment plans for cancer patients, providing manual patient dose calculation and computer verification.
Survey and complete paperwork on all brachytherapy cases.
Help establish, and grow the SRS program.

Radiation therapist vs medical dosimetrist skills

Common radiation therapist skills

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

Common medical dosimetrist skills

Patients, 16%
Dosimetry, 10%
Oncology, 8%
Radiation Therapy, 7%
Eclipse, 5%
PET, 5%

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Radiation Therapist
Radiation Therapist vs Medical Dosimetrist

Updated January 8, 2025

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