Medical Dosimetrists
Generate radiation treatment plans, develop radiation dose calculations, communicate and supervise the treatment plan implementation, and consult with members of radiation oncology team.
- Median pay
- $147,470
- Doing it now
- 3,500
- By 2035
- Up 5%
- Usually needs
- Bachelor's degree
a year
across the country
200 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Advise oncology team members on use of beam modifying or immobilization devices in radiation treatment plans.
- Calculate, or verify calculations of, prescribed radiation doses.
- Calculate the delivery of radiation treatment, such as the amount or extent of radiation per session, based on the prescribed course of radiation therapy.
- Conduct radiation oncology-related research, such as improving computer treatment planning systems or developing new treatment devices.
- Create and transfer reference images and localization markers for treatment delivery, using image-guided radiation therapy.
- Design the arrangement of radiation fields to reduce exposure to critical patient structures, such as organs, using computers, manuals, and guides.
- Develop radiation treatment plans in consultation with members of the radiation oncology team.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsSee 589 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Analytical and curious
Organised and precise
Hands-on and practical
Careers like this one
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $147,470 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.