SOC 29-2036.00Bright outlook

    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
    Growth
    +5.0%
    Faster than average
    Openings a year
    200
    Typical education
    Bachelor's degree

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $111,670
    Median
    $147,470
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $185,450
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    3,410 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Medical dosimetrists calculate and plan radiation treatments for cancer patients, working closely with oncology teams. This specialized healthcare role offers a median annual pay of $147,470, with opportunities for steady career growth.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What medical dosimetrists do

    Job Zone 4: Considerable preparation

    Generate radiation treatment plans, develop radiation dose calculations, communicate and supervise the treatment plan implementation, and consult with members of radiation oncology team.

    Most need a bachelor's degree and several years of related experience.

    What the work is like

    Medical dosimetrists design precise radiation treatment plans for patients undergoing cancer therapy. Day-to-day tasks center on working with computers to generate complex radiation dose calculations and processing detailed medical data. These professionals must analyze information carefully, solve complex problems, and make critical decisions to ensure radiation targets tumors while sparing healthy tissue. They document their plans and communicate constantly with oncology physicians, physicists, and therapy teams to supervise how the treatment is implemented.

    This role requires strong skills in mathematics, physics, biology, and medicine. Dosimetrists must be highly detail-oriented, cautious, and dependable, as patient safety depends on their absolute precision. Because they work in high-stakes medical environments, they need excellent stress tolerance, self-control, and cooperation. An investigative interest area is highly valuable for this career, as the work involves constant analytical thinking, reading comprehension, and active listening to solve unique clinical puzzles.

    How to get there

    Entering this field typically requires a bachelor's degree. Because this career is classified under O*NET Job Zone 4, most employers expect candidates to have both a four-year degree and several years of related experience in a clinical environment. Students preparing for this career usually major in allied health diagnostic, intervention, and treatment professions.

    In addition to academic coursework, practical training is essential to master the specialized computer systems and medical physics concepts used in the field. Depending on where you plan to work, you may need to obtain a state license, as some states list licensing requirements for this profession. Many professionals in this field also go by the title Certified Medical Dosimetrist (CMD), which reflects specific professional credentials.

    Pay and outlook explained

    The median annual pay for medical dosimetrists is $147,470. Earnings can vary based on experience, location, and facility type, with the lowest 10% earning less than $111,670 and the highest 10% earning more than $185,450.

    There are 3,410 people employed in this field. Between 2025 and 2035, employment is projected to grow by 5%, which is faster than average. This growth is expected to result in approximately 200 job openings each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R)
    60 / 100
    Investigative (I) · strongest
    72 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    5 / 100
    Social (S)
    43 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    20 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    67 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code ICR. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Working with Computers
    95
    Documenting/Recording Information
    88
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    84
    Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
    83
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    82
    Processing Information
    82
    Analyzing Data or Information
    81
    Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
    81
    Getting Information
    80
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    74
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Critical Thinking
    • Active Listening
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Speaking
    • Writing
    • Complex Problem Solving
    • Judgment and Decision Making
    • Mathematics
    • Monitoring
    • Time Management

    Knowledge

    • Mathematics
    • Physics
    • Computers and Electronics
    • Biology
    • Medicine and Dentistry
    • English Language
    • Design
    • Education and Training
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Public Safety and Security

    Abilities

    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Inductive Reasoning
    • Written Comprehension
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Near Vision
    • Oral Expression
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Written Expression
    • Speech Clarity
    • Speech Recognition

    Work styles

    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Cautiousness
    • Integrity
    • Cooperation
    • Intellectual Curiosity
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Self-Control
    • Adaptability

    Also called

    CMD (Certified Medical Dosimetrist) · Dosimetrist · Medical Dosimetrist · Medical Physicist · Medical Radiation Dosimetrist · Radiation Dosimetrist · Radiation Oncology Medical Physicist · Radiation Therapy Dosimetrist (RT Dosimetrist)

    Career pathway

    From your interests to medical dosimetrists

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Medical Dosimetrists$147,470 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1Wagner College logo
      Wagner College

      Staten Island, NY · Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $156,982
      Median debt
      $27,000
    2. 2St. John's University-New York logo
      St. John's University-New York

      Queens, NY · Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $102,500
      4 yrs after
      $142,774
      Median debt
      $23,325
    3. 3John Patrick University of Health and Applied Sciences logo
      John Patrick University of Health and Applied Sciences

      South Bend, IN · Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $112,673
      4 yrs after
      $122,061
      Median debt
      $23,437
    4. 4Saint Francis University logo
      Saint Francis University

      Loretto, PA · Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $115,813
      Median debt
      $28,000
    5. 5D'Youville University logo
      D'Youville University

      Buffalo, NY · Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $113,290
      4 yrs after
      $114,737
      Median debt
      $30,703
    6. 6Molloy College logo
      Molloy College

      Rockville Centre, NY · Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $90,567
      4 yrs after
      $111,267
      Median debt
      Not reported
    7. 7Salisbury University logo
      Salisbury University

      Salisbury, MD · Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $75,312
      4 yrs after
      $109,739
      Median debt
      $23,250
    8. 8Long Island University logo
      Long Island University

      Brookville, NY · Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $90,526
      4 yrs after
      $107,539
      Median debt
      $22,000

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What medical dosimetrists may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapist

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    42 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

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    Questions about medical dosimetrists

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What is the typical education required to become a medical dosimetrist?

    To enter this field, you typically need a bachelor's degree. Most positions also require several years of related work experience in a healthcare setting.

    How much do medical dosimetrists earn?

    The median annual pay for this profession is $147,470. The lowest-paid 10% earn less than $111,670, while the highest-paid 10% earn more than $185,450.

    What is the job outlook for this career?

    Employment is projected to grow by 5% from 2025 to 2035, which is faster than the average for all occupations. This growth will generate about 200 openings each year.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.