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Medical Dosimetrists in Illinois

Want to work as a Medical Dosimetrists in Illinois? Here’s what you need to know. Generate radiation treatment plans, develop radiation dose calculations, communicate and supervise the treatment plan implementation, and consult with members of radiation oncology team.

What do Medical Dosimetrists Make in Illinois?

For medical dosimetrists working in Illinois, wages run about $140,780 per year (or roughly $67.68/hour).Earnings range from $104,290 at the 10th percentile to $168,670 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$104,290	$50.14
25th percentile	$123,820	$59.53
Median (50th)	$140,780	$67.68
75th percentile	$156,530	$75.26
90th percentile	$168,670	$81.09

Location quotient — how concentrated this career is in Illinois nationwide is 0.66, indicating fewer medical dosimetrists per worker than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, medical dosimetrists earn a median of $38,128 per year ($18.33/hour), above the Illinois median.

Employment Outlook

There are roughly 2,813,712 medical dosimetrists across the United States. In Illinois alone, around 100 people work in this role. That’s more than the typical state, which employs around 70 medical dosimetrists.

Top Illinois Metros for Medical Dosimetrists

The metro areas below employ the most medical dosimetrists in Illinois.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	70	$150,870

Top States for Medical Dosimetrists Employment

View the states that employ the most medical dosimetrists work.

State	Number Employed
Texas	430
Florida	370
New York	350
Pennsylvania	290
Michigan	200
California	190
Georgia	130
North Carolina	130
Virginia	110
Illinois	100
Wisconsin	100
New Jersey	100
Tennessee	100
Washington	70
Massachusetts	70
Mississippi	70
South Carolina	60
Oregon	50
Kentucky	50
Arizona	50

Highest-Paying States for Medical Dosimetrists

These states pay the most for medical dosimetrists.

State	Annual Median Salary
Washington	$179,640
Oregon	$170,220
New Jersey	$165,100
New York	$160,850
Georgia	$159,790
Connecticut	$153,650
Colorado	$151,290
California	$149,080
Virginia	$146,960
South Carolina	$145,380

Skills

Key medical dosimetrists skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Core knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

Top abilities for medical dosimetrists, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Common tasks include:

• Design the arrangement of radiation fields to reduce exposure to critical patient structures, such as organs, using computers, manuals, and guides.
• Plan the use of beam modifying devices, such as compensators, shields, and wedge filters, to ensure safe and effective delivery of radiation treatment.
• Identify and outline bodily structures, using imaging procedures, such as x-ray, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, or positron emission tomography.
• Calculate the delivery of radiation treatment, such as the amount or extent of radiation per session, based on the prescribed course of radiation therapy.
• Calculate, or verify calculations of, prescribed radiation doses.
• Develop radiation treatment plans in consultation with members of the radiation oncology team.
• Supervise or perform simulations for tumor localizations, using imaging methods such as magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, or positron emission tomography scans.
• Create and transfer reference images and localization markers for treatment delivery, using image-guided radiation therapy.
• Record patient information, such as radiation doses administered, in patient records.
• Advise oncology team members on use of beam modifying or immobilization devices in radiation treatment plans.
• Fabricate beam modifying devices, such as compensators, shields, and wedge filters.
• Perform quality assurance system checks, such as calibrations, on treatment planning computers.

Work Activities

• Working with Computers
• Documenting/Recording Information
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Processing Information
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
• Analyzing Data or Information
• Getting Information
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Thinking Creatively
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards

Tools & Technology

Technologies frequently used: Hot technologies: Eclipse IDE In-demand technologies: Eclipse IDE

What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?

Several college majors map to this occupation:

• Allied Health Professions

Related Careers

Careers similar to medical dosimetrists include:

• Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers
• Nuclear Monitoring Technicians
• Anesthesiologist Assistants
• Radiation Therapists
• Respiratory Therapists
• Nurse Anesthetists

Also Known As

CMD (Certified Medical Dosimetrist), Dosimetrist, Medical Dosimetrist, Medical Physicist, Medical Radiation Dosimetrist, Radiation Dosimetrist, Radiation Oncology Medical Physicist, Radiation Therapy Dosimetrist (RT Dosimetrist).

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 29-2036.00