# Medical Dosimetrists

US SOC code 29-2036. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/29-2036

Also called: Dosimetrist, CMD, Certified medical dosimetrist, Radiation therapy dosimetrist, Dosimetry specialist.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **3,410** US medical dosimetrists, with median pay of **$147,470** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2021, the highest was **3,970**, in May 2024. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://www.medicaldosimetry.org/about/aamd-mission-statement/) of **1,500** from 1975, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for medical dosimetrists: Knowledge-based planning and automated planning, 2015 to 2022.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=29-2036&ioType=o).

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend.

## Medical Dosimetrists employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1951
- Latest US employment: 3,410 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [4]
- Latest US median pay: $147,470 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [7]
- Outlook: +5% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [20]

### All 8 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1975 | 1,500 (estimate) | n/a | Est., American Association of Medical… [1] |
| 1988 | 3,000 (estimate) | $28,000 (estimate) | Est., Medical Dosimetrist Certification Board [2] |
| 2012 | 5,500 (estimate) | $95,000 (estimate) | Est., Yom et al. (2014) [3] |
| 2021 | 2,400 | $127,270 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [4] |
| 2022 | 3,190 | $128,970 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [4] |
| 2023 | 3,900 | $132,880 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [4] |
| 2024 | 3,970 | $138,110 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [4] |
| 2025 | 3,410 | $147,470 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [4] |

## Sources (48)

### Employment series

1. [American Association of Medical Dosimetrists (AAMD) 40th Anniversary — founding year 1975; AAMD is the only professional association devoted exclusively to promoting the medical dosimetry and treatment planning profession](https://www.medicaldosimetry.org/about/aamd-mission-statement/), American Association of Medical Dosimetrists
2. [Medical Dosimetrist Certification Board (MDCB) — About MDCB: founding and CMD credential history; MDCB incorporated 1988 as the recognized certifying agency for medical dosimetry in the United States](https://mdcb.org/about-mdcb), Medical Dosimetrist Certification Board
3. [Yom et al. (2014) — "The radiation oncology workforce: A focus on medical dosimetry" — Medical Dosimetry 39(3); ASTRO 2012 workforce survey of 2,573 dosimetrists; 86% satisfied with career; aging workforce (69.2% over age 45)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24630911/), Medical Dosimetry / ASTRO
4. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Wage series

5. [MDCB About page — CMD credential inception 1988; dosimetrist compensation in the late 1980s context inferred from BLS historical healthcare technologist wage series and radiation therapy workforce literature](https://mdcb.org/about-mdcb), Medical Dosimetrist Certification Board
6. [Yom et al. (2014) — ASTRO 2012 workforce survey: medical dosimetrist career satisfaction, workload, and compensation context; AAMD compensation survey data for early 2010s](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24630911/), Medical Dosimetry / ASTRO
7. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
8. [BLS OEWS May 2024, national cross-industry estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Tool eras

9. [ETHW Milestones — Cobalt-60 Radiation Cancer Treatment Machines, 1951: world's first clinical use, Victoria Hospital, London, Ontario, 27 October 1951](https://ethw.org/Milestones:Cobalt-60_Radiation_Cancer_Treatment_Machines,_1951), Engineering and Technology History Wiki
10. [AAPM Virtual Museum — Treatment Planning exhibit: early manual isodose calculation methods, 1950s-1960s; isodose charts traced by hand onto patient cross-sections](https://museum.aapm.org/exhibit/13-treatment-planning-and-the-development-of-modern-external-beam-radiotherapy/), American Association of Physicists in Medicine
11. [AAMD 40th Anniversary (Medical Dosimetry, 2015) — AAMD founded 1975, 40 years before 2015 anniversary; represents the emergence of the organized dosimetry profession during the era of computerized planning expansion](https://www.meddos.org/article/S0958-3947%2815%2900027-8/abstract), Medical Dosimetry / Elsevier
12. [Medical Dosimetrist Certification Board (MDCB) — CMD credentialing: MDCB incorporated 1988; CMD is the recognized benchmark for professional competence in radiation oncology planning; NCCA-accredited certifying body](https://mdcb.org/cmd-credentialing), Medical Dosimetrist Certification Board
13. [ASCO Post (July 2022) — History of Radiation Oncology in the United States: IMRT, computer-controlled delivery systems, CT integration; 3D conformal to IMRT transition timeline](https://ascopost.com/issues/july-10-2022/history-of-radiation-oncology-in-the-united-states/), ASCO Post
14. [JRCERT — About JRCERT: Standards for Accredited Educational Program in Medical Dosimetry adopted April 2003, implemented January 1, 2004; 17 accredited programs nationally](https://www.jrcert.org/about-jrcert/), Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology
15. [Siemens Healthineers Eclipse (Varian) — comprehensive radiotherapy treatment planning system; RapidPlan knowledge-based planning with ML DVH estimation; VMAT/IMRT/proton/SRS model types; 40-70% planning time reduction at deployment sites (Red Journal 2015 validation; IJROBP 2022 multi-institution comparison)](https://cancercare.siemens-healthineers.com/products/radiotherapy/treatment-planning/eclipse), Siemens Healthineers
16. [Radformation OptiPlan (formerly AutoPlan) — automated VMAT planning for Eclipse; push-button IMRT/VMAT for routine sites; prostate VMAT from 2-4 hours to 15-30 minutes at deployment sites](https://radformation.com/optiplan/optiplan), Radformation
17. [RaySearch RayStation v2025 — ECHO auto-planning algorithm; GPU-accelerated deep learning auto-segmentation; iRT adaptive radiotherapy integration; Python scripting API for clinic-defined automated workflows](https://www.raysearchlabs.com/media/press-releases/2025/raysearch-releases-raystation-v2025/), RaySearch Laboratories
18. [PMC 11839879 — AI in radiation oncology planning (2025): KBP and auto-planning deployed at majority of academic NCI centers; dosimetrist role shifting from plan generation to quality oversight and AI model governance](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11839879/), PubMed Central
19. [Varian/Siemens Ethos Adaptive Therapy — IOE generates adaptive plans from daily CBCT without real-time dosimetrist involvement; FDA 510(k) expanded clearance July 2024; dosimetrist sets constraint hierarchy governing all fraction adaptations](https://cancercare.siemens-healthineers.com/en-ca/products/adaptive-therapy/ethos), Siemens Healthineers

### Forecasts and exposure studies

20. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 29-2036 Medical dosimetrists (2025: 3.5 thousand; 2035: 3.7 thousand; +5.0%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=29-2036&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Historical notes

21. [ETHW Milestones — Cobalt-60 Radiation Cancer Treatment Machines, 1951: first clinical use 27 October 1951, Victoria Hospital, London, Ontario, Canada](https://ethw.org/Milestones:Cobalt-60_Radiation_Cancer_Treatment_Machines,_1951), Engineering and Technology History Wiki
22. [AAMD 40th Anniversary (Medical Dosimetry, 2015) — "Presidential Welcome: The American Association of Medical Dosimetrists: 40 Years in the Making"](https://www.meddos.org/article/S0958-3947%2815%2900027-8/abstract), Medical Dosimetry / AAMD
23. [MDCB — About MDCB: incorporated 1988; CMD is the recognized certifying agency for medical dosimetry in the United States; NCCA-accredited](https://mdcb.org/about-mdcb), Medical Dosimetrist Certification Board
24. [PMC 8364271 — "Why is Medical Dosimetry a profession only in the United States and what does this mean for Medical Physicists worldwide?" (2021)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8364271/), PubMed Central
25. [JRCERT — About JRCERT: accreditation standards for medical dosimetry programs adopted April 2003, effective January 1, 2004; JRCERT is the only USDE and CHEA-recognized accreditor for medical dosimetry programs](https://www.jrcert.org/about-jrcert/), Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology
26. [Yom et al. (2014) — "The radiation oncology workforce: A focus on medical dosimetry" — ASTRO 2012 survey findings: workforce demographics, career satisfaction, supply-demand assessments](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24630911/), Medical Dosimetry / ASTRO
27. [BLS OES 2023 — 29-2036 Medical Dosimetrists: first separately reported as 29-2036 in 2018 SOC revision; prior to 2021 OEWS, bundled under 29-2098 Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other](https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes292036.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Predecessors & successors

28. [PMC 8364271 — Why is medical dosimetry a profession only in the United States: emerged organically in the 1970s from physics technicians performing manual isodose calculations; unique to US healthcare staffing model](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8364271/), PubMed Central
29. [AAMD — About Medical Dosimetrist: many early dosimetrists came from radiation therapy backgrounds and transitioned into planning roles as cancer centers separated delivery from planning functions](https://www.medicaldosimetry.org/about/medical-dosimetrist/), American Association of Medical Dosimetrists
30. [BLS OOH — Medical Dosimetrists: career advancement; CMD to medical physics MS/PhD is the canonical upward pivot; CAMPEP-accredited programs; ABR board certification](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-dosimetrists.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Medical Dosimetrists (29-2036.00): tasks, work activities, technology skills, knowledge domains; ~8,200 employed 2024; median annual wage $131,300; 5-6% projected growth 2024-2034](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/29-2036.00), accessed 2026-05-24
- [BLS OOH — Medical Dosimetrists: ~8,200 employed (2024); median annual wage $131,300; 5-6% projected growth 2024-2034; CMD credential (MDCB) required or strongly preferred; JRCERT-accredited program + bachelor's degree pathway](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-dosimetrists.htm), accessed 2026-05-24
- [RaySearch RayStation v2025 — ECHO auto-planning algorithm; GPU-accelerated AI auto-segmentation; KBP DVH prediction overlay; iRT integration; Python scripting API for clinic-defined automated planning workflows](https://www.raysearchlabs.com/media/press-releases/2025/raysearch-releases-raystation-v2025/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Varian Eclipse RapidPlan — machine-learning DVH estimation for automated optimization objective setting; VMAT, IMRT, proton, SRS model types; 40-70% reduction in planning time vs. manual planning at deployment sites (IJROBP 2022 multi-institution comparison)](https://cancercare.siemens-healthineers.com/products/radiotherapy/treatment-planning/eclipse), accessed 2026-06-21
- [PMC 11839879 — Increasing role of AI in radiation oncology (2025): KBP and auto-planning deployed at majority of academic NCI centers; dosimetrist role shifting from plan generation to quality oversight and AI model governance](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11839879/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [PMC 11262865 — AI for machine- and patient-specific QA in radiation therapy (2024): dosimetrists and physicists co-own validation of AI planning models; model drift and training data quality are active clinical governance risks](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11262865/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science): occupational LLM exposure framework; shallow seed cri 60](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Radformation OptiPlan (formerly AutoPlan) — scripted optimization template-based automated planning integrated with Eclipse; push-button VMAT/IMRT for routine sites; prostate VMAT from 2-4 hours to 15-30 minutes at deployment sites](https://radformation.com/optiplan/optiplan), accessed 2026-06-21
- [Limbus AI — Limbus Contour: 260+ structures on CT/MRI; 1-3 min per set; 70.3% require minor or no modification (BIR 2022); dosimetrists are primary clinical reviewers before physician approval](https://limbus.ai/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [MIM Software — MIM Maestro + ContourProtege AI: deep-learning OAR and target auto-contouring within MIM platform; supports Eclipse, Monaco, RayStation workflows; AI results editable and propagatable across CT/MRI/PET for adaptive re-planning; deployed at 2,200+ sites](https://www.mimsoftware.com/radiation-oncology/mim-maestro), accessed 2026-06-21
- [Varian/Siemens Ethos — Intelligent Optimization Engine (IOE): generates new adaptive plans from daily CBCT using dosimetrist-set constraint hierarchy; FDA 510(k) expanded clearance July 2024; dosimetrist sets the optimization envelope governing all fraction adaptations](https://cancercare.siemens-healthineers.com/en-ca/products/adaptive-therapy/ethos), accessed 2026-05-24

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.