Healthcare Practitioners

Medical Physicists

SOC 29-9099

Apply physics to improve the safety and effectiveness of medical imaging and treatment.

The job

Median pay

$66k

$48k to $97k typical range

Outlook, 2025 to 2035

Growing fast

+5.1% projected

Openings a year

BLS projection

Typical education

Doctoral

Our model

AI displacement risk

Low

How much of this job AI may do instead of the person

Works with AI

26/100

AI alongside the person rather than instead of them

AI exposure

52nd pct

More exposed than 52% of occupations · modeled estimate · 48th pct in Microsoft's data

Future-proof

61/100

Take the next step

Weigh it against Naturopathic DoctorsPay, outlook, entry and AI exposure side by side See where it pays mostWashington DC leads at $114k; every state is below Find careers like itOpen the map at Medical Physicists and explore its neighbours See open jobsMedical Physicists roles hiring now Learn the skillsCourses for Medical Physicists, who lean most on critical thinking Real pay & reviewsWhat Medical Physicists say they actually earn

Key skills

Critical Thinking
Monitoring
Active Listening
Speaking
Reading Comprehension
Active Learning

Pay and jobs by state

BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's. A tilde marks a figure estimated from the parent occupation group where BLS publishes none.

State	Jobs	Per 1,000	vs national	Median pay
California	4,180	0.2	1.0×	$76k
Louisiana	3,900	2.0	8.9×	$63k
Pennsylvania	2,490	0.4	1.8×	$45k
Maryland	2,110	0.8	3.4×	$75k
Georgia	1,770	0.4	1.6×	$63k
Tennessee	1,650	0.5	2.2×	$63k
Texas	1,460	0.1	0.5×	$62k
Michigan	1,160	0.3	1.2×	$77k
New York	1,110	0.1	0.5×	$103k
Florida	1,070	0.1	0.5×	$76k

All 51 states

State	Jobs	Per 1,000	vs national	Median pay
Nevada	1,020	0.7	2.9×	$64k
Illinois	970	0.2	0.7×	$73k
North Carolina	940	0.2	0.8×	$57k
Washington	880	0.2	1.1×	$81k
Hawaii	720	1.1	5.1×	$57k
New Jersey	720	0.2	0.8×	$77k
Arizona	690	0.2	0.9×	$63k
Arkansas	610	0.5	2.1×	$38k
Virginia	530	0.1	0.6×	$63k
Indiana	500	0.2	0.7×	$81k
Wisconsin	470	0.2	0.7×	$82k
Missouri	450	0.2	0.7×	$86k
Connecticut	420	0.2	1.1×	$79k
Iowa	410	0.3	1.2×	$42k
Minnesota	410	0.1	0.6×	$80k
New Hampshire	360	0.5	2.3×	$80k
Ohio	350	0.1	0.3×	$61k
South Carolina	340	0.1	0.7×	$68k
Massachusetts	310	0.1	0.4×	$80k
Kansas	270	0.2	0.8×	$43k
Rhode Island	240	0.5	2.1×	$63k
Mississippi	230	0.2	0.9×	$38k
Oregon	210	0.1	0.5×	$67k
Colorado	200	0.1	0.3×	$74k
Nebraska	200	0.2	0.9×	$49k
Kentucky	190	0.1	0.4×	$92k
Montana	190	0.4	1.6×	$79k
Maine	161	0.3	1.1×	$66k~
Utah	160	0.1	0.4×	$67k
New Mexico	150	0.2	0.8×	$35k
Washington DC	130	0.2	0.8×	$114k
Vermont	130	0.4	1.9×	$59k
South Dakota	126	0.3	1.2×	$59k~
Idaho	110	0.1	0.6×	$62k
Delaware	90	0.2	0.8×	$50k
Alabama	80	0.0	0.2×	$70k
North Dakota	80	0.2	0.8×	$52k
West Virginia	80	0.1	0.5×	$66k
Wyoming	80	0.3	1.3×	$60k
Alaska	70	0.2	0.9×	$69k
Oklahoma	30	0.0	0.1×	$73k

Top metro areas

New Orleans-Metairie, LA1,910 jobs · $63k median
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA1,430 jobs · $79k median
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ1,340 jobs · $102k median
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD1,080 jobs · $75k median
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD1,070 jobs · $49k median
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV1,030 jobs · $108k median
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA850 jobs · $78k median
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN830 jobs · $73k median

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Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.