Physicist Visa Sponsorship Jobs in Illinois
Physicist visa sponsorship jobs in Illinois are concentrated at Fermilab in Batavia, Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont, and the University of Chicago, with additional opportunities at Northwestern University and the Illinois Institute of Technology. Chicago serves as the state's hiring hub, drawing physicists into medical physics, materials research, and high-energy physics programs backed by federal funding.
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Total Rewards:
OSF HealthCare is dedicated to provide Mission Partners with a comprehensive and market-competitive total rewards package that includes benefits, compensation, recognition and well-being offerings that focus on the whole person and engage with their current stage of life and career. Click here to learn more about benefits and the total rewards at OSF. Expected pay for this position is $92.06 - $121.97/hour. Actual pay will be determined by experience, skills and internal equity. This is a Salaried position.
Position Summary:
The Lead Proton Radiation Physicist is responsible for overseeing the technical aspects of proton beam radiation therapy to ensure the safe and accurate delivery of treatments and to maintain compliance with local, state, and federal regulations. Maintains the skills necessary to develop, implement, and perform quality assurance testing and calibration of the equipment associated with proton beam radiotherapy. Reviews and performs treatment plan calculations for proton beam therapy and works with other members of the staff to ensure high quality patient care. Proper credentials must be maintained to prepare, receive, and handle potentially hazardous radioactive labeled packages.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Education: Master’s degree in medical physics from a Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Program (CAMPEP) accredited program with completion of a two-year residency in medical physics.
Experience: 3 years’ experience as a clinical therapy physicist including experience with 3DCRT/IMRT/VMAT, SRS/SBRT/IGRT, routine machine Quality Assurance commissioning, and calibration of radiation therapy equipment.
Licensure/ Certification: Certification in Therapeutic Radiology Physics or Radiation Physics by the American Board of Radiology or the American Board of Medical Physics.
Other Skills/ Knowledge:
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
- Solid computer skills, including proficiency with Microsoft software.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to be detail oriented.
- Analytic skills necessary to solve technical problems related to equipment failures, quality assurance processes, radiation dose administration, radioactive materials, and the like.
- Knowledge and skills necessary to provide effective patient care to adult and geriatric patient population.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Education: Doctorate degree in medical physics from a CAMPEP accredited program with completion of a two-year residency in medical physics.
Experience: Five years of work experience as a clinical therapy physicist including experience with Proton Beam Therapy (3 years), 3DCRT/IMRT/VMAT, SRS/SBRT/IGRT, routine machine QA, commissioning, and calibration of radiation therapy equipment.
OSF HealthCare is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Physicist Job Roles in Illinois
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Search Physicist Jobs in IllinoisPhysicist Jobs in Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies and institutions sponsor visas for physicists in Illinois?
Illinois has a strong base of physics employers with sponsorship history. Fermilab and Argonne National Laboratory are among the most active, regularly sponsoring researchers through H-1B visa and J-1 visa programs. The University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign also sponsor physicists for research and faculty roles. Private-sector employers in medical device and semiconductor manufacturing in the Chicago metro area also file sponsorship petitions for physicists.
Which visa types realistically fit physicist roles in Illinois?
Physicist roles typically qualify for the H-1B as a specialty occupation requiring a directly related degree. The O-1A is an option for physicists with extraordinary ability, such as published researchers or award recipients. J-1 is available through designated exchange visitor programs at universities and national labs. Canadian and Mexican nationals holding a physics degree may qualify for TN visa status under the USMCA Physicist profession. EB-1B and EB-2 green card pathways are common for academic and research physicists.
How to find physicist visa sponsorship jobs in Illinois?
Migrate Mate lists Illinois physicist roles from employers with verified visa sponsorship history, covering positions at national laboratories, research universities, and private-sector employers across the state. Searching by role and location on Migrate Mate lets you focus on organizations that have actively filed sponsorship petitions, which is especially useful for filtering research physicist and medical physicist openings in the Chicago metro and Batavia areas.
Which cities in Illinois have the most physicist sponsorship jobs?
Chicago is the largest hub, with positions across university medical centers, private research firms, and technology companies. Batavia hosts Fermilab, one of the country's leading high-energy physics laboratories and a consistent sponsorship employer. Lemont, home to Argonne National Laboratory, is another concentrated source of physics research roles. Champaign-Urbana, anchored by the University of Illinois, adds significant academic physicist hiring activity downstate.
Are there state-specific factors physicists should know when pursuing sponsorship in Illinois?
Illinois benefits from a dense cluster of federally funded research facilities, particularly Fermilab and Argonne, which operate under Department of Energy contracts and have established international hiring pipelines. Many physicist roles at these institutions involve security clearance considerations, which can affect visa eligibility depending on nationality and role scope. University-based positions often route sponsorship through institutional H-1B programs managed by the school's international office, with dedicated support for researchers and postdoctoral staff.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored physicist jobs in Illinois?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.