Objective To analyze the situation of monitoring occupational individual radiation doses from external exposure in radiation diagnosis and treatment institutions in a city of Guangdong Province from 2020 to 2022, and to provide a scientific basis for optimizing the radiation protection management in this city. Methods Occupational individual radiation doses from external exposure were monitored using thermoluminescent dosimeters. The recovery rate of personal dosimeters, monitoring results, and data on verification of doses exceeding the investigation level over the three-year period were collected. Data processing and statistical analysis were performed using Excel and SPSS 24.0. Results The average recovery rate of personal dosimeters in the city from 2020 to 2022 was 92.5%. The difference in recovery rates among different institutions in 2021 and 2022 was statistically significant (P<0.05). The mean annual effective dose ranged from 0.20 to 0.36 mSv, with the highest dose observed among the interventional radiology staff (0.42 mSv). The overall distribution of the mean annual effective dose differed significantly across the years (P<0.05). Over the three years, there were 87 instances where individual doses exceeded the investigation level, with 72.4% of these cases attributed to incorrect wearing of dosimeters. Conclusion The individual dose monitoring for radiation workers in this city was generally well-managed. However, it is necessary to further strengthen daily supervision, management, and education on radiation protection, with particular attention given to occupational exposure protection for staff working in interventional radiology and those operating radioactive sources in industrial settings.