Average Radiologist Salary in the United States

Data sources show an average salary the average salary of a radiologist is roughly $500,000 annually. 

According to the latest Doximity report, radiology is the tenth-highest specialty in 2023, with an average salary of approximately $504,000.

In the 2023 Medscape report, radiology was the sixth highest-paying specialty, with an average salary of $483,000. And in the 2022 Medscape compensation report, radiologists earned an average salary of $437,000, the eighth highest-paying specialty. 

When reading these numbers, remember that radiologists’ compensation can vary significantly due to different factors such as specialties, sub-specialties, and geographic location.

For example, diagnostic radiologists, interventional radiologists, and radiation oncologists all generate similar median annual salaries of approximately $450,000, while pediatric radiology’s average annual salary is much lower, at $278,000.

Are Radiologist’s Salary Increasing or Decreasing?

Radiologist salaries are increasing at one of the highest rates compared to other specialties. In the latest 2023 Medscape compensation report, radiologists’ salaries increased by 10%, but only two specialties had a salary increase higher than 10%. 

In 2023, radiologists reported earning an average salary of $483,000, while in 2022, their average salary was $437,000; this is nearly a $50,000 increase in salary from the previous year. 

This shows that a radiologist’s salary is able to outpace inflation and increase their purchasing power, whereas many professions experience a decrease in purchasing power.

Does Radiologist Receive Incentives or Bonuses?

Yes, radiologists do receive incentives and bonuses. In fact. According to the latest Medscape report, they received the third-highest compensation out of all other specialties. Radiologists reported an average incentive compensation of $80,000 per year. This would be an incentive compensation of 17% of their annual salary. 

Compared to the 2022 compensation amount of $66,000, this is a $14,000 increase in a radiologist’s average incentive compensation.

Do Radiologists take extra work for additional income?

Approximately 37% of radiologists report taking on additional work for supplemental income. Twenty-nine percent of those radiologists reported that they either moonlight or perform other medical-related work for supplemental income. Another 10% reported that they work additional hours to earn additional income, and finally, 4% of radiologists reported that they perform non-related medical work for supplemental income. 

These results are very similar to the 2022 results, where 36% of radiologists report taking on additional work for supplemental income. 

Do Radiologists feel fairly compensated?

Overall, 58% of radiologists feel fairly compensated in 2023. This is 5% higher than physicians on average, who only report 52% feeling fairly compensated. Radiologists have one of the highest rates of compensation satisfaction, coming in with the eighth-highest rating out of the 29 specialties surveyed. 

This figure is down from the 2022 report figures, where 63% of radiologists felt fairly compensated. 

Factors Affecting radiologists’s Salary

Experience Level 

As with any position, a radiologist’s experience influences their salary.

An entry-level cardiologist will earn less than someone with more training, experience, and skills.

There isn’t much data to show how the salary of a cardiologist evolves as they gain more experience. However, if we use Salary Experts database report, we can come up with the following median annual salary at different levels of experience:

Entry Level – $286,000

Mid-Career – $437,000

Experienced – $600,000

As an entry-level radiologist, your starting pay is about 60% of the national average. But as radiologists gain experience from entry-level to mid-career, they can expect to reach the national average and earn nearly $200,000 more. Finally, when a radiologist is fully experienced and in a senior role, they can expect to earn nearly $600,000 annually or nearly an additional $200,000 from their mid-career salary levels. 

Location

Where you decide to practice radiology will influence your salary. This is not a phenomenon unique to radiologists but to all physicians.

A recent study by Doximity found that the average physician salary in the highest earnings metro area was approximately $431,000, and the lowest metro area was $342,000. This is nearly a $100,000 difference in average salary based on location. 

To analyze pay differences by location, we used ZipRecruiter salary reporting. While ZipRecruiter’s numbers are slightly different than those of Doximity and Medscape numbers, we can use ZipRecruiter as a proxy to show which states pay higher salaries compared to others. 

The table above shows that New York has the highest annual salary compared to Arkansas, which has the lowest average salary for radiologists. The salary for a radiologist in New York is $143,000 greater than the average salary of radiologists in Arkansas.  

Some factors that influence the salary differences between states are the supply of radiologists, the demand for radiologists, the cost of living, and the number of opportunities available.

That said, it’s essential to recognize that these states also vary in cost of living. The cost of living dramatically varies across the country, with metropolitan areas generally being more expensive. This means that while some states offer higher compensation for cardiologists, the buying power of that salary may be severely diminished by higher basic living expenses.

Specialization

As with most physicians, your specialization within your specialty can significantly impact your salary.

Some common specialties in radiology include:

• Diagnostic Radiology
• Interventional Radiology/Diagnostic Radiology
• Radiation Oncology
• Pediatric Radiology

There are many other sub-specialties that you can choose within radiology that can have an impact on your salary. 

According to Salary.com, diagnostic radiologists, interventional radiologists, and radiation oncologists all generate similar median annual salaries of approximately $450,000. In contrast, Pediatric radiology’s average annual salary is much lower, at $278,000. 

Type of Workplace

The type of hospital or medical facility where you work can also affect your salary as a radiologist. Working at a large, well-known healthcare institution or private hospital often comes with a higher wage than smaller hospitals or clinics.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics performs a great analysis that demonstrates the difference in wages depending on the workplace or industry you are working in. 

The most common workplaces for radiologists include:

• Offices of Physicians
• General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
• Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories
• Outpatient Care Centers
• Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools

Outpatient care centers are the highest-paying workplace for radiologists, with an average annual salary of approximately $492,000. The second highest-paying workplace was physician offices, with an average annual salary of approximately $358,000. 

Unfortunately, the report did not disclose the average salary for general medical and surgical hospitals. However, they did disclose that specialty offices earn an average annual salary of approximately $379,000. The lowest-earning radiologist worked in colleges, universities, and professional schools with an average annual salary of $221,000. 

This report shows a large salary difference depending on the industry and workplace. By working at an outpatient care center, you can earn more than double the annual salary of a radiologist at a college or university. 

Frequently Asked Question

How much do radiologists make in California?

According to ZipRecruiter, radiologists in California earn an average annual salary of approximately $309,000. California ranked 39 out of 50, placing radiologist earnings in the bottom 15 states. 

On the other hand, payscale reported radiologists’ median annual salary in California as $509,000, which is more in line with the national average salary reported by Doximity and Medscape compensation reports. 50% of radiologist salary fall between approximately $436,000 and $581,000. 

How much do radiologists make in Tennessee?

According to ZipRecruiter, radiologists in Tennessee earn an average annual salary of approximately $315,000. Tennessee ranked 30 out of 50, placing radiologist earnings in the bottom 20 states. 

On the other hand, payscale reported radiologist median annual salary in Tennessee as $418,000, which is more in line with the national average salary reported by Doximity and Medscape compensation reports—50% of radiologist’s salaries fall between approximately $364,000 and $484,000. 

How much do radiologists make in Florida?

According to ZipRecruiter, radiologists in Florida earn an average annual salary of approximately $309,000. Florida ranked 49 out of 50, placing radiologists’ earnings as one of the lowest in the country. 

On the other hand, payscale reported radiologists’ median annual salary in Florida as $432,000, which is more in line with the national average salary reported by Doximity and Medscape compensation reports—50% of radiologist’s salary fall between approximately $376,000 and $500,000. 

How much do radiologists make in New York?

According to ZipRecruiter, radiologists in New York earn an average annual salary of approximately $410,000. New York ranked as the highest-earning state for radiologists. 

On the other hand, Payscale reported radiologists’ median annual salary in New York as $486,000, and 50% of radiologist salaries in New York fall between approximately $422,000 and $562,000. 

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