42% of millennial radiologists surveyed say their pay has stagnated over past year
About 42% of millennial radiologists surveyed say that their pay has either stayed the same or decreased over the past year, according to new survey data.
This included about 33% of rads polled, who said their year-over-year compensation has remained flat, while 9% reported a decrease. The other 58% said their pay increased over the past year, according to new data from Medscape, released Aug. 14.
The survey reached nearly 6,000 physicians across around 30 specialties between September and December 2025, including roughly 177 radiologists. Medscape did not outline specific reasons why millennial radiologist pay may have declined. But it noted that younger docs in general seem less willing to take on extra work, if it cuts into their personal lives.
Overall, about 4 in 10 millennial doctors reported having at least one extra job, matching the frequency across physicians of all ages.
"I definitely see less moonlighting or second jobs from both millennials and Gen Zs," Ted Epperly, MD, a family physician and CEO of Full Circle Health in Boise, Idaho, told the news outlet. "They are not into burning the candle from both ends. They are definitely very conscious of work-life balance.”
Among all specialties, millennial docs took home about 3% more in the past year when compared to the 2025 Medscape survey. This is on par with physicians across all age groups. About 48% of specialists surveyed said they do not feel fairly paid, compared to 52% who believe they are. Of all millennial physicians surveyed, 67% feel the medical profession is underpaid, 4% overpaid, and 29% believe compensation is “about right.”
Medscape shared several responses from anonymous millennial docs who are unhappy with their finances.
“Salaries have not kept up with the rate of inflation,” one respondent said. “Plus, with the relative value unit model, there’s no such thing as raises. To make more, you have to work harder, which is a recipe for burnout.”
“Private practice especially is vastly underpaid,” another survey respondent claimed. “Their margins are that thin and tenuous, and even being super busy is not enough.”
“We need a physician union,” another said. “Medicine is the only field where one can expect to get paid less year over year for the same amount of work.”
About 29% of specialists surveyed said their pay is “less than I need,” compared to 44% who said it matches their requirements and 27% who believe it is “more than I need.” Epperly said this is a frequent complaint from his docs in Idaho, with about 75% of his physician workforce classified as millennials.
“I'm hearing a pretty consistent message from them: Even though we increased everybody's pay 3% this year, it's not enough,” he said. “They're working hard. They've got a lot of debt. Cost of living is there. They're just not feeling like they're above water."
Earnings potential alone isn’t enough for many millennial doctors, who are looking for a broader range of benefits in their next job.
“In general, younger generations are more attracted to integrated systems and specialties that support work-life balance, preventive care, and predictable hours, allowing them to protect their personal time without compromising patient care," Nolan Chang, MD, executive VP of strategy, corporate development and finance for the Permanente Federation, told Medscape.
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Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.