Radiologist among the 6 highest-paying jobs in America

Radiologist is among the six highest-paying jobs in America, according to new data from the U.S. Department of Labor, released in late April.

The specialty’s average annual salary of $329,080 (or $158.21 per-hour wage) placed it behind four other medical specialties, along with “athletes and sports competitors” at No. 4 ($358,080). Cardiologists weighed in at No. 1 (with an average compensation of $421,330), followed by surgeons in orthopedics ($371,400) and pediatrics ($362,970). “All other” surgeons filled the other top-five spot at an average compensation of $347,870. The number represents a 9% increase in radiologist pay compared to the previous year’s report.

A total of 29,250 radiologists were employed in the U.S., as of when the data were captured in May 2022. More than 63% of such specialists worked in physician offices, earning an average of $358,020. General medical and surgical hospitals employed the second largest tally at 5,370 (18%, with no wage estimate listed), followed by 3,660 at medical and diagnostic laboratories (12.5% at an average of $354,110), and 420 more in outpatient care centers (1%, with the highest salary at $491,980). Colleges, universities and professional schools took the fifth spot, employing 370 radiologists at an average salary of $221,060.

Massachusetts occupies the largest share of radiologists among the 50 states, with 2,120 members of the specialty earning an average of $309,090. Illinois took the second spot with 1,960 physicians ($230,510), followed by New York’s 1,770 ($308,970), California’s 1,700 ($339,140), and Texas’ 1,590 ($297,320).

The majority of the top 30 highest-paid positions are in some form of medicine, with lawyers, financial managers, airline pilots, and CEOs a few of the exceptions.

You can read much more from the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics (a division of the Labor Department), including a detailed breakdown on radiologist compensation, here.

Marty Stempniak

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. 

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