Radiologists earning an average of $571,000, up 9% year over year
Radiologists earn an average salary of $571,000, up about 9% year over year, according to new data from Medscape.
The figure places the specialty third among medicine’s highest earners, behind only orthopedics ($611,000) and cardiology ($575,000). Plastic surgeons ($554,000) and anesthesiologists ($543,000) round out the top 5, Medscape reported April 10.
Meanwhile, cardiologists saw the largest year-over-year pay gain at 10%, while both radiologists and ophthalmologists tied for second at 9%. Emergency medicine specialists, anesthesiologists and orthopedic specialists trailed just behind, all adding 8%.
The findings are based on a survey of nearly 6,000 physicians across 30 specialties including about 177 radiologists, conducted between September and December.
"I absolutely am not surprised that orthopedics, cardiology and radiology are at the top of this list, based on the supply of practitioners nationally and demand for procedures," Angie Caldwell, a Tampa, Florida-based principal with PYA Accountants & Advisors, which also performs healthcare consulting, told the website.
Medscape noted that the high compensation and sizable year-over-year gains likely stem from strong demand for medical imaging. Rads previously reported a roughly 5% annual pay jimp, according to the 2025 Medscape report.
"At the top of this group, there's so much demand for radiologists and so much remote radiology work now…," Caldwell added.
Read more about the findings from Medscape here.
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.