Interventional radiologists see largest year-over-year pay gain among physicians: Doximity

Interventional radiologists recorded the largest year-over-year pay gain among physicians, according to new survey data from Doximity released Tuesday. 

IR specialists saw their average annual compensation leap 10.8%, up to $634,658 in 2025, according to the online professional network for doctors. That places interventional radiologists just ahead of neurosurgeons at No. 2, whose pay leapt 10.7% year over year, up to an average of $829,161. 

Diagnostic radiology was the only specialty to make the top 10 in pay gains this year and last, with its average compensation climbing 6.6%, up to $609,684 in the new survey, on top of a 7.5% bump last year. 
 

Overall, average physician compensation rose 2% in 2025, down from 3.7% in the previous survey. Doximity highlighted two key trends from its latest findings—continuing physician shortages and related burnout, along with many docs turning to artificial intelligence for help. 

“Physicians go into medicine because they’re passionate about helping people,” Amit Phull, MD, chief medical officer at Doximity, said in a statement Aug. 25. “Then the job compromises that mission. Admin burden. Extreme hours. A system that doesn’t feel built for them anymore. So, it’s no surprise they're looking at AI as leverage, not a threat.”

The 2026 Physician Compensation Report is based on new survey findings gathered in June coupled with Doximity salary data representing over 23,000 responses received in 2025. Other top gainers in this year’s survey included pathologists at No. 3, with pay increasing 9.8%, up to an average of $410,039. Allergists/immunologists (8.8%/$335,978) and thoracic surgeons (8.7%/$749,707) rounded out the top 5. 

The gender pay gap persists across medicine, Doximity found, sitting at 26% for the second consecutive year. On average, male physicians earn about $122,276 more than women. Thoracic surgery had the largest gender gap as a percentage of pay at 19.7%. In contrast, pediatric cardiology had the smallest at 8.7%, followed by radiology at 10%. On average, female radiologists are earning about $555,040, nearly $62,000 less than their male colleagues. There also is a widening gap between primary care physicians and specialists—with surgeons now earning 90.1% more than PCPs, up from 87.3% last year.

The survey also explored demand trends, utilizing physician job listings. Doximity labeled radiologists as the 7th most sought-after specialty (up from No. 10 last year), with family and internal medicine claiming the top 2 spots. Radiologists also were 5th on the list of most-desired locums specialists (up from No. 7 last year), while the same two specialties held the top 2 spots on the locums list. 

“Amid concerns over an overstretched physician workforce, demand remains high across many medical specialties,” Doximity noted in the report. “Beyond full-time work, locum tenens is an increasingly popular way for physicians to supplement their income or to practice with the benefits of reduced hours and more flexibility,” it added later. 

About 85% of those surveyed feel the physician shortage has affected their clinical practice. Another 76% said staffing challenges coupled with “systemic pressures” have compromised the quality of care they have delivered over the last year. The June 2026 Doximity poll reached over 600 physicians, with 82% reporting being overworked. Among this segment, 66% are considering a career change, including 46% who are contemplating early retirement (up from 34% last year). 

On the AI front, about 23% of physicians surveyed said they expect artificial intelligence to increase their total compensation in the next year. Another 67% believe physicians who stay current with AI tools will have a meaningful earnings advantage over colleagues who do not adopt the technology in the near term. At least 39% of physicians surveyed said AI proficiency is a factor in hiring and promotion decisions for their specialty, including 15% who see it as a “moderate” or “major” factor.

“Looking ahead, the next set of questions centers on AI,” the report concludes, with Doximity planning a future follow-up focused on artificial intelligence. “Can it extend the reach of the physician workforce enough to narrow the projected shortage? Which specialties stand to benefit most, and how will demand and compensation evolve? And as AI fluency becomes increasingly important in hiring and career advancement, will it emerge as a new form of professional currency?”