State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Radiologist Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Radiologists is $420,860 a year ($202.34/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 2.7% through 2034, with about 800 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Doctoral or professional degree.
SOC 29-1224Healthcare Practitioners and TechnicalLast updated August 23, 2026
- Median pay
- $420,860
- Projected growth
- +2.7%
- Openings a year
- 800
- Typical education
- Doctorate
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Attending Physician, Diagnostic Radiologist, Interventional Neuroradiologist, Interventional Radiologist, Musculoskeletal Specialty Radiologist (MSK Specialty Radiologist), Neuroradiologist.
How much do Radiologists make?
10th percentile$89,010
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$216,800
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$420,860
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$506,010
Upper quartile
90th percentile$594,410
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $420,860 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $202.34/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $381,530 |
| People employed | 26,770 |
Versus all US occupations
At $420,860, Radiologists earn 726% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $369,880 a year.
Versus healthcare practitioners and technical occupations
Inside the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical group, where the middle occupation pays $97,870, this is 330% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $594,410 or more while the bottom 10% earn $89,010, a gap of 6.7×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 100% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Minnesota pays the most at $708,340, and still leads at $718,245 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Radiologists the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | $708,340 | $718,245 | 440 |
| South Dakota | $586,010 | $661,515 | 70 |
| Maryland | $581,510 | $554,035 | N/A |
| Maine | $555,750 | $572,643 | N/A |
| North Dakota | $553,140 | $621,792 | 120 |
| New Hampshire | $506,010 | $485,777 | 210 |
| Michigan | $485,920 | $505,025 | 360 |
| New Jersey | $482,700 | $443,638 | N/A |
| West Virginia | $471,650 | $527,001 | 360 |
| Arizona | $470,640 | $467,475 | N/A |
Is Radiologist a growing career?
Radiologists2.7%
All US occupations3.1%
+2.7% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Radiologists to change 2.7% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 800 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 800 openings are projected each year, 2.8% of the 28,200 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of physicians and surgeons is projected to grow 3 percent from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of physicians and surgeons varies by occupation (see table). An increasing number of older adults, who are more likely than younger people to experience health problems and to need complex care, is expected to drive overall employment growth for physicians and surgeons.
In addition, increasing rates of chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease, will result in continued reliance on physicians and surgeons by large numbers of people seeking medical care.
How to become a Radiologist
Physicians and surgeons typically need a bachelor’s degree as well as a degree from a medical school, which takes an additional 4 years to complete. Depending on their specialty, they also need 3 to 9 years in internship and residency programs. Subspecialization includes additional training in a fellowship of 1 to 3 years.
| Typical entry-level education | Doctoral or professional degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Considerable preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Internship/residency |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as radiologists.
- Post-Doctoral Training57.9%
- Doctoral Degree28.0%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)11.1%
- Post-Secondary Certificate3.0%
What does a Radiologist do?
Diagnose and treat diseases and injuries using medical imaging techniques, such as x rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear medicine, and ultrasounds. May perform minimally invasive medical procedures and tests.
Physicians and surgeons diagnose and treat injuries or illnesses and address health maintenance. Physicians examine patients; take medical histories; prescribe medications; and order, perform, and interpret diagnostic tests. They often counsel patients on diet, hygiene, and preventive healthcare. Surgeons operate on patients to treat injuries, such as broken bones; diseases, such as cancerous tumors; and deformities, such as cleft palates.
There are two types of physicians, with similar degrees: M.D. (Medical Doctor) and D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine). Both use the same methods of treatment, including drugs and surgery, but D.O.s place additional emphasis on the body's musculoskeletal system, preventive medicine, and holistic (whole-person) patient care. D.O.s are most likely to be primary care physicians, although they work in all specialties.
Day-to-day tasks
- Obtain patients' histories from electronic records, patient interviews, dictated reports, or by communicating with referring clinicians.
- Confer with medical professionals regarding image-based diagnoses.
- Participate in continuing education activities to maintain and develop expertise.
- Review or transmit images and information using picture archiving or communications systems.
- Perform or interpret the outcomes of diagnostic imaging procedures including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computer tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), nuclear cardiology treadmill studies, mammography, or ultrasound.
- Communicate examination results or diagnostic information to referring physicians, patients, or families.
- Develop or monitor procedures to ensure adequate quality control of images.
- Instruct radiologic staff in desired techniques, positions, or projections.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Most physicians and surgeons work full time. Some work more than 40 hours per week. Many physicians and surgeons work long shifts, which may include irregular and overnight hours or being on call. Physicians and surgeons may travel between their offices and the hospital to care for patients. While on call, a physician may need to address a patient’s concerns over the phone or make an emergency visit to another location, such as a nursing home.
Where the work happens
- Indoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day
Working with people
- Face-to-face discussions every day
- Dealing with customers or the public is very important
Pressure and stakes
- Meeting strict deadlines at least weekly
Autonomy
- A lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey, showing only the signals people in the job report decisively one way or the other.
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension4.3/5
- Active Listening4.3/5
- Speaking4.3/5
- Writing4.1/5
- Critical Thinking4.1/5
- Monitoring4.0/5
- Active Learning3.9/5
- Science3.8/5
Transferable skills
- Judgment and Decision Making4.1/5
- Social Perceptiveness4.0/5
- Complex Problem Solving4.0/5
- Service Orientation3.6/5
- Time Management3.5/5
- Instructing3.4/5
- Coordination3.3/5
- Operations Monitoring3.1/5
Tools and software
- Medical software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Electronic mail software
- Graphics or photo imaging software
- Internet browser software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Radiologist?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary4.9
Investigativeprimary6.6
Artistic1.4
Social3.9
Enterprising2.2
Conventionalprimary4.5
Day to day this is work built around investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data, combined with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Radiologist: frequently asked questions
How much do Radiologists make?
Radiologists earn a median of $420,860 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 726% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $202.34/hr. The middle half earn between $216,800 and $506,010. The top 10% earn $594,410 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Radiologist?
Yes, and beyond a bachelor's: BLS lists a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry requirement for Radiologists. BLS also lists internship/residency as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 57.9% hold post-doctoral training.
Is Radiologist a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 2.7% over 2024–2034, about the same as the 3.1% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 800 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Radiologist do?
Physicians and surgeons diagnose and treat injuries or illnesses and address health maintenance. A core O*NET task: obtain patients' histories from electronic records, patient interviews, dictated reports, or by communicating with referring clinicians. Employers most often ask for Medical software, Spreadsheet software, Word processing software.
Which states pay Radiologists the most?
The highest state medians for Radiologists are Minnesota ($708,340), South Dakota ($586,010), Maryland ($581,510) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Radiologist?
O*NET scores Radiologists highest on the Investigative, Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.