Radiology Rises to No. 2 Highest Paid Specialty (Medscape Survey)
Radiology Rises to No. 2 Highest Paid Specialty (Medscape Survey)
Source: Medscape
Date: April 14, 2025
Highlighted by MDPI.
1. Radiology is now the No. 2 highest paid medical specialty in the U.S., according to the 2025 Medscape Physician Compensation Report.
2. Average annual income for radiologists: $520,000, including salary, bonuses, and profit-sharing.
3. Top 5 specialties by compensation:
• Orthopedics: $543,000
• Radiology: $520,000
• Plastic Surgery: $516,000
• Cardiology: $506,000
• Anesthesiology: $499,000
4. This is radiology’s highest ranking since 2012, and the first time since then it surpassed both cardiology and plastic surgery.
5. Year-over-year increase for radiology: +4%; nearly +49% since 2011 (when average pay was $350,000).
6. Driving factor: High demand and radiologist shortages, especially with rising imaging volumes.
7. Regional variation: Highest compensation found in the West North Central U.S. (avg. $421,000).
8. Gender pay gap: Largest ever in the survey’s history – $98,000 difference between male and female physicians.
9. Overall physician compensation increase: +3.6% this year — one of the smallest gains recorded by Medscape.