Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
Doctoral or professional degree
None
Internship/residency
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Radiologists are highly trained medical professionals who interpret medical images and use advanced diagnostic tools to support patient care. This career currently employs about 28,000 people nationwide and requires a doctoral or professional degree, reflecting the extensive education and training involved. The field shows projected employment growth of 2.7%, indicating a modest expansion over time. With around 1,000 annual openings, opportunities arise from both new positions and turnover in existing roles. Strong skills in science, critical and analytical thinking, problem solving, and attention to detail are central to success, along with communication skills such as speaking, listening, and clear writing. Interpersonal abilities, adaptability, and leadership also play an important role, as radiologists work closely with other healthcare professionals. For those prepared to complete an advanced degree and develop this broad skill set, radiology offers a specialized career path with defined demand and structured professional expectations.
Radiologists can see very different earning levels depending on location. Among the highlighted states, median annual salaries range from $270,560 in California to $708,340 in Minnesota, showing a wide spread in potential pay. New York and Texas also offer high state-level medians of $441,580 and $319,320 respectively, while Colorado stands at $344,270. At the metro level, some areas stand out with strong reported medians, such as Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim at $488,670 and New York-Newark-Jersey City at $465,780. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington also reports a median of $452,940. In contrast, the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metro shows a substantially lower median of $106,000 despite a relatively strong opportunity score. These figures suggest that radiologists’ earning potential is strongly shaped by specific state and metro labor markets, and that evaluating offers requires close attention to local salary data rather than assuming uniform pay nationwide.
Radiology shows a measured but positive employment outlook. National employment is about 28,000, and projected growth of 2.7% indicates that the total number of positions is expected to increase over time. With approximately 1,000 annual openings, people entering or advancing in this career can anticipate a steady flow of opportunities from both growth and replacement needs. The 2.7% growth projection is consistent across the highlighted states and metro areas, suggesting a broadly similar pace of change in different regions. This combination of an established employment base, defined growth, and a recurring volume of openings makes radiology a structured and predictable field from a labor-market perspective. Individuals who complete the required doctoral or professional education and maintain strong skills in science, analysis, communication, and technology will be positioned to participate in these ongoing opportunities as the job market evolves.
Location has a significant impact on radiology careers, influencing salaries, employment concentration, and overall opportunity scores. Among states, California and New York post the highest opportunity scores, 67.38 and 65.78, with median salaries of $270,560 and $441,580 and employment levels of 690 and 2,010 respectively. Texas has the largest employment among the listed states at 2,330 but a lower opportunity score of 51.57, while Colorado and Minnesota offer moderate employment counts with opportunity scores in the mid-to-high 40s and 50s. Minnesota’s median salary of $708,340 stands out as the highest reported state figure. At the metro level, New York-Newark-Jersey City leads with an opportunity score of 77.27, a median salary of $465,780, and employment of 1,950, making it a particularly significant local market. Other metros, such as Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Denver-Aurora-Centennial, and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, also provide notable combinations of salary, employment, and opportunity scores, each with distinct profiles to compare.
Radiologists typically need a doctoral or professional degree, indicating an advanced level of academic and clinical preparation. This high education requirement aligns with the complex scientific and analytical nature of the work. The skill profile emphasizes science, critical and analytical thinking, and problem solving and decision making, all of which are central to mastering and applying advanced medical knowledge. Strong writing and reading abilities support accurate documentation and understanding of detailed information, while speaking and listening skills help radiologists communicate effectively with colleagues and other professionals. Interpersonal skills and adaptability are also important, reflecting the need to work within diverse clinical teams and respond to changing situations. Being detail oriented is essential for careful review and interpretation, and leadership skills can become increasingly important as radiologists take on responsibilities such as guiding teams or contributing to departmental decisions. Competence with computers and information technology supports work in modern clinical environments and digital imaging systems.
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