Radiologists ranked among the top five specialties for both average total compensation and compensation growth in 2025, according to Medscape's 2026 Physician Compensation Report.
Practitioners in eight specialties, including radiology, topped $500,000 in total annual compensation, according to the survey of full-time U.S. physicians. Radiology ranked third at $571,000. Cardiology, radiology, and anesthesiology ranked in the top five for compensation growth while also placing in the top five for average total pay, the report found.
Overall physician compensation rose approximately 3% on average in 2025, outpacing the annualized core U.S. inflation rate of 2.7% at the end of the year, according to the report. The survey also found 53% of physicians felt fairly compensated, up from 48% the prior year.
One healthcare compensation consultant cited strong demand for radiologists and the growth of remote radiology work as key drivers of the specialty's strong compensation performance. Nine specialties reported flat pay or declines in the latest survey, compared with seven in the prior year's report, which the report attributed in part to high Medicare patient volumes at a time when the Medicare conversion factor declined.
