Salaries for U.S. radiologists began to grow again in 2008, after dipping slightly in 2007, according to the latest data from AuntMinnie.com's 2009 SalaryScan survey. The picture is less rosy for U.S. radiologic technologists (RTs), who have experienced no wage growth for the past three years.
Overall, U.S. radiologists of all specializations and experience levels reported an average base salary of $343,800, whereas in 2007 they reported an average base salary of $336,727. Radiologist salaries are now back to the same level they were in 2006, when radiologists reported an average base salary of $343,032.
On the other hand, U.S. radiologic technologists of all specializations and experience levels reported an average base salary of $61,616 in 2008 ($29.62 on an hourly basis), essentially flat compared with an average base salary of $61,153 in 2007 ($29.40 hourly). What's more, RT wages haven't grown since 2006, when radiologic technologists reported an average base salary of $61,512 ($29.57 hourly), compared with $57,717 in 2005 ($27.75 hourly).
The sluggish wage growth may be due to an influx of graduates from radiologic technology programs around the country, which is depressing wages and making the market tighter for job seekers. A recent report found that a "glut" of RT schools had created such a surplus that RT jobs seemed to disappear in 2008.
Radiology administrators in the U.S. saw a jump in wages, however, continuing a trend found in past surveys. Radiology administrators reported an average base salary in 2008 of $95,703, compared with an average base salary of $88,425 in 2007.
Within particular areas of subspecialization, interventional radiologists again repeated their dominance at the top of radiology's salary pecking order, with a reported average base salary of $380,923. That compares to $363,026 in last year's survey.
Next up were radiologists subspecializing in MRI, with an average base salary of $364,159, compared with $353,968 in 2007. Bringing up the rear were nuclear medicine/PET physicians, reporting an average base salary of $311,431 in 2008, compared with $339,515 in 2007.
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Regionally in the U.S., radiologists in the U.S. Mountain region (Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona) regained the top of the salary rankings, a position they held in 2006 before losing it last year to radiologists in the U.S. West North Central region (North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri). U.S. Mountain radiologists reported an average base salary in 2008 of $384,550, compared with $375,688 in 2007.
In second place in this year's survey were radiologists in the U.S. West South Central area (Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana), with an average base salary of $351,207, followed by those in the U.S. South Atlantic zone (Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Washington, DC), at $349,313.
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Among radiologic technologists, those who specialize in interventional radiology were the best compensated, with 2008 average base salaries of $70,309 ($33.80 hourly), followed closely by nuclear medicine technologists at $69,739 ($33.53 hourly). At the bottom of the pack were mammography technologists, reporting an average base salary of $56,285 ($27.06 hourly).
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In the regional analysis, the U.S. Pacific region (Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, and Hawaii) continued its dominance at the top of the wage rankings, with RTs in the area reporting an average base salary in 2008 of $74,183 ($35.66 hourly), compared with $74,264 in 2007 ($35.70 hourly). The U.S. New England region (Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut) showed more wage growth but still fell into second place with an average base salary in 2008 of $68,826 ($33.09 hourly), compared with $66,775 ($32.10 hourly) in 2007.
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Radiologic technologists in the U.S. West North Central zone once again brought up the rear in terms of wages in 2008, reporting an average base salary of $54,490 ($26.20 hourly), compared with $53,546 ($25.74 hourly) in 2007.
The SalaryScan data were collected from surveys filled out between January and March 2009 by thousands of radiology professionals around the world. AuntMinnie.com members can conduct searches on comparable salaries in their professions, regions, and states by going to the SalaryScan data query tool on the AuntMinnie.com Career Center home page, at jobs.auntminnie.com.
By Brian Casey
AuntMinnie.com staff writer
May 14, 2009
Related Reading
Nuke med techs top U.S. labor bureau wage report, May 6, 2009
Survey shows residents have ample job options, September 26, 2008
Study: Radiologists among highest-paid specialties, September 10, 2008
ASRT: RT vacancy rate still falling, July 10, 2008
Salaries fell for radiologists, RTs in 2007, SalaryScan survey says, May 13, 2008
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