Radiologist Salary in USA

Starting salary for radiologist in USA surpasses many top-paying salaries in other branches of medicine. Here are some median radiologist salary figures for sample American cities.

City	Radiologist Salary
Houston, TX	$310,000
Miami, FL	$335,000
Seattle, WA	$340,000
Los Angeles, CA	$355,000
New York, NY	$365,000

National Average Radiologist Salary : $315,000/-

Now, do keep in mind that these are averages of ALL types of settings - Academic and Private. Radiologist salary could be higher by another $100K to $250K in Private setting jobs and much more in partnership / ownership settings.

NOTE: Salaries here are the 50th Percentile Salaries and may apply to mid-career levels - the lower percentile salaries (for fresh physicians) may actually be lower by 30,000- 40,000 $. They also differ in academic versus private settings, and the type of specialization, with private sectors usually paying much more.

And these are just base radiologist salaries without the bonuses, perks and moonlighting ! No wonder the competition for Radiology Residencies is so intense in the USA - and I don't need to mention that this is one branch where it has become extremely tough for new IMGs to get in. In fact, the University California San Francisco gives a clear list of requirements that they look for in IMGs - and that includes USMLE scores of 99 to qualify.

Recentle there have been concerns about the payscales in the long term, considering how many hospitals have begun outsourcing Radiological images to radiologists in countries like Australia, India, etc.. for a much much lesser cost and high expertise. "But the facts show that not one radiologist has lost his job or found his earnings reduced", says Jagdish Bhagwati, professor at Columbia University, in an interview with financial times

How to become a Radiologist in the USA ?

There are two types of Radiologist Physicians - the Diagnostic Radiologists or the and the ones practicing Nuclear Medicine. This post is about Diagnostic Radiologists - To be one, a candidate must complete a Residency in Diagnostic Radiology after completing Medical School.

While getting into Radiology residency programs is extremely tough for IMGs (International Medical Graduates) - the IMGs who have completed Radiology residencies in non-US countries have been getting into Radiology Fellowships in the United States directly without having to do a US radiology residency first.

How Long is the Residency Training in Diagnostic Radiology ?

Candidates must first complete 1 year of Transitional or Preliminary training in primary care specialties like Internal medicine, Pediatrics, Surgery, Ob-Gyn, etc and then follow it up with four years of dedicated Radiology Residency. Thus, that makes it a total of 5 years ( 1 + 4 pattern) to become a Radiologist. Some programs may offer the 1st prelim / transitional year within the same institution (like the Arora Medical Center program, but a majority of programs will want candidates to complete that 1-year on their own ( like the University of Connecticut Radiology Program ) and then participate separately in the match program for Radiology positions. Some might offer both situations like the Baylor University Program

What Fellowship Options are Available After Radiology Residency ?

Here are some:

- Abdominal Radiology

- Cardiothoracic Radiology

- Endovascular Surgical Neuroradiology

- Musculoskeletal Radiology

- Neuroradiology

- Nuclear Radiology

- Pediatric Radiology

- Vascular and Interventional Radiology

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