Radiologists Salary

A radiologists salary is so high that in certain circles it is accused of being partly responsible for soaring medical bills. Radiologists salaries actually depends on several factors. How much they earn will vary based on what they can do. But first, let’s try to understand what exactly radiologists do.

The medical professional trained to read the results after an X-ray, MRI and ultrasound is called a radiologist. Apart from being an expert at imaging, a radiologist can also specialize in the treatment of diseases done by means of radiation. With the use of radiation, radiologists can either help in the identification of abnormalities and diseases or they can handle the treatment themselves. This job description encompasses a rather wide scope of tasks so radiologists’ salary then depends on how much of education, talent and experience he has under his belt.

A radiologist first is paid for his expert analysis. As such, he must be a licensed physician having graduated from an accredited medical school. He must also have passed board examinations and approved to practice medicine by the American Board of Radiology or the American Osteopathic Board of Radiology.

Radiologists Salary Factor One: Experience

Experience it seems is the primary determinant of radiologists salary. According to the United States Department of Labor, a radiologist fresh out of school typically starts at about $50,000 per year. This rate can increase as he gains relevant experience. Those with about five years of experience can command pay in the neighborhood of $200,000 annually.

Radiologists Salary Factor Two: Specialty and Subspecialty

Radiologists salary also depends on the specialty and subspecialty. Through years of continuous clinical training, a radiologist may specialize in any one of the following: breast imaging, gastrointestinal (GI) radiology, cardiovascular radiology, genitourinary radiology, emergency radiology, musculoskeletal radiology, head and neck radiology, nuclear radiology, chest radiology, radiation oncology and more.

Interventional radiologists are the highest paid earning as much as $560,000 in annual salary. Meanwhile, the median salary for most of these specialties is $400,000 per year.

Radiologists Salary Factor Three: Terms of Employment

A radiologist can work as staff member of a hospital or any health care institution. What he earns by being an employee may be lower but he is likely to be entitled to benefits for retirement, insurance and the like. Working as freelancer meanwhile may allow him to earn more on a monthly basis but this income is sans the benefits regular employees are entitled to.

Location or place of work also make a difference but not as much as the above three factors. Please remember too that radiology technicians are different (they’re not doctors) and they can command less pay for their set of skills. Just as in any profession, radiologists’ salary is ultimately based on what they can do and how much in demand these skills are.