Healthcare Practitioners
Radiologists
Also called: Attending Physician, Diagnostic Radiologist, Interventional Neuroradiologist, Interventional Radiologist
US median pay
$420,860
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+3.4%
about average or slower
Openings a year (US)
700
28,700 employed
Typical entry education
Doctoral or professional degree
Preparation 5/5 · Extensive preparation
What this job is
Diagnose and treat diseases and injuries using medical imaging techniques, such as x rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear medicine, and ultrasounds. May perform minimally invasive medical procedures and tests.
What they do day to day
- Prepare comprehensive interpretive reports of findings.
- Perform or interpret the outcomes of diagnostic imaging procedures including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computer tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), nuclear cardiology treadmill studies, mammography, or ultrasound.
- Document the performance, interpretation, or outcomes of all procedures performed.
- Communicate examination results or diagnostic information to referring physicians, patients, or families.
- Obtain patients' histories from electronic records, patient interviews, dictated reports, or by communicating with referring clinicians.
- Review or transmit images and information using picture archiving or communications systems.
- Confer with medical professionals regarding image-based diagnoses.
- Recognize or treat complications during and after procedures, including blood pressure problems, pain, oversedation, or bleeding.
- Develop or monitor procedures to ensure adequate quality control of images.
- Provide counseling to radiologic patients to explain the processes, risks, benefits, or alternative treatments.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Judgment and Decision Making4.1/5
- Social Perceptiveness4.0/5
- Complex Problem Solving4.0/5
- Service Orientation3.6/5
- Time Management3.5/5
- Instructing3.4/5
- Coordination3.2/5
- Quality Control Analysis3.1/5
Knowledge
- Medicine and Dentistry4.7/5
- Biology4.5/5
- English Language4.3/5
- Computers and Electronics3.9/5
- Education and Training3.7/5
- Customer and Personal Service3.6/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 5 of 5 — Extensive preparation. Usually a graduate degree (master's, PhD, MD, JD) and extensive experience.
Typical entry education (BLS): Doctoral or professional degree.
Highest education of people in this job:
- Post-doctoral training58%
- Doctoral degree28%
- Associate's degree11%
Who this job suits
Mostly Investigative
Ideas, research and solving problems
Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.