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Carol Peckham | April 18, 2018
| Contributor Information
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Medscape Radiologist Compensation Report 2018
Carol Peckham | April 18, 2018 | Contributor Information
The Medscape Physician Compensation Report is the most comprehensive and widely used physician salary survey in the United States for the eighth year in a row. Radiologists who responded to this year's survey disclosed not only their compensation but also how many hours they work per week, how many minutes they spend with each patient, what they find most rewarding—and challenging—about their work, and more. (Some totals in this presentation do not equal 100% due to rounding.)
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Medscape Radiologist Compensation Report 2018
Carol Peckham | April 18, 2018 | Contributor Information
Survey respondents were asked to provide their annual compensation for patient care. For employed physicians, that includes salary, bonus, and profit-sharing contributions. For partners, it includes earnings after taxes and deductible business expenses before income tax. Radiologists were among the top earners this year, along with plastic surgeons, orthopedists, cardiologists, and gastroenterologists. This year's lowest-earning specialties were the same as they were 5 years ago in Medscape's 2013 Compensation Report.
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Medscape Radiologist Compensation Report 2018
Carol Peckham | April 18, 2018 | Contributor Information
Compensation for radiologists was similar to last year's compensation. The greatest increases were seen among psychiatrists, plastic surgeons, and physiatrists. Medscape's results align with industry data regarding psychiatry. "We have never seen demand for psychiatrists this high in our 30-year history," says Tommy Bohannon of Merritt Hawkins, a physician recruiting firm. "Demand for mental health services has exploded, while the number of psychiatrists has not kept pace."
Decreases in earnings were evident in only six specialties this year, with general surgery and urology among the hardest hit.
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Medscape Radiologist Compensation Report 2018
Carol Peckham | April 18, 2018 | Contributor Information
Where a physician attended medical school can be a factor in future earnings. Some graduates of US medical schools are American citizens who studied outside of the United States; others grew up in the country where they went to medical school and moved to the United States to practice. Average compensation for US-trained radiologists exceeds that reported this year by their foreign-trained peers.
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Medscape Radiologist Compensation Report 2018
Carol Peckham | April 18, 2018 | Contributor Information
Among radiologists there is a disparity in gender inclusion, with men generally outnumbering women across ethnicities. The difference is more pronounced among some racial or ethnic groups, with the gap between Caucasian/white male and female radiologists, exceeding that between their Asian male and female peers. Other racial groups were represented by too low a percentage of respondents to be included in this comparison.
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Medscape Radiologist Compensation Report 2018
Carol Peckham | April 18, 2018 | Contributor Information
Radiologists who are employed earn less than those who are self-employed, presuming they will trade a higher salary for a steadier income and less time focusing on running a business. According to a survey from the Physicians Foundation, however, employment does not necessarily reduce nonclinical workload.[1]
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Medscape Radiologist Compensation Report 2018
Carol Peckham | April 18, 2018 | Contributor Information
More radiologists reported that they are employed than self-employed. This reflects a national trend toward physician employment, as hospitals and other entities have consolidated and absorbed private practices, and younger physicians have sought a steadier income stream and more regular hours. There is some indication, however, that the trend has plateaued, as hospitals reach staffing limits.[2]
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Medscape Radiologist Compensation Report 2018
Carol Peckham | April 18, 2018 | Contributor Information
This year, as in all previous years, the male radiologists Medscape surveyed reported higher earnings than did their female counterparts. Although women are more likely to work part-time, which would give them a lower average income, this report uses full-time salaries for compensation, so part-time work does not account for the difference.
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Medscape Radiologist Compensation Report 2018
Carol Peckham | April 18, 2018 | Contributor Information
More female radiologists are employed than are their male peers. This difference may account for some of the disparity in income between the two groups.
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Medscape Radiologist Compensation Report 2018
Carol Peckham | April 18, 2018 | Contributor Information
Percentages of part-time female and male physicians have varied somewhat over the years, with 22% of women and 12% of men reporting this year that they work fewer than 30 hours per week. There are differences among physician groups, but percentages of female and male radiologists came close to the averages for all physicians.
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Medscape Radiologist Compensation Report 2018
Carol Peckham | April 18, 2018 | Contributor Information
All radiologists, whether employed or self-employed, were asked about their benefits this year. The great majority said they receive employer-subsidized health insurance, liability coverage, paid time off, and dental coverage. Very few radiologists reported that they receive no benefits.
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Medscape Radiologist Compensation Report 2018
Carol Peckham | April 18, 2018 | Contributor Information
About two thirds of radiologists surveyed believe that they are fairly compensated, and among other physicians, they fall above the middle in satisfaction. Specialists' satisfaction does not always coincide with their compensation relative to other physicians. For example, plastic surgeons were among the least satisfied with their compensation despite being among the highest paid. Conversely, public health physicians reported relatively low compensation but were among the most satisfied with their pay.
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Medscape Radiologist Compensation Report 2018
Carol Peckham | April 18, 2018 | Contributor Information
This year, the Medscape survey asked physicians who reported that they are not satisfied with their compensation how large an increase they feel they deserve. Nearly one half of radiologists feel that they should be earning 11% to 25% more, and just over a quarter feel that they deserve an increase of 26% to 50%.
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Medscape Radiologist Compensation Report 2018
Carol Peckham | April 18, 2018 | Contributor Information
The majority of radiologists reported that they are paid through an insurance carrier, with just over half saying they are reimbursed on a fee-for-service basis. About one fifth said they are paid through accountable care organizations (ACOs), which is one of the advanced alternative payment systems under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). A small percentage reported that they have adopted the direct primary care model, which is gaining popularity compared with concierge and cash-only models among physicians whose practices allow direct pay.[3]
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Medscape Radiologist Compensation Report 2018
Carol Peckham | April 18, 2018 | Contributor Information
In this year's survey, a minority of radiologists said they would drop insurers that pay poorly. Most of those who reported that they would not said it is because they need all payers.
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Medscape Radiologist Compensation Report 2018
Carol Peckham | April 18, 2018 | Contributor Information
In spite of billing and other administrative challenges, nearly all radiologists surveyed said they will continue to take Medicare and Medicaid patients, with a small percentage reporting that they are as yet undecided.
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Medscape Radiologist Compensation Report 2018
Carol Peckham | April 18, 2018 | Contributor Information
Increases in the number of physicians reporting that they participate in health insurance exchanges have stabilized since their introduction in 2014, and there is almost no change from last year's survey in the percentage of participating radiologists. Nearly two thirds, however, said they are unsure about whether they will participate.
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Medscape Radiologist Compensation Report 2018
Carol Peckham | April 18, 2018 | Contributor Information
Anecdotally, physicians have complained about the effect of the Affordable Care Act on their incomes, but results from this year's survey suggest that a small percentage of radiologists who participate in an exchange have experienced a decrease.
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Medscape Radiologist Compensation Report 2018
Carol Peckham | April 18, 2018 | Contributor Information
Healthcare continues to cause financial worry among Americans, but there is little guidance for physicians about how to discuss costs with their patients. Barriers include unfamiliarity with patients' insurance or financial status and even the cost of the treatments they recommend.[4] About two thirds of radiologists reported that they occasionally or regularly have such discussions with their patients.
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Medscape Radiologist Compensation Report 2018
Carol Peckham | April 18, 2018 | Contributor Information
Physicians say that instituting a no-show policy helps them avoid overscheduling in order to ensure that all time slots are filled. This issue is typically less relevant for radiology than for many other specialties.
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Medscape Radiologist Compensation Report 2018
Carol Peckham | April 18, 2018 | Contributor Information
Radiologists reported at similar rates that they spend less than 30 hours, 30-45 hours, or 46-55 hours each week with patients. Just over one tenth said they spend 56 hours or more.
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Medscape Radiologist Compensation Report 2018
Carol Peckham | April 18, 2018 | Contributor Information
Medscape asked physicians about the time they themselves—not a physician assistant, nurse, or medical assistant—spend with each patient. Nearly two thirds of radiologists reported that they spend 12 minutes or less.
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Medscape Radiologist Compensation Report 2018
Carol Peckham | April 18, 2018 | Contributor Information
Bureaucratic tasks remain the primary cause of burnout among physicians, but relative to other physicians, a low percentage of radiologists reported that they spend 10 hours or more per week on paperwork and administration.
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Medscape Radiologist Compensation Report 2018
Carol Peckham | April 18, 2018 | Contributor Information
Getting promoted in a hospital, clinic, or large group setting typically adds administrative and/or management responsibilities to a physician's job. Such factors may help explain why under one half of employed radiologists reported this year that they are seeking promotion.
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Medscape Radiologist Compensation Report 2018
Carol Peckham | April 18, 2018 | Contributor Information
Unlike most other physician groups, among radiologists, more men than women reported this year that they are seeking promotion within their organization.
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Medscape Radiologist Compensation Report 2018
Carol Peckham | April 18, 2018 | Contributor Information
More than half of radiologists named being good at what they do as the most rewarding aspect of their job, distantly followed by making good money and knowing that they are making the world a better place.
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Medscape Radiologist Compensation Report 2018
Carol Peckham | April 18, 2018 | Contributor Information
Having to work long hours was most often cited as the most challenging part of a radiologist's job, followed by having so many rules and regulations and concern over being sued.
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Medscape Radiologist Compensation Report 2018
Carol Peckham | April 18, 2018 | Contributor Information
Radiologists fall near the middle among physicians who said that they would choose medicine again, with more than three quarters responding affirmatively.
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Medscape Radiologist Compensation Report 2018
Carol Peckham | April 18, 2018 | Contributor Information
Nearly all radiologists who said they would choose medicine again would also go into the same specialty again if given the opportunity to do so. This places them close to the top among all physicians surveyed this year regarding satisfaction with their career.
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Medscape Radiologist Compensation Report 2018
Carol Peckham | April 18, 2018 | Contributor Information
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Medscape Radiologist Compensation Report 2018
Carol Peckham | April 18, 2018 | Contributor Information
More than 20,000 physicians told us how much they earn, how many hours they work, and whether they're satisfied with their compensation.Slideshows, April 2018
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Contributor Information
Carol Peckham
Editorial Director
Art Science Code
Disclosure: Carol Peckham has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
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References + More on Methodology
References
Survey of America's Physicians: Practice Patterns and Perspectives. Boston: The Physicians Foundation/Merritt Hawkins; 2014.
Kane CK. Updated data on physician practice arrangements: physician ownership drops below 50 percent. American Medical Association. Policy Research Perspectives. 2017. Article. Accessed March 26, 2018.
Davis J. States move to enable direct primary care as a new approach to health care services. The Council of State Governments. January 25, 2018. Article. Accessed March 26, 2018.
Ganos G. Costs of care: getting the patient-provider conversation right. Culture of Health Blog. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. June 15, 2016. Article. Accessed March 26, 2018.
More on Methodology
Survey invitations were emailed to Medscape member physicians from November 21, 2017 to February 21, 2018. Respondents were invited to participate in an online study of "Physician Compensation and Net Worth." Members who completed the survey were entered into a sweepstakes that awarded 50 random winners a $150 Amazon.com gift card.
Respondents were required to be physicians currently practicing in the United States. The total sample size was 20,329. The overall margin of sampling error for this survey was ± 0.69% at a 95% confidence level using a point estimate of 50%. Statistical difference from 50% is the most conservative in measuring sample error.
Other factors may also contribute to error in survey estimates, including measurement error, construct and content validity, question wording, and question order. Standard quality-control measures included checking for clear question wording, proper question ordering, and use of appropriate scales and response categories. In addition, during the field period, the survey was checked to make certain that respondents were answering all questions logically and that skip-pattern programming was working properly.
The final data were cleaned to ensure data quality. Full-time respondents were weighted to reflect the American Medical Association's physician distribution by specialty, state, and gender.
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