Demand for radiologists holds steady, pay grows

Radiologists have been the second most highly recruited physician specialists for the last two years, according to a survey by recruiter Merritt, Hawkins & Associates in Irving, TX.

Search assignments for radiologists increased 6%, the first growth in radiologist searches since 2001. The average salary offer to radiologists has never decreased. They were offered an average of $286,000 in 2001, and currently they can expect $355,000, up from $336,000 last year.

Cardiologists saw a 28% jump in recruitment from 181 searches in 2004 to 231 as of March 2005, which placed them at the top of the list. Search assignments for orthopedic surgeons stalled at 210, ending a three-year growth period and dropping them into third place. Salary offers for cardiologists and orthopedic surgeons have also increased steadily over the last four years, up 10% and 9% to $320,000 and $361,000, respectively.

The survey, conducted in 49 states from April 2004 to March 2005, found that salary offers to radiologists were highest in the Midwest, followed by the Southeast, Northeast, and West. The per-region income offers averaged $362,000, $360,000, $340,000, and $310,000, respectively.