Male radiologists make an average of 20% more than female radiologists in the U.S., according to new salary data from AuntMinnie.com. While the salary advantage for men is in line with the U.S. average for all professions, it could reinforce the perception that radiology is an unfriendly career choice for women.
AuntMinnie.com's annual SalaryScan survey tracks benefits and compensation packages for a wide range of radiology professions. For this year's survey, nearly 3,500 radiology professionals submitted their salary and benefits information during the data-collection period from February to April 2013.
The SalaryScan data indicate that men make more money than women for all three of the most prominent radiology professions in the U.S.: radiologist, radiology administrator, and radiologic technologist (RT). The survey results indicate that male radiologists have an average salary of $365,910, 20.1% higher than the average salary of $304,550 for female radiologists.
Among radiology administrators, men have an average salary of $114,126, which is 20.6% higher than the $94,653 average found among women. The salary differential is lowest among radiologic technologists: Male RTs have an average salary of $71,565, compared with $63,404 for female RTs, for a difference of 12.9% (the differences are statistically significant, with p < 0.01).
While the income disparities may be surprising at first look, they are actually slightly better than the overall gender gap in the U.S. between male and female workers of all professions. U.S. Census data from 2011 indicate that women earned 77¢ for every dollar earned by a man for the same work.
Still, recent attention has been drawn to radiology's image as a male-dominated profession following the presentation of a study at the American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS) meeting in April. Canadian researchers found that many female medical students were reluctant to pick radiology as a medical specialty, for a variety of factors.
Radiology salaries remain stable
Apart from gender differences, the 2013 SalaryScan data indicate that salaries remained stable among U.S. radiology professionals.
On the whole, radiologists in the U.S. of all experience levels, organization types, and modality specializations reported an average base salary of $360,524 in 2012, compared with an average base salary of $346,564 in 2011. In the 2010 edition of SalaryScan, the average base salary was $363,621.
When parsed by modality specialization, mammographers reclaimed the top spot in compensation, with an average base salary of $380,339, edging out interventional radiologists at $379,983. Next up were ultrasound specialists at $368,870, with nuclear medicine physicians at the back of the pack at $334,475.
On a regional basis, radiologists in the East North Central region (Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio) came out on top, with an average base salary of $399,118, while those in the U.S. Pacific area (Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, and Hawaii) came in second place at $365,419.
Things weren't quite so rosy in 2012 for radiologists in the Middle Atlantic region (New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania), with an average base salary of $344,413, just behind radiologists in the U.S. East South Central zone (Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama) at $347,184.
Radiologic technologists reported an overall average base salary in the U.S. of $65,679 ($31.58 on an hourly basis), compared with $63,965 ($30.75 hourly) in 2011 and $64,120 in 2010 ($30.82 hourly).
As in past SalaryScan surveys, specialization had its benefits. At the top of the heap were RTs who specialized in nuclear medicine and PET, at an average base salary of $76,181 ($36.63 hourly), compared with an average base salary of $72,921 ($34.76 hourly) for the same category in 2011.
On the next rung of the salary ladder were sonographers; they had an average base salary of $72,294 ($34.76 hourly) in 2012, compared with $67,050 ($32.24 hourly) in 2011.
At the bottom were mammography technologists, as in past surveys. Mammography RTs had an average base salary of $60,880 ($29.27 hourly), compared with $59,935 ($28.81 hourly) in 2011. Slightly higher were CT technologists, at $64,198 ($30.86 hourly) in this year's survey and $62,966 ($30.27 hourly) in 2011.
On a regional basis, RTs from the Pacific region continue to lead the pack, as in past SalaryScan surveys. Radiologic technologists living in this area had an average base salary of $77,266 ($37.15 hourly), compared with $77,568 ($37.29 hourly) in 2011.
RTs from New England (Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut) occupied their traditional runner-up position in the SalaryScan analysis, with an average base salary of $74,304 in 2012 ($35.72 hourly), compared with $72,789 ($34.99 hourly) in 2011.
Among other radiology professionals, radiology administrators reported an average base salary of $103,040, compared with $100,622 in 2011. Radiology administrators reported an average base salary of $99,775 in 2010. PACS/RIS managers reported an average base salary of $80,595 in this year's survey.
AuntMinnie.com members can search salaries in their professions, regions, and states by going to the SalaryScan data query tool on AuntMinnie.com's Career Center home page, at jobs.auntminnie.com.
