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Radiologist Pay Jumps, Cybersecurity Focus, and 6 AI Barriers
August 4, 2025
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“Radiologists used to be seen as doctors. Now, some are treated like Uber drivers for diagnostics – paid by the case, with zero security.”

Anonymous source in a Forbes article on how PE and AI are changing radiology.

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Radiologists

Radiologist Pay Jumps Nearly 8% in New Survey

Radiologist pay jumped nearly 8% in 2024 in the latest salary survey from Doximity. That’s the good news. The bad news is that radiology actually slipped a couple notches compared to other highly paid medical specialties.

In its latest survey, Doximity found that radiologists had an average annual salary of $572k in 2024. 

  • That’s up 7.5% compared to $532k in last year’s edition of the survey, giving radiologists the fourth-largest salary increase among medical specialties. 

Radiology’s salary growth accelerated in 2024 compared to 2023, when radiology pay grew 5.6%. 

  • And the growth rate is up sharply compared to 2022, when rad salaries grew only 1.6% in a year when many doctors saw salary declines.

Diagnostic radiology occupied the 11th spot on Doximity’s list of highest-compensated specialties in 2024, slipping a couple positions compared to the 9th spot in last year’s survey. 

  • Moving ahead of radiology were pediatric (general) surgery and interventional radiology, two new physician categories added with this year’s survey.

Overall, the Doximity report found that physician compensation growth slowed last year compared to 2023 (3.7% vs. 5.9%), and the report also noted several other broad healthcare trends…

  • The gender gap for doctor compensation worsened in 2024, with men now making 26% more than women compared to 23% more in 2023.
  • Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement cuts are weighing heavily on physicians, with nearly one-third of doctors saying they have already (17%) or plan to in the future (13%) reduce how many of these patients they see. 
  • And the vast majority agreed (33%) or strongly agreed (48%) that current reimbursement policy is contributing to the decline of private-practice medicine. 
  • Burnout levels appear to be easing from the peak a few years ago, with fewer doctors saying they feel overworked (62% vs. 67%) and fewer saying they are thinking about leaving clinical practice (39% vs. 50%).

The Takeaway

Industry observers can complain about how AI and private equity are ruining radiology (see our title quote above), but the fact is that radiologists are still enjoying salary levels and compensation growth rates near the top of medicine. It’s not a bad price to pay.

Leading the Way in AI Transparency

There’s a need to better inform radiologists about AI’s role when interpreting images and generating measurements. Visage Imaging’s Visage 7 can display text in the viewer indicating that AI was used as a diagnostic aid – find out how it works today.

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Planning for Data Migration Success

When UCSF Health’s enterprise imaging team needed to bring two new hospitals into their network, a new data migration project was born. Attend this August 13 webinar to learn how UCSF ensured a successful migration by working with Laitek, an Enlitic company.

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The Wire

  • Cybersecurity Takes Center Stage: As healthcare cybersecurity attacks increase, radiology journals are offering support for providers. JACR is publishing a special issue devoted entirely to radiology cybersecurity, with articles addressing the anatomy of a ransomware attack, a review of cybersecurity and privacy standards, cybersecurity governance, and cybersecurity for private practices. Meanwhile, AJR offers a guide to preparing, surviving, and recovering from cyberattacks in a special article of its own.
  • 6 Barriers Slowing AI Adoption: JACR assembled a star-studded roster of radiology IT experts to author a new article examining AI’s impact on radiology. The article lists six barriers hindering AI adoption, ranging from lack of trust in AI’s performance and generalizability to hospitals lacking the capability to support and manage AI. Fortunately, the authors also present possible solutions, including new enterprise investments in scalable data interoperability, redesign of existing IT tools like PACS to work with AI, and prioritization of AI deployment throughout imaging.    
  • Adding AAA to CT Lung Cancer Screening: CT lung cancer screening can be made more cost-effective by extending the scan range to include other anatomy and detect other clinical conditions. In a new paper in British Journal of Cancer, researchers added a one-off upper abdomen scan to a CT lung screening protocol. Such screening would cost £71 per person with an ICER of £12,085 (well below the U.K. threshold of £20,000 for a cost-effective test), mostly thanks to detecting abdominal aortic aneurysms.
  • AI Can Prevent CT Over-Scanning: In the struggle to reduce CT radiation dose, can AI help? In a paper in European Journal of Radiology Open, researchers performed a meta-analysis of studies where AI calculated chest CT over-scanning – when the scan range is too large for the target anatomy, resulting in unnecessary radiation dose. Across four studies covering 23k patients, AI algorithms had good agreement and high performance for calculating over-scanning, finding it more common in the abdominal area than at the top of the lungs.
  • AI Tracks CAC Progression on Lung Screens: South Korean researchers in Clinical Imaging used Coreline Soft’s AVIEW AI algorithm to track coronary artery calcium progression on CT lung cancer screening exams, hinting at the potential of a two-for-one exam. In 193 patients who got screening scans, 16% experienced adverse cardiovascular events, which were more common in those with moderate to severe baseline CAC and greater growth in CAC scores (HR = 2.86 and 2.40 respectively). CAC scores also rose more in patients who had positive baseline CAC.
  • Visage Parent Invests in 4DMedical: The parent company of enterprise imaging company Visage Imaging has invested in respiratory imaging developer 4DMedical. Pro Medicus of Australia invested USD$6.4M through a hybrid debt and equity loan that gives Pro Medicus the option of distributing 4DMedical’s products while 4DMedical gets funding to accelerate sales of its commercial products and move its CT:VQ technology towards U.S. regulatory clearance. Pro Medicus acquired Visage in 2009.
  • Can AI of Whole-Body Scans Predict Disease? Can AI predict the odds a healthy person will develop a serious disease within three years based on their whole-body MRI scans? German researchers asked this question in npj Digital Medicine, developing AI algorithms to analyze whole-body MRI scans of healthy people acquired as part of the UK Biobank study. The combination of AI MRI and non-image data fell short for cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and osteoarthritis (accuracy = 0.55-0.64), but performed better for COPD and pancreatic disease (0.74-0.75).
  • Breast AI Gets ‘Breakthrough’ Status: The FDA awarded Breakthrough Device designation to a mammography AI algorithm developed at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and licensed to Prognosia, a university spinoff. Prognosia Breast analyzes either 2D or 3D mammograms to produce a risk score estimating the likelihood of breast cancer in five years, and was the subject of a positive study in JAMA Network Open in June. If cleared by the FDA, Prognosia Breast would enter the increasingly competitive market for AI-generated risk scoring.    
  • Ultromics Raises $55M: The VC funding floodgates appear to be opening up again. U.K. echo AI developer Ultromics is the latest beneficiary of the trend with a new $55M Series C funding round. Ultromics offers the FDA-cleared EchoGo platform for detecting heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and cardiac amyloidosis from echocardiography scans, and its HFpEF solution is reimbursable under a Category III code issued in 2024. The company will use the funding to continue its U.S. expansion and address additional clinical conditions.
  • BARDA Gives Rivanna Another $10M: Rivanna received an additional $10M from the U.S. government’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority for developing an AI system to detect fractures on ultrasound. Rivanna’s total BARDA funding exceeds $52M for the project, which is focusing on the company’s Accuro XV ultrasound scanner for bone and 3D soft-tissue imaging and AI-BoneEnhance algorithm. Rivanna ultimately plans to file for FDA clearance.
  • Robotic Ultrasound for Fistula Mapping: Australian vascular ultrasound developer Vexev is advancing its concept of semi-automated vascular mapping. The company has completed enrollment in the CANSCAN clinical trial, in which its investigational VxWave scanner will be studied at U.S. Renal Care dialysis centers. A total of 120 patients with chronic kidney disease will be enrolled to investigate VxWave’s ability to provide arteriovenous mapping as a more efficient way to find a permanent vascular access point for patients needing dialysis.
  • Micro-X Announces U.S. Contract: Australian X-ray developer Micro-X is making progress in its effort to penetrate the U.S. market. The company will supply its Rover Plus cold-cathode mobile X-ray system to a major U.S. healthcare services provider under a new agreement that enables the system’s members to acquire the system without further evaluation or internal tender processes. The unnamed provider operates over 700 facilities and treats over 8.5M patients annually and the contract is Micro-X’s first with a major U.S. provider.
  • Synthesis Touts Sales Milestone: The PACS startup launched by DR Systems founder Murray Reicher, MD, is touting a new sales milestone. Synthesis Health reports it has signed SaaS-based contracts with North American healthcare organizations that will produce $100M in annual recurring revenues when fully deployed. The company also said it is planning to raise additional funds to fuel its future growth. Synthesis emerged from stealth in early 2024 with a cloud-native PACS available on a modular basis. 
  • Radiologists Take On AI in China Smackdown: Organizers of an AI conference in China tackled the question of whether AI improves radiologist performance with a faceoff before a live audience that compared chest X-ray interpretations of radiologists using AI to radiologists who read unaided. The AI-aided team worked faster, but judges found the human team detected pathology the AI group missed, and the human reports were found to be more readable with clearer internal logic. Accuracy between the groups was “roughly comparable.” 

AI Innovations in Lung Disease

Check out this on-demand webcast to hear executives from Riverain Technologies and GE HealthCare as they discuss AI applications developed to detect lung nodules, in particular how AI applications can be integrated into PACS.

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Experience the Power of Workflow Orchestration

Mach7’s UnityVue Workflow Orchestration Platform is a groundbreaking new solution that creates a unified view of patient imaging data, speeding patient care delivery, creating more efficient workflows, and reducing radiologist stress. Experience the power of UnityVue for yourself.

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AI and Neuroradiology Workflow

How can AI add value to workflows in neuroradiology? Watch this on-demand video to learn from Blackford partners how AI can help, from assisting providers in managing acute stroke patients to the impact of CPT III codes in driving adoption of brain volumetric AI solutions.

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The Resource Wire

  • Clarity, Speed, and Confidence for MRI Efficiency: Radiologists have used a variety of methods to improve efficiency, but many of these come with drawbacks. Find out in this article how SpinTech MRI takes on the challenge of MRI efficiency with their STAGE software.
  • Equitable Study Distribution with an Automated Worklist: Automated worklist functionality can distribute medical imaging studies more equitably than manual study selection. Discover how Merge Workflow Orchestrator enabled one institution to achieve balance in this downloadable white paper.
  • What’s Next for AI for Cancer Detection? AI is transforming the fight against cancer by enabling faster and more accurate cancer detection. Read this article from DeepHealth to learn how the company is pioneering new ways to advance cancer screening and broader imaging-based care.
  • Powering Reporting Progress with Efficiency: Radiologists are looking to maximize their efficiency with new reporting tools that integrate easily with their PACS and RIS. Learn more about solutions from Kailo Medical in this Imaging Wire Show interview with Jason Mercieca and Dieter Smith.  
  • An Enterprise Imaging Platform to Grow: WakeMed Health & Hospitals in North Carolina is home to award-winning chest pain centers and two nationally accredited, award-winning stroke centers. Find out how WakeMed turned to enterprise imaging solutions from AGFA HealthCare to transform the way their clinicians work. 
  • AI-Empowered CT Workflow: CT systems from United Imaging are designed for high image quality and low dose, and their AI-empowered workflow enables fast and reproducible positioning, helping you image patients with confidence. Learn more on this page.
  • Revolutionize the Reading Experience: With intelligent automation and AI‑powered workflow, PowerScribe One from Microsoft allows radiologists to generate and communicate high‑quality, consistent reports – and get more done in less time.
  • The Future of Fluoroscopy Is Here: The future of fluoroscopy has arrived. The LUMINOS Q.namix fluoroscopy systems from Siemens Healthineers are available on the U.S. market. Discover why they have already earned the prestigious Red Dot Design Award for intuitive design and user-centric innovation. 
  • Validating AI at Scale: Radiology Partners leveraged CARPL to benchmark four MSK AI models, reducing ground truthing workload and enabling same-day validation. Learn how RadPartners benchmarked AI.
  • Unprecedented Insights Made Possible with AI: With the largest normative dataset of whole-body imaging in the world, Prenuvo’s AI researchers partner with the best academic minds to understand – like never before – what “normal” aging means. Learn about their work today.
  • AI Echo for Cardiac Amyloidosis Now Available: Us2.ai’s AI Echo Copilot now includes a feature to assist in the detection of cardiac amyloidosis, a serious and frequently under-diagnosed condition. Discover more about this FDA-cleared and CE Marked capability.
  • New-generation Platform for Managing Multi-Omics Data: QP-Insights from Quibim is a new-generation advanced platform for the management, storage, and analysis of large-scale multi-omics data and medical images for clinical studies and research projects. Learn more on this page. 
  • Diagnostic X-Ray Battery for Life: Discover the Radiography 7000 M from Philips, a premium mobile radiography system offering enhanced care and improved operational efficiency. Plus you’ll never have to pay to repair or replace the main system battery. Terms and conditions apply. 
  • AI for Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Screening: Check out this comprehensive new eBook from Calantic by Bayer on the role of AI in lung cancer diagnosis and screening. It explores AI’s potential role in improving lung cancer screening strategies, identifying high-risk individuals, and enhancing diagnostic accuracy. Download it today.
  • The Future of Radiology: In this episode of The Radiology Report, Medality’s Daniel Arnold sits down with Marc Gosselin, MD, from Vision Radiology for a thought-provoking conversation on burnout, balance, and the future of radiology.
  • Easily Share Patient Images and Reports: Physicians can easily share patient images and reports from a personal worklist using Intelerad’s InteleShare Physician Portal. Discover how easily it works in this self-guided demo. 
  • A New Resource for AI of MRI: Gleamer is expanding into AI of MRI with their acquisition of innovative AI developers Pixyl and Caerus Medical. Learn how the company is creating the most comprehensive AI portfolio for medical imaging. 

The Industry Wire

  1. New T1D treatments could target the brain.
  2. Major healthcare equipment firm on brink of failure.
  3. UnitedHealth Group to replace CFO.
  4. FDA requires labels to clarify opioid risks.
  5. Trump admin to pilot 340B rebate model next year.
  6. Cigna beats investor expectations on Evernorth growth.
  7. >50% of healthcare orgs attacked with ransomware last year.
  8. Trump admin launches health data sharing initiative.
  9. CMS finalizes 2.6% hospital pay bump for FY2026.
  10. Medicaid cuts drive hospitals’ efficiency overhaul.