The Radiologist Shortage: Why More Radiologists Are Rethinking How They Work

Ask almost any hospital administrator about their hardest positions to fill, and radiology will be near the top of the list. Imaging volumes keep climbing, the pipeline of new radiologists isn’t keeping pace, and experienced radiologists are leaving practice faster than they used to.

For radiologists, the shortage cuts both ways. It means heavier workloads and more pressure for many. It also means more leverage than ever to choose how, where, and how much they work.

Here’s what’s driving the radiologist shortage, what it means for the profession, and why a growing number of radiologists are looking at flexible options, including contract work at VA medical centers.

The Demand Side: Imaging Keeps Growing

Modern medicine runs on imaging. Diagnoses that once relied on a physical exam now routinely involve a CT, MRI, or ultrasound, and image-guided procedures have replaced many open surgeries.

The result is relentless growth in volume. According to the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute, CT and MRI use grew by roughly 3% to 5% per year between 2011 and 2021. Every year, radiologists are asked to read more studies than the year before.

At the same time, reimbursement has moved in the other direction. The same analysis found that payment for the 50 most commonly performed imaging studies among Medicare beneficiaries declined by roughly 5.5% per year over that decade. More work for less pay per study is a formula that pushes radiologists to read faster and longer, and it takes a toll.

The Supply Side: Not Enough Radiologists Coming In

While demand grows, the supply of new radiologists hasn’t kept up. The Neiman Institute reports that staffing shortages were the single biggest concern raised at the American College of Radiology’s 2024 meeting, and that there are currently about three job openings for every radiologist graduating from residency.

The shortage extends beyond physicians. The same analysis reported an 18.1% vacancy rate among radiology technologists in 2024. When a department lacks technologists, scanners sit idle and backlogs grow, adding to the pressure on radiologists who are already stretched.

The Exit Problem: Radiologists Are Leaving Faster

Perhaps the most striking trend is on the way out. In a 2026 workforce update, the American College of Radiology reported that radiologists are now leaving practice entirely at more than twice the rate they were less than a decade ago.

The ACR’s analysis also found that subspecialty radiologists are 37% more likely to exit the workforce than generalists. That’s significant, because the profession has been moving steadily toward subspecialization, and consolidation is accelerating the trend. Between 2014 and 2023, the average number of radiologists per practice nearly doubled, from 9.7 to 17.9, as smaller radiology groups were absorbed into larger organizations.

The ACR describes the result as a potential “vicious cycle”: consolidation drives subspecialization, subspecialists are more likely to leave, and each departure increases the workload on those who remain.

What Radiologists Say They Want

Behind the statistics are radiologists who are tired of volume pressure, relentless call, and limited control over their schedules. Many aren’t leaving medicine because they’ve stopped caring about the work. They’re leaving because the way the work is structured has become unsustainable.

That’s why flexibility has become one of the most valuable things an employer can offer a radiologist. Options that were once rare, such as part-time schedules, no-call positions, defined contract terms, and the ability to step back without stepping away entirely, are increasingly what keep experienced radiologists practicing.

For radiologists weighing their next move, the shortage creates an opportunity: the chance to negotiate for the kind of practice that actually fits their life.

How the Market Is Adapting

Healthcare organizations are responding to the shortage in several ways, each with its own trade-offs.

Teleradiology has grown rapidly, allowing radiologists to read studies remotely and helping facilities cover overnight and weekend reads. It solves some coverage problems, but it doesn’t replace the need for on-site radiologists, especially for interventional procedures that require a physician at the bedside.

Consolidation has given larger groups more scale, but as the ACR’s data suggests, it may also be contributing to the attrition problem.

Locum tenens and contract staffing have become a critical bridge. Facilities use contract radiologists to fill gaps while they recruit permanently, cover leaves and departures, and maintain services that would otherwise shut down. For radiologists, contract work offers a way to practice on defined terms, often with more control over schedule and workload than a traditional staff role provides.

For interventional radiologists in particular, on-site contract roles remain in high demand, because image-guided procedures can’t be performed remotely.

The Shortage Hits the VA Too

The Department of Veterans Affairs is feeling the same pressures, and in some ways more acutely. In its latest staffing shortage report, the VA Inspector General found that 97% of VA facilities reported severe physician shortages, with diagnostic, interventional, and nuclear medicine radiology all appearing on facility shortage lists.

The VA faces a particular challenge in recruiting radiologists: pay. VA physician compensation is capped by federal law at $400,000 a year, well below what many radiologists, especially interventional radiologists, can earn in the private sector. Federal hiring can also take months, a delay that loses candidates to faster-moving employers.

When a VA medical center can’t fill a radiology position, the effects spread quickly. Unread studies pile up. Image-guided procedures, from biopsies that confirm or rule out cancer to emergency interventions that stop internal bleeding, get delayed or sent to outside providers. And every physician waiting on imaging results waits a little longer to make a decision about a veteran’s care.

Where Contract Radiologists Come In

To keep imaging services running, many VA facilities rely on contract radiologists: physicians who work on-site through staffing partners under defined VA contracts. For radiologists feeling the strain of the broader market, these roles offer something that’s increasingly hard to find.

Schedules that fit. Some VA radiology contracts are full-time; others are part-time, such as three set weekdays. Some require no call at all, a rarity in radiology today.

Competitive hourly pay. Because contract radiologists are paid by the hour rather than on the federal salary schedule, rates can exceed what a VA staff position pays. Recent VA radiology contracts supported by Summit have ranged from $300 to $380 per hour. For a detailed comparison, see our breakdown of VA radiologist pay.

Defined commitments. Many contracts run 6 to 12 months with an option to extend, and some are long-term. That structure lets radiologists commit to meaningful work without signing away their flexibility.

A different kind of practice. VA radiology serves one of the most complex patient populations in medicine: veterans with service-connected injuries, chronic conditions, and higher rates of certain cancers and exposures. Many radiologists find the case mix clinically rewarding, and the mission even more so.

Is VA Contract Work Right for You?

VA contract radiology tends to appeal to a few kinds of physicians:

• Radiologists feeling burned out by volume and call who want a sustainable schedule without leaving the profession
• Experienced radiologists approaching retirement who want to scale back to a part-time schedule while still practicing
• Subspecialists, particularly in interventional radiology and neuroimaging, whose skills are in high demand at VA facilities
• Radiologists between positions who want meaningful, well-paid work while they decide on their next permanent move
• Physicians drawn to the mission of caring for veterans, whether or not they served themselves

Before signing any VA contract, it’s worth understanding how the federal process works, from licensing requirements to credentialing timelines. Our guide to VA locum tenens covers what contract physicians should know before they commit.

The Bottom Line

The radiologist shortage isn’t going away soon. Imaging demand will keep growing, the pipeline will take years to catch up, and experienced radiologists will keep reevaluating how much and how hard they want to work.

For radiologists, that creates leverage and choices. For veterans, it creates risk, because every unfilled VA radiology position means someone waiting longer for answers. Contract radiologists sit right at the intersection: helping VA facilities keep imaging services running while building a practice that works on their own terms.

Current VA Radiology Openings

Summit Operations Group is a service-disabled veteran-owned staffing company that places radiologists and other physicians in contract roles at VA medical centers nationwide. Our current openings include interventional radiology in Brooklyn and Syracuse, NY, and San Antonio, TX, and diagnostic radiology with a neuroimaging focus in Atlanta, GA, including a three-day, no-call schedule.

View current radiology openings → · Compare VA radiologist pay → · Learn about locum tenens physician staffing →

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