Career Overview
Diagnose and treat diseases and injuries using medical imaging techniques, such as x rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear medicine, and ultrasounds. May perform minimally invasive medical procedures and tests.
Also Known As
- Diagnostic Radiologist
- Nuclear Medicine Physician
- Physician
- Radiologist
Alternate Job Titles
- Attending Physician
- Attending Radiologist
- Breast Imaging Radiologist
- Diagnostic Radiologist
- General Radiologist
- Interventional Neuroradiologist
- Interventional Radiologist
- Interventional Radiology Physician
- IR Technician (Interventional Radiology Technician)
- IR Travel Technician (Interventional Radiology Travel Technician)
- Mammographer
- Musculoskeletal Radiologist (MSK Radiologist)
- Musculoskeletal Specialty Radiologist (MSK Specialty Radiologist)
- Neuroradiologist
- Nuclear Medicine MD (Nuclear Medicine Medical Doctor)
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Prepare comprehensive interpretive reports of findings.
- Perform or interpret the outcomes of diagnostic imaging procedures including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computer tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), nuclear cardiology treadmill studies, mammography, or ultrasound.
- Document the performance, interpretation, or outcomes of all procedures performed.
- Communicate examination results or diagnostic information to referring physicians, patients, or families.
- Obtain patients' histories from electronic records, patient interviews, dictated reports, or by communicating with referring clinicians.
- Review or transmit images and information using picture archiving or communications systems.
- Confer with medical professionals regarding image-based diagnoses.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Biology
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Education and Training
- Customer and Personal Service
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Monitoring
- Social Perceptiveness
- Complex Problem Solving
- Active Learning
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Problem Sensitivity
- Inductive Reasoning
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Written Comprehension
- Deductive Reasoning
- Written Expression
- Near Vision
- Flexibility of Closure
- Category Flexibility
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Integrity
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Achievement
- Recognition
- Support
- Independence
- Working Conditions
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: Post-Doctoral Training
Related Work Experience Needed: Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years
On-the-Job Training: Over 4 years, up to and including 10 years
Education Details: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Experience Required: Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- eClinicalWorks EHR software
- Epic Systems
- MEDITECH software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
Tools & Equipment
- Automated blood pressure cuffs
- Beta vial shields
- Bone densitometers
- Computed tomography CT equipment
- Computed tomography CT systems
- Cone-beam collimators
- Converging collimators
- Desktop computers
- Diagnostic ultrasound equipment
- Digital ratemeters
- Diverging collimators
- Dose calibrators
- Dosimetry badges
- Electrocardiography EKG machines
- Exercise bicycles
Work Environment
- Telephone Conversations
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Frequency of Decision Making
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $82,810 |
| Median | >$239,200 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | >$239,200 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 26,290
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Cardiologists
Education: Not specified
Median Salary: >$239,200
Pediatric Surgeons
Education: Not specified
Median Salary: >$239,200
Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric
Education: Not specified
Median Salary: >$239,200
Radiologic Technologists and Technicians
Education: Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
Median Salary: $77,660
Physicians, Pathologists
Education: Post-Doctoral Training
Median Salary: >$239,200
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.