Radiology salaries fell in 2011, the first time in three years, and some compensation experts believe radiology may have reached a "cooling off point after years of being considered a 'hot' specialty," according to a report from the Radiological Society of North America.
According to the American Medical Group Association's 2012 compensation and financial survey, median compensation for interventional radiologists totaled $485,277, a 1.39 percent dip from 2010 to 2011. Median compensation for diagnostic radiologists dropped 0.45 percent to $459,186.
Several factors may have contributed to the slight decline, including new payment models, shifts in payor reimbursement and consolidation of radiology practices into health systems. According to Brad Vaudrey, principal at Sullivan, Cotter and Associates, radiology has also hit a natural compensation "plateau."
"Whenever you see a big increase in a hot specialty like radiology, you will eventually hit periods that are a bit flatter," he said in the report. "Now, a plateau is occurring."
According to the American Medical Group Association's 2012 compensation and financial survey, median compensation for interventional radiologists totaled $485,277, a 1.39 percent dip from 2010 to 2011. Median compensation for diagnostic radiologists dropped 0.45 percent to $459,186.
Several factors may have contributed to the slight decline, including new payment models, shifts in payor reimbursement and consolidation of radiology practices into health systems. According to Brad Vaudrey, principal at Sullivan, Cotter and Associates, radiology has also hit a natural compensation "plateau."
"Whenever you see a big increase in a hot specialty like radiology, you will eventually hit periods that are a bit flatter," he said in the report. "Now, a plateau is occurring."
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