At U.S. medical schools, interventional radiologists continue to earn more than diagnostic radiologists, though the compensation divide is narrowing, according to a study published Oct. 21 in the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology.
Researchers from New Haven, Conn.-based Yale School of Medicine, University of California at San Francisco, Baltimore-based University of Maryland School of Medicine and Jackson-based University of Mississippi Medical Center assessed Association of American Medical Colleges interventional and diagnostic compensation data from 2017 to 2023.
Here are five takeaways from the study:
- Interventional radiologist faculty compensation was consistently higher than diagnostic radiologist faculty compensation at all ranks except chairs. The ranks represented in the study were instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, full professor, chief and chair.
- In 2023, interventional radiologists earned more than diagnostic radiologists across all ranks except chairs. The difference was 15% for instructors, 12% for chiefs, 8% for professors, 7% for associate professors, 5% for assistant professors and -3% for chairs.
- Interventional radiologist compensation for women was lower than that of men in 2023. The difference was $35,000 for instructors, $33,000 for assistant professors, $26,000 for associate professors and $32,000 for full professors.
- There was also a compensation difference for interventional radiologists across race and ethnicity in 2023. When compared to white colleagues at the same rank, the difference was 94 cents on the dollar for Asian assistant professors, 97 cents on the dollar for Black/African-American assistant professors and 95 cents on the dollar for Hispanic/Latinx/Spanish-origin assistant professors.
- Between 2017 and 2023, the median compensation of interventional radiologists at U.S. medical schools increased 5% per year for instructors and 3-3.6% per year for all other ranks.