Radiologists
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
Much of the day is spent reviewing images—MRI, CT, PET, ultrasound, mammography, and related studies—then writing reports other doctors use to decide next steps. Patient history comes from electronic records, interviews, or the referring clinician; findings are discussed with colleagues and sometimes explained to patients or families. Some of the work is procedural, including image-guided tests and treatments, with attention to complications such as bleeding, pain, or blood-pressure changes, while images themselves move through electronic archiving systems. It suits people who can read studies carefully, write precise reports, and stay alert both at a workstation and during procedures.
Typical education: Post-Doctoral Training
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$420'860
Median Wage Market Position
$420'860
What you might do
- Read MRI, CT, ultrasound, and similar scans
- Prepare reports of imaging findings
- Pass results to referring doctors and families
- Review images on hospital imaging systems
- Pull patient history from records or interviews
- Manage bleeding, pain, or other procedure problems
Skills that matter
- Interpreting MRI, CT, and ultrasound studies
- Hearing histories from patients and clinicians
- Telling referring doctors what images show
- Writing interpretive imaging reports
- Deciding next imaging or procedure steps
- Watching for bleeding and oversedation
AI & the future of this role
Reading scans is a core task where AI systems may handle more routine interpretation over time. Interventional procedures, ambiguous cases, and final clinical responsibility still matter, yet demand for pure interpretive work looks more exposed.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details