Where the Radiologist Shortage Is Most Acute: A Regional Breakdown for 2026
September 4, 2026
Radiologist shortages are not evenly distributed across the United States. Some regions have as few as 9 radiologists per 100,000 people. Here is where the geographic demand is most acute, what drives regional variation, and what candidates and employers need to know about the 2026 landscape.
RadiologyJobs Editorial Team | Published September 15, 2026 | Last updated September 15, 2026
Radiologist supply in the United States varies sharply by state. Measured per 100,000 Medicare enrollees, radiologist density ranged 4.2-fold across states, from 38.8 in Wyoming to 161.4 in Minnesota, with the Northeast highest and the South lowest in both years studied (Khurana et al., JACR 2022, 2012 to 2019 data). That is the verified shape of the geographic gap, and it is wider than most workforce conversations acknowledge.
The national picture is just as instructive. Between 2010 and 2022, supply moved only from 11.1 to 11.5 radiologists per 100,000 population, even as residency positions grew 33% from 2010 to 2025 (Malhotra et al., JACR 2026). More training did not translate into more coverage per person, and the coverage that exists is unevenly spread. Here is what the numbers show, where they stop, and what they mean for radiologists deciding where to practice and for the employers competing for them.
How much has national radiologist supply actually grown?
Less than the pipeline suggests. Malhotra and colleagues, writing in JACR 2026;23(8):1587-1592, tracked the radiologist pipeline from residency slot to practicing physician. Radiology residency positions grew 33% between 2010 and 2025, from 1,090 to 1,449. The practicing workforce grew 12% over roughly the same period, to 38,306 radiologists in 2022. On a per-population basis, that is a move from 11.1 to 11.5 radiologists per 100,000 U.S. residents between 2010 and 2022.
Looking forward, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects radiologist employment growing 4% from 2023 to 2033, with roughly 1,200 openings per year (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). Against rising imaging volume, that is replacement-level growth, not expansion. It also means every new radiologist's choice of where to practice carries more weight than it would in a specialty with slack.
Which states have the fewest radiologists?
The most rigorous state-level comparison uses a different denominator, and it matters. Khurana, Patel, and Sharpe, in JACR 2022;19(9):1006-1014, measured radiologists per 100,000 Medicare enrollees, not per 100,000 residents, across 2012 and 2019. Those figures are built for comparing states with one another and are not interchangeable with the per-population national figure above. Read the table with that in mind.
On that Medicare-enrollee measure, the national rate was essentially flat, 79.7 in 2012 and 79.9 in 2019. The spread between states was 4.2-fold, from 38.8 in Wyoming to 161.4 in Minnesota, with the District of Columbia at 200.5. The Northeast had the highest regional density and the South the lowest, and that ranking held in both years.
| Measure | Radiologists per 100,000 Medicare enrollees | Note |
|---|---|---|
| National rate, 2012 | 79.7 | Baseline year |
| National rate, 2019 | 79.9 | Essentially flat over seven years |
| Lowest state: Wyoming | 38.8 | Thinnest coverage in the study |
| Highest state: Minnesota | 161.4 | 4.2 times the Wyoming rate |
| District of Columbia | 200.5 | Reported separately from the 50 states |
| Regional pattern | Northeast highest, South lowest | Held in both 2012 and 2019 |
Why is radiologist supply so uneven across the country?
Two patterns are widely observed, and we state them as patterns rather than proven causes, because the data above documents the outcome without testing an explanation. Radiology residency training is concentrated in urban academic medical centers. Graduates tend to settle near where they trained. Put those together and supply pools in the places that already have the most of it, while states without a large training footprint depend on recruiting radiologists who have no prior tie to the area.
The Khurana study records the result, a Northeast-high, South-low distribution that did not change between 2012 and 2019, and stops there. So do we. What the pattern does tell you is that the gap is structural rather than cyclical, which means it will not close on its own in the time frame of anyone's current job search.
What does this mean for radiologists deciding where to practice?
The states at the low end of the density range are, by definition, the places where each additional radiologist changes coverage the most. That is where the need is deepest, and it is where a candidate's flexibility carries the most weight.
Our advice, offered as guidance rather than a quantified premium: if you have any geographic flexibility, use it deliberately. Start your search with the widest set of locations you would genuinely accept, compare what each market offers in schedule, call, case mix, and pay, then narrow. A wider map gives you more roles to weigh against one another and a clearer view of what a given market is prepared to offer. None of the sources here put a dollar figure on that advantage, so we will not either. The point is that flexibility is a real variable, and it is the one you control.
What does this mean for employers in low-density states?
Employers in the thinnest markets are recruiting from a national pool that has grown only 12% in over a decade, against an average physician time-to-fill of 130 days (AAPPR). A posting that goes up and waits is a strategy built for a market where supply exceeds demand, and that is not this market.
What works instead is specificity. State the pay range on the listing rather than behind an application. Describe the role in the terms a radiologist actually weighs: subspecialty mix, call structure, remote reading, partnership track. Build relationships with the training programs nearest you, since that is where the observed settling pattern starts. And meet candidates where they are looking. For employers in high-need markets and for candidates with the flexibility to consider them, RadiologyJobs connects both sides of this market with the specificity that a general healthcare job board cannot provide: pay on every listing, radiology-specific role detail, and postings that expire at 60 days so no one is chasing a role that was filled long ago.
Frequently asked questions
Which states have the fewest radiologists per Medicare enrollee?
Wyoming had the lowest density at 38.8 radiologists per 100,000 Medicare enrollees, and Minnesota the highest at 161.4, a 4.2-fold spread, with the District of Columbia at 200.5, according to Khurana et al., JACR 2022, covering 2012 to 2019. The Northeast was the highest-density region and the South the lowest in both years.
How many practicing radiologists are there in the United States?
About 38,000. Malhotra et al., JACR 2026, count 38,306 practicing radiologists in 2022, a 12% increase since 2010, which moved national supply from 11.1 to 11.5 radiologists per 100,000 population. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 4% employment growth from 2023 to 2033, about 1,200 openings per year.
Has the radiologist shortage improved as residency positions expanded?
Not on a per-capita basis. Radiology residency positions grew 33% between 2010 and 2025, from 1,090 to 1,449, yet the practicing workforce grew only 12% and per-population supply rose from 11.1 to 11.5 per 100,000 between 2010 and 2022 (Malhotra et al., JACR 2026). Training expansion has not translated into proportionally more coverage.
Does geographic flexibility help a radiologist's job search?
Yes, as a matter of options rather than a guaranteed premium. Radiologist density varies 4.2-fold across states per 100,000 Medicare enrollees (Khurana et al., JACR 2022), so a candidate willing to consider lower-density markets has more roles to compare and a clearer view of what each market offers. No peer-reviewed source in this post quantifies a regional pay difference, so we do not claim one.