Is there a radiologist shortage in 2026?
The short answer
Yes. The radiologist workforce grew 17.3% from 2014 to 2023, but annual attrition more than doubled over a similar period (1.1% in 2014 to 2.5% in 2022), and imaging demand is projected to keep rising. HRSA projects radiology supply at about 90% of demand in 2038. Sources: ACR Bulletin workforce update (February 5, 2026), Neiman HPI studies in JACR (February 2025).
- +17.3%radiologists, 2014 to 2023
- 2.5%annual attrition in 2022, up from 1.1% in 2014
- 90%HRSA: radiology supply as a share of demand, 2038
The best current summary is the American College of Radiology’s workforce update from the Neiman Health Policy Institute (ACR Bulletin, February 5, 2026). It pulls together several HPI studies and a December 2025 projection from HRSA, the federal Health Resources and Services Administration. The headline is not that radiologists are disappearing. It is that supply is not keeping pace with demand, and that practices with rural sites lose radiologists faster than others.
How many radiologists are there, and is the number growing?
Growing, but more slowly than the work. Per the ACR update, the number of radiologists increased 17.3% from 2014 to 2023, even as attrition rose. Over the same years, practices consolidated: the number of practices with affiliated radiologists fell 14.7%, and the average number of radiologists per practice rose from 9.7 to 17.9.
Subspecialty matters too. The update reports that the number of pediatric radiologists fell from 2,190 in 2016 to 2,032 in 2023, from 6.4% to 4.6% of all radiologists. The same update notes that radiology-only practices are the only practice type where generalists are still the majority (65%).
Why are radiologists leaving?
Attrition is the part that changed. Per HPI research cited in the ACR update, US radiologist attrition more than doubled, from 1.1% a year in 2014 to 2.5% in 2022; it had already reached 2.0% by 2019, before the pandemic peak. A separate HPI release (Neiman HPI, February 12, 2025) says radiologists have been leaving at a 50% higher rate since 2020.
| Group (per HPI, via ACR, Feb 2026) | Attrition compared with |
|---|---|
| Subspecialists | 37% more likely to leave than generalists |
| Nonacademic radiologists | 37% higher than academic |
| Women | 26% higher than men |
| Practices with rural sites | 16% higher than practices without |
Will the radiologist shortage get better by 2055?
Not on its own, according to two companion Neiman HPI studies published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology in February 2025 (release). If residency positions stay flat after 2024, radiologist supply grows 25.7% from 2023 to 2055. Imaging use, at today’s per-person rates applied to an older population, grows 16.9% to 26.9% depending on modality. The lead author’s summary: the shortage is not projected to get worse, nor will it likely improve without effective action.
| Projection | Figure | Source, date |
|---|---|---|
| Radiologist supply, 2023 to 2055, residency positions flat | +25.7% | Neiman HPI, JACR, Feb 2025 |
| Radiologist workforce in 2055 if post-COVID attrition persists | +20.9% vs today | ACR Bulletin, Feb 2026 |
| Imaging demand to 2055, by modality | +16.9% to +26.9% (MRI about 17%, CT about 25%) | Neiman HPI, Feb 2025; ACR, Feb 2026 |
| Extra radiologists by 2055 if attrition returns to pre-pandemic levels | 3,116 | Neiman HPI, Feb 2025 |
| Radiology supply as a share of demand, 2038 | About 90% | HRSA, Dec 2025, via ACR |
The two supply figures differ because they assume different attrition. Either way, supply growth lands inside or below the range of demand growth, and CT, the workhorse of the overnight ED, sits at the top of the demand range.
What does the shortage mean for hospitals?
- Nights and weekends feel it first. A smaller local group can cover days; covering every night of the year is where call schedules break.
- Rural sites feel it most. Practices with rural sites lose radiologists 16% faster (HPI via ACR), and a small hospital has fewer people to absorb a departure.
- Recruiting takes longer. When supply trails demand, an open on-site radiology position can stay open, and locum coverage fills the gap at a premium.
- Turnaround slips quietly. Fewer readers for the same volume shows up as slower reads before it shows up as a missed shift. Track it monthly by priority (see our turnaround benchmarks).
- Credentialing becomes a bottleneck. Every outside radiologist needs a file at your hospital; see teleradiology credentialing.
How are hospitals covering the gap?
Most hospitals combine several options: their own radiologists for the day, remote coverage for nights, weekends and overflow, and a locum for longer gaps. Teleradiology is the most common way to cover the hours a local group can’t, because one remote radiologist can cover several hospitals’ nights from one reading station. Our guide to after-hours radiology coverage options compares them side by side, including what each means for your day group the next morning.
If you are recruiting radiologists rather than buying coverage, the same data explains why remote and flexible roles have become a recruiting tool; see remote radiology jobs.
How TeleRads helps
We cover the hours your group doesn’t, and we don’t replace your group: overnight, evening and swing, weekends and holidays, daytime overflow, or 24/7. Every TeleRads report is a signed final; we read finals only, never preliminaries. Board-certified radiologists, licensed in your state and approved by your medical staff office before they read a single study for you. Stroke studies are read first and critical results are called within 15 minutes. A named backup, already credentialed at your hospital, is on every night, so one reader’s sick call doesn’t become your gap. Credentialing is done for you through an NCQA-certified CVO, and most hospitals are live in 30 days.
Questions
Is there a shortage of radiologists in the US?
Yes. Radiologist numbers grew 17.3% from 2014 to 2023, but attrition more than doubled and imaging demand keeps rising. HRSA projects radiology supply at about 90% of demand in 2038 (ACR Bulletin, February 2026).
Why is there a radiologist shortage?
Imaging demand is growing with an older population, while radiologist attrition rose from 1.1% a year in 2014 to 2.5% in 2022 and residency growth is limited. Subspecialists, nonacademic radiologists and practices with rural sites see higher attrition.
Will the radiologist shortage end?
Not without action, per Neiman HPI research (JACR, February 2025). With flat residency positions, supply grows 25.7% by 2055 while imaging demand grows 16.9% to 26.9% by modality, so the gap is projected to persist.
How many radiologists leave each year?
HPI research cited by the ACR puts US radiologist attrition at 2.5% a year in 2022, up from 1.1% in 2014 and 2.0% in 2019.
How do small hospitals cope with the radiologist shortage?
Most cover days locally and use teleradiology for nights, weekends and overflow, sometimes with locum radiologists for longer gaps. The key is final reads at night, a named backup and credentialing that the medical staff office can keep up with.
Where does this data come from?
The American College of Radiology’s February 5, 2026 workforce update from the Neiman Health Policy Institute (which also cites HRSA’s December 2025 projections) and two Neiman HPI studies in the Journal of the American College of Radiology, released February 12, 2025.