Why Radiology Locums Is Growing

Between 2018 and early 2024, radiology exam volume across 167 U.S. practices grew 31%, while the radiologist workforce at those same practices grew 24%.² The pressure is building because imaging volume is growing faster than radiology staffing.

The Neiman Health Policy Institute projects this shortage will persist through at least 2055. Their lead researcher said it "is not projected to get worse, nor will it likely improve in the next three decades without effective action." If residency positions stay flat, the profession reaches roughly 47,100 radiologists by 2055. If slots grow, about 52,600. Neither scenario closes the gap against projected imaging demand.³

People want to become radiologists. The 2025 Match filled 97.4% of PGY-1 diagnostic radiology positions and 100% of PGY-1 integrated interventional radiology positions.⁴ The interest is there, but Tte constraint is training spots. Medicus reports that only 29 PGY-1 diagnostic radiology positions have been added in the last four years.⁵

When groups cannot hire, average time-to-fill is 130 days,⁶ and roughly half of radiology searches go unfilled.⁵ Locums becomes the bridge. Increasingly, the bridge becomes permanent infrastructure.

The AMA's 2025 survey of 19,000 physicians put radiology burnout at 45.2%, fifth-highest among specialties.⁷ The ACR Bulletin reported that 44% of male and 65% of female radiologists said they were burned out or burned out and depressed.⁸

But the headline rate obscures the real pattern. That same 167-practice JACR study found the top quartile of radiologists by volume are reading about 31% more exams per day and working about 20% more clinical days per quarter than in 2018. The bottom quartile's productivity actually declined.² The workload increase is piling onto the people already doing the most, and they are the ones most likely to burn out, cut back, or leave.

For radiologists in that cycle, locums offers a way to keep practicing on terms they control. For groups watching their hardest-working radiologists cut back or leave, locums coverage keeps the remaining staff afloat during a recruitment process that takes months and fails half the time.

CHG Healthcare's 2025 report tracked a shift in how facilities use locums. Backfill, covering for absent physicians, dropped from 82% of placements in 2023 to 67% in 2024. Meanwhile, 35% of facilities now use locums to meet rising patient demand, and 25% use them specifically to reduce burnout and workload on permanent staff.⁹

Facilities also underestimate how much locums they will use. Actual utilization in 2024 came in 25 percentage points higher than anticipated.¹⁰ About 57,000 physicians now work locums, and 80% of facilities expect to maintain or increase usage.⁹

Teleradiology has accelerated this in radiology specifically. The global teleradiology market was estimated at $15.6 billion in 2024, with growth projections ranging from 13% to 26% CAGR depending on the research firm.¹¹ What started as preliminary overnight reads has become final reads, subspecialty interpretation, and full coverage partnerships where remote radiologists are part of the core group.

The demand side of radiology locums is likely to remain strong for decades. More The harder problem is matching: getting the right radiologist into the right shift with the right modalities, volume, technology, and pay.

One profile. Your licenses, credentials, subspecialties, availability, and rates. Groups see your fit before paperwork starts. You see opportunities that actually match. Our approach speeds up time to fill dramatically by creating a smarter system for both radiologists and groups.

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