Overview
Radiology's 5-year training (1 intern + 4 residency + 1 fellowship is typical) lands around $420K. Private-practice radiology dominates the job market, so PSLF is usually not available — aggressive payoff or refinancing tend to win.
Physician salary & compensation
Median salary
$420K
Range
$380K – $540K
Source
MGMA 2025 / Doximity 2025
Residency training timeline
Training years
5y
PGY-1 salary
$65K
Annual growth
2.0%
Fellowship
Optional
Not baked into training
Most radiology trainees follow a 5-year track. PGY-1 pay starts around $65K with roughly 2.0% annual raises.
PSLF & forgiveness strategy
Private-practice radiology groups are the overwhelming norm — non-PSLF. Academic radiology (smaller, lower-paid) is the PSLF-eligible minority.
Our pick · Refinance + aggressive payoff
Repayment recommendation
At $420K income and typical $230K debt, refinancing to 4% and paying off in 4 years saves $60K+ vs. federal standard repayment.
Run your numbers for RadiologyKey takeaways
- Interventional radiology fellowship adds 1 year
- Teleradiology/locums can pay even higher but are almost never PSLF-eligible
- High early-career earning + short training = refinance math is unbeatable
Ready to model your debt strategy?
Compare PSLF, refinancing, and aggressive payoff for your Radiology scenario — pre-filled with the salary and training defaults from this page.
Open the calculator