Radiologists
SOC Code: 29-1224
Radiologists carries a 48% AI exposure score (High automation risk) and +2.7% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 28,200 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 48% AI exposure, Radiologists sits 11 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 84% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
35/100
Radiologists, weighted across 2 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage N/A N/A
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth C- +2.7%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) F 48% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Radiologists in the High band.
Credential × growth standing
Graduate credential among the thinner entry shelves
Radiologists is in the Graduate band (113 of 832) with BLS pace Average (378/832). Graduate entry is a minority shelf - pairing it with average growth is the standing that separates this SOC from bachelor-dominated neighbors.
Where Radiologists sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Radiologists sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
48% Higher than most higher than 84% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Radiologists vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Radiologists is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Radiologists's High automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score in the 40–70% range indicates meaningful automation pressure on specific task categories, but the role as a whole still requires human judgment for coordination, exception handling, or client interaction.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 29-1224) code. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Radiologists be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Radiologists. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Prepare comprehensive interpretive reports of findings.
- 2. Perform or interpret the outcomes of diagnostic imaging procedures including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computer tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), nuclear cardiology treadmill studies, mammography, or ultrasound.
- 3. Document the performance, interpretation, or outcomes of all procedures performed.
- 4. Communicate examination results or diagnostic information to referring physicians, patients, or families.
- 5. Obtain patients' histories from electronic records, patient interviews, dictated reports, or by communicating with referring clinicians.
- 6. Review or transmit images and information using picture archiving or communications systems.
- 7. Confer with medical professionals regarding image-based diagnoses.
- 8. Recognize or treat complications during and after procedures, including blood pressure problems, pain, oversedation, or bleeding.
- 9. Perform interventional procedures such as image-guided biopsy, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, transhepatic biliary drainage, or nephrostomy catheter placement.
- 10. Develop or monitor procedures to ensure adequate quality control of images.
Key Skills Required
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Monitoring
- Social Perceptiveness
- Complex Problem Solving
- Active Learning
Knowledge Areas
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Biology
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Education and Training
- Customer and Personal Service
- Physics
- Public Safety and Security
- Communications and Media
- Administration and Management
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Radiologists?
Radiologists has an AI exposure score of 48%, indicating a high level of automation risk. Some tasks in this role can be augmented or partially automated by AI, but core responsibilities require human judgment.
What is the job outlook for Radiologists?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Radiologists is projected to grow by 2.7% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 28,200 workers.
What skills are needed for Radiologists?
Key skills for Radiologists include Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, and others. Typical entry-level education is Doctoral or professional degree.
How much do Radiologists earn?
Wage data for Radiologists varies by region, experience, and employer. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes median wage estimates in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Radiologists?
The typical entry-level education for Radiologists is Doctoral or professional degree. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Internship/residency. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Radiologists?
Radiologists roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
High automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. A moderate share of tasks may be augmented by AI tools.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Radiologists: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (48% here).
- Computer hardware engineers · AI exposure 48%
- Diagnostic medical sonographers · AI exposure 48%
- Earth drillers, except oil and gas · AI exposure 48%
- Electronics engineers, except computer · AI exposure 48%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+2.7% here).
- Emergency medicine physicians · growth +2.7%
- Family medicine physicians · growth +2.7%
- First-line supervisors of security workers · growth +2.7%
- Media and communication workers, all other · growth +2.7%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 14 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Radiologists' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Radiologists side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).