Interventional radiology physicians chasing a new contract or a first attending job run into a crowded field of recruiting firms, each pitching a different mix of locum coverage, permanent search, and fee structure — this guide ranks the ones worth a phone call in 2026 and shows you where to check their claims against real postings.
- Merritt Hawkins and CompHealth cover the broadest interventional radiology territory in 2026 — Buy for wide geographic search.
- The Medicus Firm specializes in physician-only permanent placement for IR partnership tracks — Buy.
- Weatherby Healthcare and LocumTenens.com run the deepest locum tenens IR benches — Consider before signing a fee-based contract.
- Curative's tech-first screening moves fast but covers fewer IR-specific openings — Hold for niche subspecialty searches.
- RadBoard aggregates 5,000+ radiology jobs from 20 sources so IR physicians can verify recruiter claims before signing.
Why this matters
Interventional radiology hiring isn't generalist radiology hiring. A recruiter who places diagnostic radiologists all day may not know to ask about procedural case mix, IR call burden, or whether a group's endovascular volume actually supports the RVU target on the offer sheet.
That gap matters more in 2026 as private equity-backed groups and hospital systems compete for the same shrinking pool of IR-trained physicians. RadBoard pulls 5,000+ radiology postings from 20 sources, including hospital career pages recruiters also work from, which makes it a fast way to confirm a recruiter's opening is priced and staffed the way they describe it.
How this list was ranked
The firms below are ranked on four criteria: how much of their book is interventional radiology versus general diagnostic radiology, whether their model is locum tenens, permanent placement, or both, national reach versus regional concentration, and how transparent their fee structure is when a physician asks directly.
This isn't a satisfaction survey — it's a scope-and-fit comparison based on how each firm publicly positions its physician search division. A firm scoring well here still needs to be vetted against your specific subspecialty, state license needs, and call expectations before you sign anything in 2026.
The ranked list
1. Merritt Hawkins — the generalist heavyweight
Merritt Hawkins runs one of the largest physician search operations in the country, with a radiology division that handles interventional, diagnostic, and neuroradiology roles across hospital, academic, and private practice settings. The breadth is the advantage: if you're open to relocating anywhere in the U.S. for the right IR role, their pipeline is wide.
The tradeoff is depth — a generalist firm this size won't always have a recruiter who's spent years exclusively on IR placements. Verdict: Buy for physicians prioritizing geographic flexibility over subspecialty-specific coaching.
2. CompHealth — the locum tenens machine
CompHealth built its reputation on locum tenens staffing across nearly every physician specialty, and its radiology desk regularly carries interventional coverage assignments for physicians bridging between permanent contracts. Volume is the selling point here, not customization.
If you're an IR physician who wants short-notice coverage work while negotiating a permanent offer elsewhere, this is a reasonable first call — cross-reference what they quote against listings on RadBoard's radiology staffing agency roundup before committing to an assignment length. Verdict: Buy for locum coverage between contracts.
3. Weatherby Healthcare — the shift-based sister firm
Weatherby operates under the same parent company as CompHealth but markets itself separately, with a similar locum tenens focus and a reputation for fast turnaround on short assignments. For IR physicians who need to fill a two- or four-week coverage gap, that speed is the point.
The overlap with CompHealth means you may get pitched near-identical assignments by both — ask which one owns the specific opening before signing an exclusivity agreement. Verdict: Consider if CompHealth's timeline doesn't fit your calendar.
4. The Medicus Firm — the physician-only permanent search shop
The Medicus Firm works exclusively on permanent physician placement, which means no locum tenens noise diluting the conversation when you're looking for a partnership-track IR role. Their radiology recruiters tend to work smaller, curated slates rather than blasting every open req in a region.
That curation is useful if you want fewer, more relevant calls instead of a high-volume pipeline — a pattern worth comparing against RadBoard's permanent placement staffing agency guide to see how their listed openings match what a recruiter offers you directly. Verdict: Buy for physicians targeting partnership or academic-track permanent roles.
5. Jackson Physician Search — the partnership-track specialist
Jackson Physician Search, part of the broader Jackson Healthcare network, focuses on permanent physician placement with an emphasis on practices offering partnership or leadership pathways. IR physicians eyeing ownership stakes in a private practice group are the natural fit.
Because the firm is physician-led on the recruiting side, expect more direct conversations about compensation structure than you'd get from a high-volume generalist desk. Verdict: Consider if partnership timeline matters more to you than speed of placement.
6. LocumTenens.com — the marketplace model
LocumTenens.com runs more like a searchable marketplace than a traditional recruiting relationship, letting physicians browse and apply to locum assignments directly rather than waiting on a recruiter to call. For IR physicians who want to self-serve between contracts, this cuts a layer out of the process.
The self-service model means less hand-holding on negotiation — pair it with RadBoard's guide to locum tenens interventional radiology jobs between contracts if you want to compare assignment terms before applying. Verdict: Hold unless you're comfortable negotiating your own rate.
7. Curative — the tech-enabled challenger
Curative built its pitch around software-driven candidate screening and faster time-to-offer compared to legacy recruiting firms, with radiology as one of several specialties it covers. The tech layer speeds up scheduling and paperwork more than it changes the underlying job pool.
Coverage of interventional-specific roles is thinner than the legacy firms above, since the platform spans many specialties rather than concentrating on radiology. Verdict: Hold for niche IR subspecialty searches until the platform's radiology volume grows.
“If a recruiter can't tell you the group's average IR case volume per week, they don't know the job well enough to place you in it.”
Comparison table
| Firm | Model | IR Focus | Best For | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merritt Hawkins | Permanent + locum | Moderate (generalist) | Geographic flexibility | Buy |
| CompHealth | Locum tenens | Moderate | Coverage between contracts | Buy |
| Weatherby Healthcare | Locum tenens | Moderate | Short-notice shifts | Consider |
| The Medicus Firm | Permanent only | High | Partnership-track roles | Buy |
| Jackson Physician Search | Permanent only | Moderate-high | Ownership pathways | Consider |
| LocumTenens.com | Locum marketplace | Moderate | Self-service search | Hold |
| Curative | Permanent + locum | Low-moderate | Fast screening, low IR volume | Hold |
Skip the recruiter fee search
Browse 5,000+ radiology jobs from 20 sources, including direct IR postings.
Where to find recruiters worth your time
- Ask every firm for their IR-specific placement count in the last 12 months before assuming their radiology desk knows the subspecialty.
- Confirm whether the fee is contingency-based (paid only on placement) or retained, and who's paying it — the group, not you, should cover it in a legitimate arrangement.
- Before signing with any firm, read RadBoard's guide on working with a radiology recruiter to find hidden openings so you know which questions separate a recruiter who knows IR from one reading a job description for the first time.
FAQ
What's the best interventional radiology recruiting firm in 2026?
The Medicus Firm and Jackson Physician Search lead for permanent, partnership-track interventional radiology placement in 2026, while CompHealth and Weatherby Healthcare lead for locum tenens coverage. The right pick depends on whether you want permanent or contract work.
Do interventional radiology recruiters charge the physician a fee?
No, reputable physician recruiting firms are paid by the hiring hospital or group, not the candidate. If a firm asks you for payment upfront, treat that as a red flag and walk away.
Is locum tenens or permanent placement better for switching IR jobs?
Locum tenens work suits physicians bridging between contracts or testing a new market before committing, while permanent placement fits those ready for a partnership track or long-term hospital role. Many IR physicians use locum assignments to evaluate a group before signing permanently.
How long does it take a recruiting firm to place an interventional radiologist?
Placement timelines vary by firm and market, and firms rarely publish exact averages. Locum tenens assignments typically move faster than permanent search, which can involve multiple rounds of interviews and contract negotiation.
Can I search for interventional radiology jobs without using a recruiter?
Yes, direct job boards like RadBoard aggregate postings from hospital career pages and health systems alongside recruiter-listed openings, letting you apply without a middleman. This also lets you cross-check whether a recruiter's pitch matches the actual posted terms.
What's the difference between CompHealth and Weatherby Healthcare?
CompHealth and Weatherby Healthcare operate under the same parent company and both focus on locum tenens staffing, including interventional radiology coverage. The main difference is branding and which recruiter you're assigned to, so ask directly which firm owns a specific opening.
Do recruiting firms have access to jobs that aren't posted publicly?
Sometimes, especially for leadership or partnership-track roles a group doesn't want broadly advertised. Most standard IR openings, though, also appear on hospital career pages and aggregated job boards within days of being listed with a recruiter.
How much does a recruiting firm add to negotiating an IR salary offer?
A good recruiter can add leverage in negotiation by knowing what comparable groups are paying, but the fee structure means their incentive is closing the deal, not maximizing your offer. Cross-checking market data independently before finalizing terms protects your negotiating position.
One last thing
The same interventional radiology opening often shows up in two places at once: on a recruiter's desk and on the hospital's own career page, sometimes with different base salary language depending on when each was last updated. Checking both before a first call means you walk into recruiter conversations already knowing whether the number they're quoting is current for 2026 or a stale req they haven't refreshed.