Travel radiology staffing agencies place diagnostic and interventional radiologists into short-term, in-person assignments at hospitals and imaging centers that need coverage fast. CompHealth wins for the largest multi-state assignment volume, Weatherby Healthcare wins for a first travel assignment, and Barton Associates wins for rate transparency — the rest of this guide breaks down where each agency actually fits.
- CompHealth carries the widest national radiology assignment volume among the best travel radiology staffing agencies in 2026.
- Weatherby Healthcare is built for a radiologist's first travel assignment, with more hand-holding on credentialing.
- Barton Associates publishes clearer day-rate and week-rate terms than most national competitors.
- Malpractice and tail coverage are standard across nearly every agency on this list — confirm it in writing regardless.
- Job aggregators like RadBoard let you cross-check agency listings against 5,000+ radiology postings from 20 sources before you call a recruiter.
Why this matters
Travel radiology assignments fill gaps that permanent hiring can't close fast enough — a hospital loses a body imaging attending mid-quarter, a rural site needs 90 days of neuroradiology coverage, or a group needs weekend backup during a licensing gap. The agency you sign with controls your rate transparency, your credentialing timeline, and whether malpractice tail coverage is actually handled before your first shift.
Most radiologists shopping RadBoard for travel work end up comparing agency-posted listings against direct hospital postings side by side, since the platform pulls from 20 sources at once. That's useful context before you commit to one recruiter's exclusive pipeline. If you're weighing travel work against a permanent locum tenens contract instead, the distinction matters enough to read the separate locum tenens staffing agencies guide before you decide which path fits your 2026 schedule.
What makes the best travel radiology staffing agency
- A radiology-specific recruiting desk — not a generalist healthcare staffing rep juggling nursing and allied health req lists
- Multi-state licensing and credentialing support built into the onboarding process, not left to the physician
- Malpractice coverage, including tail coverage, confirmed in writing before the assignment starts
- Transparent day-rate or week-rate terms quoted up front, with W-2 or 1099 structure clearly stated
- National assignment volume deep enough that a canceled or shortened contract doesn't leave you scrambling
- Speed from signed paperwork to first shift, since travel assignments are often filling urgent coverage gaps
Compare travel radiology openings directly
Search 5,000+ radiology listings from 20 sources before you commit to one agency's pipeline.
Best travel radiology staffing agencies at a glance
| Agency | Best for | Standout feature | Key limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| CompHealth | Largest multi-state assignment volume | National hospital network under CHG Healthcare | Large agency size means less individualized attention |
| Weatherby Healthcare | First travel assignment | Structured onboarding for first-time locums | Assignment pool overlaps with CompHealth's network |
| Barton Associates | Rate transparency | Clear day/week rate quotes up front | Smaller radiology-specific bench than the largest firms |
| Medicus Healthcare Solutions | Combined teleradiology and onsite coverage | Hybrid remote-plus-travel placements | Shorter track record in radiology than legacy agencies |
| Hayes Locums | High-touch recruiter relationships | Smaller caseload per recruiter | Fewer simultaneous open assignments nationally |
| Vista Staffing Solutions | Government and federal facility assignments | Experience with VA and IHS credentialing | Federal credentialing adds lead time |
| All Star Healthcare Solutions | Independent 1099 contract preference | Flexible contractor structuring | Tax and tail-coverage administration shifts to the physician |
1. CompHealth: best travel radiology staffing agency for national assignment volume
CompHealth runs one of the largest locum tenens networks in the country and places radiologists into diagnostic and interventional assignments across most states. It operates under CHG Healthcare, giving it a wide base of hospital and health-system clients to draw travel openings from.
CompHealth pros:
- Deep national inventory of open radiology assignments
- Established credentialing and malpractice-coverage process
- Recruiters dedicated to radiology rather than generalist staffing
CompHealth cons:
- Volume-driven model can mean less individualized attention per physician
- Some listings overlap with sister agency Weatherby Healthcare
Best for: radiologists who want the widest set of travel options to choose from. Verdict: Buy.
2. Weatherby Healthcare: best travel radiology staffing agency for a first assignment
Weatherby Healthcare, also part of CHG Healthcare, is built around onboarding radiologists who haven't done travel work before. The process walks through credentialing, licensing, and malpractice tail coverage step by step rather than assuming the physician already knows the drill.
Weatherby Healthcare pros:
- Structured onboarding aimed at first-time travel physicians
- Shared national network access through CHG Healthcare
- Radiology-specific recruiting desk
Weatherby Healthcare cons:
- Assignment inventory closely mirrors CompHealth's, limiting independent variety
- Less useful if you already know the process and just want speed
Best for: a radiologist taking their first travel assignment in 2026. Verdict: Buy.
3. Barton Associates: best travel radiology staffing agency for rate transparency
Barton Associates is known in the broader locum tenens market for quoting day and week rate terms clearly and early in the process, rather than leaving compensation structure vague until late in negotiations. Its radiology desk is smaller than the largest national firms but still active across multiple states.
Barton Associates pros:
- Rate terms disclosed early in the conversation
- Straightforward contract structure
- Responsive during short-notice assignment fills
Barton Associates cons:
- Smaller radiology-specific caseload than CompHealth or Weatherby
- Fewer simultaneous openings in less populated states
Best for: physicians who want compensation terms up front before investing time in an application. Verdict: Buy.
4. Medicus Healthcare Solutions: best travel radiology staffing agency for hybrid coverage
Medicus Healthcare Solutions places radiologists into both onsite travel assignments and teleradiology coverage, which suits physicians who want to mix in-person weeks with remote reading blocks. It's a newer full-service player in radiology compared to the legacy CHG-affiliated firms.
Medicus Healthcare Solutions pros:
- Hybrid onsite-plus-remote placement structure
- Radiology and imaging-focused recruiting team
- Flexible scheduling across assignment types
Medicus Healthcare Solutions cons:
- Shorter operating history in radiology than the largest national agencies
- Smaller total assignment pool
Best for: a radiologist who wants to alternate travel weeks with teleradiology shifts. Verdict: Hold — confirm current assignment volume in your target state first.
5. Hayes Locums: best travel radiology staffing agency for high-touch service
Hayes Locums runs a smaller book of business per recruiter, which typically means more direct communication and fewer physicians competing for the same recruiter's attention. The tradeoff is a smaller total number of open assignments at any given time.
Hayes Locums pros:
- Lower recruiter-to-physician ratio
- Direct, responsive communication during contract negotiation
Hayes Locums cons:
- Fewer simultaneous openings than the largest national firms
- Less geographic breadth in some regions
Best for: radiologists who want a single point of contact instead of rotating recruiters. Verdict: Hold.
6. Vista Staffing Solutions: best travel radiology staffing agency for government facility assignments
Vista Staffing Solutions has experience placing physicians into VA and Indian Health Service facilities, which carry credentialing requirements that differ from private hospital systems. That specialization is useful if you're targeting federal or tribal health assignments specifically.
Vista Staffing Solutions pros:
- Familiarity with federal and government credentialing processes
- Radiology placements across VA and IHS sites
Vista Staffing Solutions cons:
- Federal credentialing timelines run longer than private-sector onboarding
- Smaller assignment pool outside government facilities
Best for: radiologists specifically targeting VA or IHS coverage. Verdict: Wait — only if government facility work is the goal.
7. All Star Healthcare Solutions: best travel radiology staffing agency for 1099 contractors
All Star Healthcare Solutions structures many of its radiology placements as independent contractor arrangements rather than W-2 employment, which appeals to physicians who prefer to manage their own tax and business structure.
All Star Healthcare Solutions pros:
- Flexible 1099 contract structuring
- Radiology assignments across multiple states
All Star Healthcare Solutions cons:
- Tax planning and malpractice tail administration shift more responsibility to the physician
- Less standardized onboarding than the CHG-affiliated agencies
Best for: independent contractor radiologists who already manage their own business structure. Verdict: Hold — confirm tail coverage terms before signing.
How this list was ranked
Each agency was weighed against the same six criteria: radiology-specific recruiting focus, credentialing and licensing support, malpractice and tail coverage handling, rate transparency, national assignment volume, and speed to first shift. No agency scored perfectly on all six — that's the honest state of the travel radiology staffing market in 2026, not a flaw in the ranking method.
Which travel radiology staffing agency should you choose?
If you want the widest set of options, start with CompHealth. If this is your first travel assignment and you want a structured hand, Weatherby Healthcare is the safer starting point. Physicians who care most about knowing the rate before they invest time in paperwork should call Barton Associates first. Whichever agency you contact, cross-check the assignment against listings on RadBoard so you know what the broader market looks like before you sign an exclusive agreement with one recruiter.
FAQ
What's the best travel radiology staffing agency in 2026?
CompHealth carries the largest national assignment volume for travel radiology work in 2026, making it the strongest starting point for most diagnostic and interventional radiologists. Weatherby Healthcare and Barton Associates are stronger fits for a first assignment or for rate transparency, respectively.
Is Weatherby Healthcare better than CompHealth for radiology?
Neither is universally better — Weatherby Healthcare is built for first-time travel physicians with more structured onboarding, while CompHealth offers a wider national pool of open assignments. Both operate under CHG Healthcare and share overlapping client networks.
How much do travel radiology staffing agencies charge radiologists?
Staffing agencies are paid by the hospital or facility, not the radiologist directly — the agency's fee is built into the rate the facility pays, not billed separately to you. Always get the day-rate or week-rate terms in writing before accepting an assignment.
Do travel radiology staffing agencies cover malpractice insurance?
Most established locum tenens and travel staffing agencies include malpractice coverage, including tail coverage, as part of the assignment package. Confirm this in writing before signing, since coverage terms vary by agency and by facility.
How fast can a staffing agency place a travel radiology assignment?
Placement speed depends heavily on how current your state licenses and credentials already are — radiologists with active licenses in multiple states typically move through onboarding faster than those starting from scratch. Government and federal facility assignments generally take longer to credential than private hospitals.
Can I find travel radiology jobs without going through an agency?
Yes — job platforms like RadBoard aggregate travel and locum radiology postings directly from hospitals, health systems, and staffing agencies from 20 sources in one place. That lets you compare direct postings against agency listings before committing to a recruiter.
What's the difference between a travel radiology assignment and a locum tenens assignment?
The terms overlap heavily, but "travel" typically implies temporary relocation to a physical site, while "locum tenens" can also cover remote or teleradiology coverage. Check the assignment description directly, since agencies use the terms inconsistently.
Which radiology subspecialties see the most travel assignment demand?
General diagnostic radiology, neuroradiology, and musculoskeletal imaging are among the subspecialties recruiters fill most often for travel and locum coverage. Facilities needing short-term gap coverage tend to prioritize broad diagnostic capability over narrow subspecialty focus.
One last thing
Four of the seven agencies on this list — CompHealth, Weatherby Healthcare, and their sister brands — sit under the same parent company, CHG Healthcare, which means their assignment pools overlap more than the separate brand names suggest. Check both before assuming you're seeing two different sets of listings.
