United States Computed Tomography Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends & Forecasts (2025 - 2030)

United States Computed Tomography Market Trends and Insights

Rising Prevalence of Chronic Diseases Drives Imaging Demand

Cardiovascular disease is projected to affect 45 million U.S. adults by 2050, and hypertension prevalence is forecast to climb from 51.2% in 2020 to 61.0% in 2050. Parallel increases in obesity, depression, and hyperlipidemia have lifted multimorbidity from 52.5% to 59.5% among younger adults between 2013 and 2023. Greater clinical complexity translates into higher examination volumes; CT utilization is expected to rise 25.1% through 2055 ^{[2]GE HealthCare, “Revolution Vibe Launch Details,” gehealthcare.com} . Hospitals are expanding cardiac CT programs in anticipation of a 175% surge in procedures per site by 2030. Medicare’s decision to cover virtual CT colonography is another signal that policymakers see preventive imaging as a cost-saving strategy.

Growing Geriatric Population Accelerates Advanced Imaging Adoption

Adults aged 65+ represent the fastest-growing cohort and prefer outpatient settings that offer faster appointments and easier parking. Hospital spending rose 10.4% in 2023 due in part to geriatric diagnostic complexity. Vizient projects a 13% advance in outpatient advanced imaging volumes over the next decade, led by CT and PET. The shift favors the computed tomography market because ambulatory centers often adopt mid-tier scanners that combine cardiac capability with lower capital cost. Workforce attrition complicates this growth: male radiologists face a 13.5% exit rate, intensifying staffing gaps.

Continuous Technological Advancements Transform Clinical Workflows

Photon-counting devices such as Siemens NAEOTOM Alpha.Prime provide 0.2 mm spatial resolution and spectral data in a single, radiation-efficient acquisition ^{[3]Siemens Healthineers, “Photon-Counting CT: A New Era,” siemens-healthineers.com} . Ten-year economic models show savings of USD 794.5 per patient due to fewer secondary tests. Northwestern Medicine reported a 15.5% gain in report throughput after integrating generative AI for dictation and decision support. The FDA has green-lit more than 750 radiology-focused AI tools, signaling regulatory comfort with the technology.

Expanded CMS Reimbursement Enhances Access to Preventive Screening

Medicare now reimburses AI-enabled coronary plaque quantification for symptomatic patients with no known disease, broadening access to coronary CT angiography. Lung screening eligibility moved to ages 50-77 and removed patient cost-sharing. CMS estimates these changes will avert 13,982 cancers among beneficiaries annually. Doubling of coronary CTA reimbursement rates further stimulates equipment upgrades at outpatient sites.

High Equipment Acquisition Costs Constrain Market Penetration

Upfront scanner prices exceeding USD 1 million strain rural balance sheets; 20% of Americans live in counties now lacking local CT access after hospital closures. Managed service agreements and cash-flow-neutral financing have gained traction as providers seek to match payments with revenue cycles. Siemens’ SOMATOM Pro.Pulse reduces energy draw by 20%, lowering total cost for small facilities.

Radiology Workforce Shortages Limit Scanner Utilization Potential

There are more than 1,400 open radiologist positions nationwide, and CT technologist vacancies have reached 18.1%, up from 6.2% three years earlier. The American College of Radiology warns that yearly demand is rising 3-5% despite static residency caps set in 1997. Providers turn to teleradiology, projected to expand from USD 4.4 billion in 2024 to USD 6.7 billion by 2027, to cope with reading backlogs.

Segment Analysis

By Product Type: Medium-Slice Systems Gain Momentum

High-slice platforms held 35.78% of the computed tomography market share in 2024, reflecting their dominance in cardiac, trauma, and oncology imaging where rapid temporal resolution is critical. Medium-slice systems are forecast to deliver a 7.65% CAGR and are increasingly selected by outpatient centers seeking cardiac capability without the cost of 256-slice flagships. GE Healthcare’s Revolution Vibe offers single-heartbeat imaging at a mid-tier price, illustrating the market’s pivot toward value-centric upgrades. Low-slice scanners remain relevant for pediatric follow-up and basic trauma studies when dose minimization is paramount. Constrained capital budgets, especially in non-urban facilities, favor mid-range replacements, encouraging suppliers to expand configurable options and AI bundles.

An installed-base shift is under way as providers retire 16-slice workhorses introduced in the early 2000s. Refurbishment programs target safety-net hospitals, whereas private equity-backed imaging chains prefer new installations to capture capacity incentives from payers. The computed tomography market benefits as medium configurations deliver robust ROI in outpatient corridors competing with hospital-owned centers. Vendor neutrality in post-processing has also reduced lock-in, further supporting mid-range adoption. Overall, budget alignment and throughput requirements make medium-slice technology the segment to watch through 2030.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By Application: Neurology Workflows Accelerate with AI

Oncology captured 33.41% of the computed tomography market size in 2024, supported by expanding immunotherapy protocols that require serial monitoring. Neurology, however, will be the fastest climber at 7.56% CAGR because AI triage tools cut scan-to-treatment time for stroke. RapidAI’s Lumina 3D slashes head-and-neck CTA reconstructions from hours to minutes, allowing technologists to move more patients per shift. Cardiovascular volumes also rise as CMS broadens coronary CTA reimbursement, prompting providers to install scanners with ≥128 slices for plaque analytics.

Photon-counting detectors are opening new musculoskeletal horizons by resolving trabecular microarchitecture, valuable in osteoporosis management. Emergency departments still rely on whole-body trauma protocols, yet dose-optimized iterative reconstruction helps comply with ALARA guidelines in pediatric workups. The net effect is a demand mix that encourages vendors to ship multipurpose scanners configurable per clinical service line.

By Mobility: Point-of-Care Adoption Expands

Fixed rooms dominated with 66.24% share in 2024 because high-volume radiology departments rely on broad-bore gantries, power injectors, and fully shielded suites. Mobile systems are climbing 7.59% per year, aided by intensive care demand and rural outreach programs. Prospective trials show bedside head CT produces near-equivalent diagnostic accuracy for intracranial hemorrhage, which is pivotal in neuro-ICU environments. Manufacturers now emphasize battery life, wireless data upload, and compact footprints to navigate narrow hallways.

Mobile stroke units illustrate the growth vector: integrated CT lets paramedics confirm large-vessel occlusion curbside, shaving 30 minutes off door-to-needle time. During the COVID-19 pandemic, pop-up triage tents leveraged self-shielded mobile scanners to reduce cross-contamination risk. These successes persuaded many systems to retain mobile capacity permanently. Federal grants targeting critical-access hospitals further support deployments, broadening the computed tomography market footprint.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By End User: Outpatient Imaging Centers Capture Market Momentum

Hospitals accounted for 49.23% of 2024 revenue owing to complex case mix and emergency demand. Diagnostic imaging centers will grow 7.77% annually as insurers steer routine studies away from high-cost inpatient sites. RadNet’s 21-center expansion and US Radiology Specialists’ plan for 12 new facilities underline this migration. Outpatient operators leverage Saturday scheduling and bundled cash prices to compete for self-pay and high-deductible volumes.

Ambulatory surgery centers add scanners to enable same-day lumbar CT myelograms or postoperative checks, reducing patient transfers. Urgent-care chains also seek compact scanners to shorten orthopedic workups. The computed tomography industry’s modular service contracts, which bundle AI reconstruction and teleradiology reporting, are making technology adoption easier for these lean enterprises.

Geography Analysis

The computed tomography market reveals stark regional contrasts. Large coastal academic hubs in California, Massachusetts, and New York lead adoption of photon-counting platforms due to research grants and complex patient populations. California’s market enjoys additional lift from GE Healthcare’s seven-year deal with Sutter Health covering 300 sites and 3.5 million patients. These agreements tie hardware replacement cycles to staff development programs, accelerating technology refresh

Sun Belt states are experiencing double-digit scanner growth as retirees flock to Arizona, Texas, and Florida. Cardiac CT capacity expansion is most pronounced in these markets because older patients present high coronary risk. Texas gained a boost when RadNet opened its Houston hub, signaling confidence in the region’s reimbursement environment. Certificate-of-need reform in Georgia and South Carolina is attracting new outpatient entrants, enhancing competition.

Rural America faces the opposite trend. One in five residents lives in a county lacking immediate CT access after recent hospital closures. Mobile fleets and teleradiology partnerships are plugging gaps, yet long drive times persist in parts of the Midwest and Appalachia. Federal infrastructure funds earmarked for critical-access hospitals should relieve some disparities, but capital cost remains a barrier. The computed tomography market size attributable to rural catchment areas therefore grows more slowly, although targeted grant programs may unlock latent demand over the forecast horizon.