X-ray price finder: self-pay X-ray prices at hospitals near you
Facts last checked . Rules last checked , reviewed by Harsha Moole, MD
This free finder is for anyone who may pay cash for an X-ray at a hospital. Before the test, or before you pay, ask the hospital if it can lower or forgive your bill, even if you have no insurance. Many people qualify and do not know it.
Find hospitals near you
Type your ZIP code below.
Prices near you will show here.
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Have insurance? Compare this cash price with what insurance plans pay each hospital: cash and insurance prices for an X-ray near you.
Before you pay cash
- Ask the hospital about financial assistance first. Nonprofit hospitals must have a written financial assistance policy for emergency and other medically necessary care. Hospital financial assistance (charity care).
- Know your rights when you pay cash. If you do not use insurance, you can ask for a written Good Faith Estimate before a scheduled test or visit. If a hospital or doctor bills you at least $400 more than its estimate, you can dispute the bill through a federal process. Start within 120 days of the date on the first bill. Starting a dispute costs $25. Know your rights when you pay cash (Good Faith Estimate).
Read this before you use these prices
- These are the prices hospitals posted for people who pay cash. They are not a quote.
- The price is for the hospital's part of the bill only. The radiologist, the doctor who reads your pictures, often sends a separate bill.
- Call the hospital to confirm the price before you go.
- Ask for a written cost estimate, called a good faith estimate. Our good faith estimate guide explains how to ask.
- For more ways to pay less, read our X-ray cost guide.
What to do next
- Worried about a hospital bill? Get help with hospital bills
- Paying cash for a test or scan? Know your rights when you pay cash (Good Faith Estimate)
- Not sure what fits you? Answer a few questions and get your plan
How to use these X-ray prices
An X-ray is a quick picture made with a small amount of radiation. This tool shows one common exam, the chest X-ray with two views. A view is one angle. Two views usually means one picture from the front and one from the side. A cash price, also called a self-pay price, is what a person pays without insurance.
X-rays of other body parts, such as an ankle, a wrist or a back, have their own billing codes and their own prices. This tool does not show them. When you call a hospital, say the exact name of the X-ray that is written on your order.
Use the list to choose two or three places to call. Ask each one for the self-pay price of that exact X-ray, and how many views the price covers. Ask whether the radiologist's reading is included. The radiologist is the doctor who reads your pictures. Then ask for the answer in writing. Our X-ray cost guide walks through each step.
A doctor's office or a community health center may charge less than a hospital for an X-ray. This tool lists hospitals only, so call one of those places too.
Where this page gets its facts
- Prices: each hospital's own price file, read in October 2026. The tool shows only prices that passed the checks in our price library methods.
- Hospital addresses: Hospital General Information file, from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
- ZIP code points: the U.S. Census Bureau 2026 ZCTA Gazetteer file.
- The middle price for a state and for the whole country is the same number we show on our state price pages and in our X-ray cost guide.
A hospital appears here only if it posted a usable cash price for the exam you picked. Maryland sets hospital prices through a state commission, so Maryland cash prices sit close to list prices. Federal hospitals, such as VA and military hospitals, are left out.
We are not connected to these hospitals. The prices come from their own files, and we may make mistakes. If you see one, please tell us through our contact page.
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Using this with a client
Ask for the client's ZIP code and the test their doctor ordered, then pick the closest match on the list. If it is not listed, the client can call the hospital with the billing code from the doctor's order. Print the list or take a screenshot. Before the test, help them ask the hospital for financial help and for a written Good Faith Estimate. If they already got a bill, they can usually still apply for financial help. If they have no coverage, run the Medicaid and coverage check too.
Questions about X-ray cash prices
How much does an X-ray cost without insurance near me?
In our 2026 files, the US middle posted cash price for a chest X-ray with two views was $244, and the middle half of hospitals posted between $156 and $378. An X-ray of another body part is priced on its own, so ask for the price of the exact X-ray on your order. Type your ZIP code above to see the hospitals near you.
Why does the same X-ray cost so much more at some hospitals?
Each hospital sets its own price, and a hospital adds charges for its building, its equipment and its staff. A 2022 study compared prices that insurers paid. It found that simple imaging without contrast, which includes basic X-rays, averaged $227 in a hospital outpatient department and $61 in a doctor's office. Those are not cash prices, but they show how much the place can matter.
Is an ankle or wrist X-ray priced the same as a chest X-ray?
No. Each kind of X-ray has its own billing code and its own price. This tool shows only the chest X-ray with two views. Ask the scheduling desk for the price of the exact X-ray your clinician ordered, and ask for the billing code too.
Do I need a doctor's order for an X-ray?
Many places ask for one, and the rules differ from place to place. Call before you go and ask. A primary care clinician can usually see you and write the order. You can search for a cash-pay doctor in our free doctor directory.
Do I pay the radiologist separately?
You may. The place that took the picture may bill for the X-ray, and the radiologist who reads it may send another bill. The prices in this tool are for the hospital's part. Ask whether the price you are quoted includes the reading.
Is my ZIP code saved?
No, we do not save it. The search runs on your device. Your browser asks our website for a small file of ZIP code points that is named with only the first three digits of your ZIP code. It also asks for the X-ray price lists of the states near you. Our website never gets your full ZIP code.
More free tools
This tool shows prices that hospitals posted in public files. It is not a quote. If you have a medical emergency, call 911.