Neck X-Ray Cost in 2026: Cervical Spine X-Ray Price Guide

How Much Does a Neck X-Ray Cost?

The price of a neck x-ray depends on three things: where you have it, how many views are taken, and how you pay. The same 3-view cervical spine study can be under $100 at an independent imaging center that posts cash prices and several hundred dollars at a hospital that bills a facility fee on top. Number of views matters because cervical spine x-rays are billed under different CPT codes for 2-3 views, 4-5 views and 6 or more views.

"Neck x-ray" usually means a cervical spine x-ray, which shows the seven vertebrae (C1-C7), disc spaces, alignment and the joints between the bones. Less often it means a soft-tissue neck x-ray (CPT 70360), used mainly in children to look at the airway or for a swallowed object. This guide focuses on cervical spine x-rays, with a short note on soft-tissue studies below.

Neck X-Ray Cost Without Insurance by Facility

Ranges are typical US self-pay prices in 2026 including the radiologist's read, compiled from cash-price marketplaces, hospital price-transparency data and Medicare benchmarks (see Sources). Your local price can fall outside these ranges.

To put the ranges in context: the bundled cash-price marketplace MDsave lists cervical spine x-rays within its x-ray categories at roughly $63-$268 in the markets we checked, and NewChoiceHealth reports a national average of about $112 for a neck x-ray at the facilities it tracks. At the other end, average hospital-reported cash prices for a 4+ view cervical spine study in price-transparency data run into the high hundreds of dollars. The difference is almost entirely the setting, not the image quality. For the full picture of uninsured pricing, see our guide to x-ray costs without insurance.

Neck X-Ray CPT Codes and Number of Views

Cervical spine x-rays are billed by how many images are taken. Ask your doctor which code was ordered before you call for quotes:

Medicare figures are national non-facility physician fee schedule amounts (total RVUs x the 2026 conversion factor of about $33.40) before geographic adjustment. They are a useful "fair price" benchmark: an imaging center charging two to four times the Medicare rate is in a normal cash range; a bill ten times higher is worth questioning.

A routine 2-3 view study is usually an AP (front-to-back) and lateral view, sometimes with an open-mouth view of the top two vertebrae. A 4-5 view series adds oblique views to look at the openings where nerves exit (useful when neck pain travels into the arm). A series of 6 or more views typically adds flexion and extension views, where you bend your head forward and back so the radiologist can check for abnormal movement (instability) between vertebrae.

How Much Are Cervical Flexion/Extension X-Rays?

Flexion/extension views are not a separate CPT code; they simply add to the view count. Added to a standard 3-view study they usually push the exam to 72050 or 72052. Expect roughly $120-$350 at an imaging center and $400-$1,000 at a hospital without insurance. Flexion/extension views are commonly ordered after whiplash once acute injury has been ruled out, before and after neck surgery, and for people with rheumatoid arthritis or Down syndrome where instability at the top of the neck is a concern.

A Series of X-Rays of the Neck and Back

Each spinal region is a separate exam with its own code, so imaging your neck and lower back means two bills: for example 72040 for the neck plus 72100 (lumbar, 2-3 views) or 72110 (lumbar, 4+ views) for the low back, and 72070 if the mid-back (thoracic spine) is included. At an imaging center, a neck-plus-low-back series commonly totals $150-$500 self-pay; at a hospital it can exceed $1,000. If you need a single image of the whole spine for scoliosis, that is a different study (72081 and related codes). Our spine x-ray cost guide covers the back codes in detail.

Neck X-Ray Cost With Insurance

A neck x-ray ordered for pain, injury or numbness is a covered diagnostic service on almost every plan. What you pay depends on plan design:

Two things catch insured patients out. First, a hospital outpatient department may add a separate facility charge, and Medicare patients can owe a hospital copay on top of the 20% physician share. Second, if you have a high-deductible plan, the negotiated rate at a hospital can be several times the imaging center rate and all of it counts against your deductible. In that situation, the cash price at an independent imaging center can be cheaper than using your insurance. See our insurance coverage guide for how copays, deductibles and coinsurance interact.

Chiropractic x-rays: many chiropractors take neck x-rays in-office. Insurance coverage for chiropractor-ordered imaging varies widely, and Original Medicare does not pay for x-rays ordered by a chiropractor, so ask for the self-pay price in advance.

Neck or Arm Pain: Which X-Ray Do You Need?

Pain, tingling or weakness that runs from the neck into the shoulder, arm or hand is often caused by a pinched nerve in the neck (cervical radiculopathy), not by a problem in the arm itself. In that case the useful x-ray is of the cervical spine, often with oblique views. If the pain is centered in the shoulder joint, a shoulder x-ray is the usual first test instead. An x-ray of an arm bone is generally only needed after an injury to that bone. Getting the right study first avoids paying for two.

When a Neck X-Ray Is Needed vs. CT or MRI

• Serious trauma (car crash, fall, diving injury): emergency departments generally use CT, not plain x-ray, when the neck needs imaging after significant trauma, because CT is better at finding fractures. Clinical decision rules such as the Canadian C-Spine Rule and NEXUS help clinicians decide whether any imaging is needed; high-risk factors include age 65 or older, a dangerous mechanism of injury and numbness or tingling in the arms or legs. Do not drive yourself to an imaging center after a high-energy neck injury: go to the ER.
• Persistent neck pain without major trauma: a 2-3 view x-ray is a reasonable, inexpensive first test to look for arthritis, disc space narrowing, bone spurs and alignment problems. Many cases of new neck pain improve without any imaging.
• Arm numbness, weakness or suspected nerve compression: x-rays show bony narrowing but not the nerves or discs themselves. MRI is the test for discs and nerves, and costs far more: typically $400-$3,500 without insurance. Insurers often want x-rays and a trial of conservative treatment first.
• Suspected instability: flexion/extension x-rays are the standard low-cost test.

Neck X-Ray Cost in the UK, Canada and Australia

UK: On the NHS a neck x-ray is free when your GP, physiotherapist or a hospital clinician refers you. Privately, expect roughly £100-£250, depending on the clinic and the number of views. As examples of published prices at the time of writing, one London private clinic (108 Harley Street) lists cervical spine x-rays at about £130 for one view up to £200 for 4-5 views, and Nuffield Health's Manchester hospitals show x-ray guide prices of £130-£201 depending on the complexity band, with Nuffield Health Leicester listing x-rays from £104. Nuffield Health asks for a referral from a healthcare professional before booking an x-ray, and the final price is confirmed after the referral is reviewed. See our UK x-ray cost guide.

Canada: a medically necessary neck x-ray ordered by a doctor is covered by provincial health plans. Visitors and people without provincial coverage pay the clinic's or hospital's uninsured rate, so ask for a quote first.

Australia: cervical spine x-rays have their own Medicare Benefits Schedule item (58100). Many radiology practices bulk-bill with a valid referral; others charge a gap fee, so ask when booking.

How to Save Money on a Neck X-Ray

• Choose an independent imaging center over a hospital outpatient department; this alone usually saves 50% or more.
• Get the CPT code (72040, 72050 or 72052) and ask for an all-inclusive price that includes the radiologist's read.
• Ask whether all views are needed. If your doctor only needs a basic look at alignment and arthritis, a 2-3 view study costs less than a 6-view series.
• Use cash-price marketplaces and price-transparency tools (MDsave, hospital standard-charge files, FAIR Health Consumer) to benchmark local prices.
• Avoid the ER unless you have had a high-energy injury or have red-flag symptoms such as new weakness, numbness or loss of bladder control.
• Use HSA/FSA funds and ask about prompt-pay discounts. More ideas are in our cost-saving tips.

The Bottom Line

A basic neck x-ray is one of the cheaper imaging tests if you pick the right place: about $75-$250 at an imaging center versus $250-$800 at a hospital and more in the ER. A flexion/extension series costs more because of the extra views. With insurance you will usually pay a $10-$75 copay, and Medicare's national rate of about $40-$63 is a good yardstick for what a fair price looks like. For related imaging, see our guides to rib x-ray costs, finger x-ray costs and urgent care x-ray costs.

Sources

• CMS Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, 2026 RVUs and conversion factor, CPT 72040, 72050, 72052 (as summarized by FastRVU)
• MDsave bundled cash prices for x-ray and complex x-ray (cervical spine) in selected US markets
• NewChoiceHealth, neck x-ray national average price
• Hospital price-transparency data aggregated by Turquoise Health (cervical spine x-ray, 4 or more views)
• Nuffield Health x-ray guide prices (Manchester, Leicester)
• 108 Harley Street published x-ray fees
• Medicare Benefits Schedule (Australia), spinal x-ray items
• CMS, 2026 Medicare Part B premium and deductible announcement
• Canadian C-Spine Rule (Stiell et al.) and NEXUS criteria

Last Updated: October 12, 2026