Salary transparency is crucial for physicians to understand their professional worth. When entering salary negotiations armed with solid data on doctor earnings and expected compensation for specific roles and responsibilities, physicians are empowered to negotiate more effectively. Unfortunately, much of this vital information is often restricted behind paywalls or not easily accessible when doctors are discussing contracts. Even when salary databases are purchased to research physician earnings within a specialty, these resources frequently lack a comprehensive view of the total compensation package, making accurate comparisons challenging. Physician salaries within the same specialty or subspecialty can vary significantly, influenced by factors like location, subspecialty, benefits, PTO, practice type (private, academic, hospital-employed, government, direct primary care, etc.), call schedules, bonus structures, partnership opportunities, and hours worked.
To address this information gap, we at physiciansidegigs.com have been gathering salary and compensation negotiation data from our physician communities. This compilation provides access to both aggregated data and specific data points with detailed insights. This data also helps track salary trends, enabling physicians to know when it’s time to renegotiate their employment agreements.
Based on physician salary data from our databases, we’ve analyzed average physician compensation across various practice areas. For specialties with sufficient data, we have also developed detailed articles exploring them further, which are linked below. While this article touches upon factors influencing doctor pay, such as hours, gender, and location, these specialized articles delve deeper into these and other variables affecting earnings within specific specialties.
The aggregate data presented here is derived from approximately 5,000 data points collected between mid-2023 and mid-2024. We aim to continually expand this physician salary database to offer more precise and robust data for our physician community members.
How Much Do Doctors Make in 2024?
As previously discussed in our article on doctor compensation and salary statistics, the average physician salary in the US, considering all data points (full-time and part-time), was about $368,000.
Primary Care Physician Salaries
Salary variations exist not just across specialties but also within them. Before examining specific specialties and subspecialties, it’s important to address the earnings of primary care physicians, excluding those in specialized internal medicine, pediatrics, and family medicine.
The average annual salary for primary care physicians—defined here as general internal medicine, general family medicine, and general pediatrics—is $281,000. The articles linked below provide a more detailed breakdown of salaries within these fields by subspecialty.
Explore Further:
Average Doctor Salary by Specialty in 2024
Specialization and sub-specialization significantly impact doctor earnings. We now look at average doctor salaries across different specialties.
Work hours are a major factor in compensation. Unless stated otherwise, the salary figures below are for full-time physicians, defined as working 36+ hours per week on average.
While we are still gathering data for all subspecialties in 2024, the following are average full-time attending physician salaries for specialties with sufficient data for reliable reporting:
- Allergy & Immunology: $290,000
- Anesthesiology: $518,000
- Cardiology: $583,000
- Critical Care: $451,000
- Dermatology*: $527,000
- Emergency Medicine: $437,000
- Endocrinology: $281,000
- Family Medicine: $289,000
- Gastroenterology: $625,000
- Geriatrics: $293,000
- Hematology Oncology: $496,000
- Hospice/Palliative Care: $262,000
- FM/IM Hospital Medicine: $324,000
- Infectious Disease: $286,000
- Internal Medicine: $295,000
- Nephrology: $357,000
- Neurology: $360,000
- Neurosurgery: $1,075,000
- Obstetrics & Gynecology: $383,000
- Ophthalmology: $509,000
- Orthopedic Surgery: $745,000
- Otolaryngology (ENT): $579,000
- Pain Management: $457,000
- Pathology: $367,000
- Pediatrics: $253,000
- Physiatry (PM&R): $364,000
- Plastic Surgery: $717,000
- Psychiatry: $329,000
- Pulmonary: $434,000
- Radiation Oncology: $593,000
- Radiology: $558,000
- Rheumatology: $287,000
- Surgery (All): $569,000
- Surgery, General: $464,000
- Urgent Care: $318,000
- Urology: $564,000
*For dermatology, full-time equivalent is defined as 31+ hours per week.
These figures represent average earnings within each specialty based on full-time data submissions. However, salaries can vary significantly depending on location, practice setting, employer type, hours, call duties, partnership status, and more. We are developing detailed articles on doctor salaries by specialty for 2024 to provide deeper insights.
Explore these specialties in detail:
Note: Slight discrepancies in average salaries may occur between this overview and individual specialty articles due to data update timing.
If your specialty isn’t listed with a dedicated article, it’s because we currently lack sufficient data. Please consider contributing to the physician salary and compensation database if you haven’t already this year. Your anonymous contributions help enhance salary transparency for all physicians.
Specialties with fewer practitioners may have less data, which can skew averages. These averages provide a general expectation, but for specific situations, consult our comprehensive, free compensation data for physicians.
Check back for updates on specialty breakdowns as we gather more data and add new specialty articles.
Which Medical Doctors Are Paid the Most?
Examining the average full-time salaries, we ranked the highest-paying specialties and subspecialties. Keep in mind that data sets, particularly for surgical subspecialties, may be smaller, and averages could shift with more physician contributions.
Analyzing which medical specialties have the highest compensation for doctors.
Here are the top-paying doctor specialties:
- Neurological Surgeons: $1,075,000
- Orthopedic Surgeons: $745,000
- Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons: $717,000
- Interventional Radiologists: $635,000
- Gastroenterologists: $625,000
- Vascular Surgeons: $624,000
- Radiation Oncologists: $593,000
- Cardiologists: $583,000
- Otolaryngologists (ENTs): $579,000
- Urologists: $564,000
- Diagnostic Radiologists: $538,000
- Dermatologists: $527,000
- Trauma Surgeons: $521,000
- Anesthesiologists: $518,000
- Ophthalmologists: $509,000
Surgeons across various subspecialties consistently report the highest salaries. This aligns with the higher compensation typically associated with procedures under the current RVU (Relative Value Unit) system in the United States. Physicians performing procedures often earn more, particularly under RVU-based or collections-based compensation models.
Learn more about RVU based contracts.
Which Medical Doctors Are Paid the Least?
Conversely, we also identified the specialties and subspecialties with the lowest physician salaries.
Exploring the medical specialties with the lowest compensation for doctors.
The lowest-paid doctor specialties include:
- Adolescent Medicine Physicians: $200,000
- Pediatric Endocrinologists: $203,000
- Pediatric Hematologist-Oncologists: $220,000
- Pediatric Hospitalists: $225,000
- Pediatric Nephrologists: $227,000
- Developmental-Behavioral Pediatricians: $230,000
- General Pediatricians: $248,000
- Pediatric Gastroenterologists: $252,000
- Hospice and Palliative Care Doctors: $262,000
- Pediatric Pulmonologists: $263,000
Many primary care specialties appear among the lowest-paid. These specialties typically do not involve procedures that command higher insurance reimbursements. Physicians in these fields often express frustration about reimbursement rates and seek strategies to increase revenue in private practice.
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A common concern among physicians in these lower-paying specialties is reducing charting time. Excessive charting can limit patient volume or disrupt work-life balance. AI scribes are increasingly popular in physician communities as a solution to significantly reduce charting time.
Related PSG perks:
Explore our physician burnout and support resources.
The Impact of Procedures on Doctor Pay
As noted, procedural specialties tend to be more lucrative due to the US healthcare reimbursement structure. Let’s examine the salary differences within specialties where both interventional and non-interventional roles exist to highlight the financial impact of procedural work.
In our data, radiologists can specify their subspecialty as diagnostic or interventional. Interventional radiologists average $635,000 annually, while diagnostic radiologists average $538,000—a nearly 20% pay difference.
Cardiologists also specify their subspecialty. Noninvasive cardiologists average $542,000, whereas invasive cardiologists average $575,000. The difference here is smaller, at 6%, but still favors interventional roles.
These examples reinforce that incorporating procedures can significantly increase a doctor’s earning potential.
Illustrating how procedures performed by doctors impact their average salaries across different specialties.
How Many Hours Do Doctors Work?
Context is vital when discussing average physician salaries. It’s essential to compare data relevant to your specific situation.
While the average doctor salary is $368,000, significant variation exists. The median doctor salary for 2024 was $321,000. These figures include physicians working from 6-10 hours to over 70 hours per week—a wide range that may not align with your desired work-life balance.
Salaries are directly affected by hours worked. Physician definitions of full-time and part-time vary greatly. Let’s examine average weekly hours and corresponding salaries.
The distribution of average weekly hours reported by our physician members is as follows:
A visual breakdown of the average weekly hours worked by physicians based on collected data.
Doctor Salary Based on Hours Worked
For physicians working full-time (36+ hours/week), the average reported salary was $385,000. Many physicians also work part-time. For part-time averages, we typically consider attending physicians working 16-35 hours weekly. The average part-time doctor in this category earns $303,000.
With a larger dataset, we can further break down salaries by weekly hours. Income generally increases with more hours worked, reflecting an “eat what you kill” model in medicine.
Visual representation of annual doctor salaries in relation to the number of hours worked per week.
- 16-20 hours/week average: $185,000/year
- 21-25 hours/week average: $245,000/year (32% more)
- 26-30 hours/week average: $306,000/year (25% more)
- 31-35 hours/week average: $329,000/year (7.5% more)
- 36-40 hours/week average: $347,000/year (5.5% more)
- 41-45 hours/week average: $369,000/year (6.3% more)
- 46-50 hours/week average: $403,000/year (9.2% more)
- 51-60 hours/week average: $445,000/year (10% more)
- 61-70 hours/week average: $466,000/year (4.7% more)
Note: Data for 71+ hours/week is excluded due to skewing from 7-on, 7-off hospitalists who may not consistently work such extensive hours weekly.
As observed in our doctor salaries by specialty articles, earnings generally increase with hours worked. However, the increase isn’t always proportional. Adding a few part-time shifts can significantly boost income, while increasing full-time hours by 12% might only yield a 5-7% pay increase.
Consider your desired trade-offs. If these salary-hour dynamics prompt you to consider changes, we offer various resources. Given our focus on physician side gigs, consider directing extra effort towards a side gig, which may offer a better return on time in terms of income, passive income opportunities, or diversified revenue streams. It could also be a stimulating way to utilize different skills or learn something new!
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Doctor Salary by Practice Environment
Many factors influence market value and competitive rates for physician compensation. While specialty-specific details are in our breakout articles, we examine key factors across all specialties.
Below is the average pay by practice environment:
A comparison of average doctor salaries across various practice environments, from military to private practice.
- Active Duty Military: $205,000/year
- Corporate Group (Non-Private Equity): $379,000/year
- Corporate Group (Private Equity): $367,000/year
- FQHC and Non-profits: $278,000/year
- Government Facility (VA, City Hospital, etc.): $297,000/year
- Group Private Practice (Non-Private Equity Backed): $492,000/year
- Group Private Practice (Private Equity Backed): $443,000/year
- Hospital Employee (Academic): $334,000/year
- Hospital Employee (Non-Academic): $409,000/year
- Locums: $475,000/year
- Solo Private Practice (Non-Private Equity Backed): $390,000/year
Government positions like military, FQHCs, non-profits, and government facilities generally offer lower salaries. However, these roles often qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). The PSLF benefit may offset the lower salary, especially for doctors with substantial student loan debt. Military programs also assist with medical education costs, reducing debt burden.
Non-private equity-backed group private practices reported the highest average salaries. Primary care physicians in solo private practice (family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics) also reported high earnings in this setting. While solo practice demands business management responsibilities, it can be financially rewarding. We provide extensive private practice resources for doctors for those interested in this path.
Private equity (PE) backed practices averaged lower pay than non-PE-backed practices (3% lower in corporate groups, 11% lower in private practice groups). Our primer on private equity and physician medical practices discusses the pros, cons, and key considerations of PE for doctors. Many PE-backed practices still have partners due to recent buyouts, but the salary gap may widen as more physicians become employees without significant ownership.
Academic hospitals pay less than non-academic counterparts but may offer better work-life balance and benefits packages when considering factors like time off and call requirements.
Salary is not the only factor in career decisions, but these insights are valuable for negotiation and decision-making.
Physician Practice Environment Preferences
We also analyzed the distribution of practice environments among doctors.
A chart showing the distribution of physician employment across different practice environments.
Hospital systems are the most common employer, with over 50% of respondents working in academic or non-academic hospitals.
Private practice, both group and solo, accounts for about 21% of our database contributors.
*This distribution is from our salary and compensation database. Our separate locums doctor compensation database may skew these percentages as locums physicians often contribute data there.
Average Doctor Salary by State
Location significantly impacts doctor salaries. Our doctor salaries by specialty series highlights substantial salary differences across states. We reviewed average salaries by state across all specialties to rank the highest and lowest paying states for doctors in 2024.
Highest doctor salaries by state
Visual representation highlighting the states with the highest average doctor salaries.
Lowest doctor salaries by state
Chart showcasing the states with the lowest average doctor salaries.
Some states with limited data, like Hawaii and Wyoming, are not included in these rankings. We will update as more data becomes available.
Louisiana, the highest-paying state, averaged 38% higher physician salaries than Minnesota, the lowest-paying state.
Cost of living varies significantly by city and metropolitan area within each state. State and local taxes also impact take-home pay. Comparing salary options across states against cost of living can offer geoarbitrage opportunities for physicians willing to relocate. Remember to consider all aspects of cost of living, including taxes.
It’s crucial to use relevant data. State rankings vary by specialty. A state’s overall ranking may not reflect the salary landscape within your specific specialty. Consulting a local physician contract attorney familiar with your area is recommended for better insights into local market conditions for your specialty.
Gender Pay Gap Among Doctors
Significant gender-based salary differences have emerged in our specialty series. We assessed this across all specialties.
The average salary for full-time female doctors in our data is $347,000 per year. Male doctors average 31% higher at $454,000.
While acknowledging criticisms of gender pay gap statistics, microscopic data analysis reveals:
- Higher ownership/partnership rates among male physicians.
- Higher average hours worked by male doctors.
- Female physicians’ preference for practice environments offering better work-life balance but lower pay.
- Different specialty distribution between genders, with higher female representation in lower-paying primary care.
HOWEVER, even when comparing physicians in similar roles, hours, and RVU generation, males tend to earn more, suggesting a real gender pay gap. This may be due to lower RVU rates or lower base salaries offered to female physicians.
We plan further data analysis to explore these macroscopic differences and will provide updates. In the meantime, we encourage all physicians, regardless of gender, to use this data to negotiate more effectively.
Conclusion
Doctor salaries are influenced by numerous factors, including:
- Specialty and subspecialty
- Geographic location
- Practice environment
- Hours worked
- Gender
- Procedural vs. non-procedural work
Other factors, such as call responsibilities, are also relevant, as detailed in our statistics on physician on-call compensation.
We hope this overview of doctor earnings from our salary and negotiation database for physicians provides valuable insights for career decisions. We recommend exploring our doctor salary by specialty series, reviewing the data directly, and consulting a local contract attorney during contract negotiations to secure the most competitive offer.
Additional Salary and Career Resources for Doctors
Explore our related articles and resources on doctor compensation and salaries:
If you haven’t contributed recently, please take a moment to do so! Data is used solely to enhance salary transparency and help physicians negotiate better compensation. Data is anonymous and accessible only to members of our Physician Side Gigs Facebook group. Contribution links are on our compensation data for physicians page.
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