Median total cash compensation for physicians — including base salary and incentives — rose more sharply this year than at any point in the past decade, according to SullivanCotter’s 2025 Physician Compensation and Productivity Survey.
The survey analyzed data from about 231,000 physicians across 232 specialties representing more than 500 organizations, according to an Oct. 15 press release.
Here are five more things to know
1. Adult medical specialties experienced the largest year-over-year increase, with compensation up 7.5% between 2024 and 2025. Primary care specialties saw the highest five-year growth, rising 21.8% between 2020 and 2025.
2. Physicians’ average work relative value units increased 1.5% year-over-year. Adult medical specialties led the way with a 3% jump, followed by pediatric surgical specialties, which saw a 2.4% increase.
3. The most common incentive measures for physicians remain individual productivity and patient experience, used by roughly 75% of organizations. Use of outcomes-based measures rose 4.6% between 2024 and 2025.
4. Sign-on bonuses were offered by 90% of organizations, while student loan repayment was provided by 52%.
5. Other emerging trends include younger physicians placing greater emphasis on income stability over incentive-heavy compensation models. In response, many organizations are redesigning pay structures to better balance guaranteed salary with performance-based incentives.
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