North Dakota has the highest hourly mean wage for physicians in the U.S., and remains on top when adjusting for cost of living, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Below are the mean annual and hourly wages for physicians across 49 states and Washington, D.C., based on May 2025 salary data published by the bureau. In addition, Becker’s calculated mean hourly wages adjusted for each state’s cost of living using 2025 cost-of-living index data from World Population Review.
Across the U.S., physicians earned an average annual wage of $262,040.
The agency updated salary data May 15, 2026, to reflect 2025 information, the latest available.
Note: Compensation data was not available for South Dakota.
| State | Annual Wage | Hourly Wage | Cost of living index (2025) | Hourly Rate, adjusted by COLI |
| Alabama | $264,580 | $127.20 | 88.6 | $143.57 |
| Alaska | $353,510 | $169.96 | 124.9 | $136.08 |
| Arizona | $303,730 | $146.02 | 110.7 | $131.91 |
| Arkansas | $194,980 | $93.74 | 89.6 | $104.62 |
| California | $249,620 | $120.01 | 142.3 | $84.34 |
| Colorado | $298,570 | $143.54 | 102.7 | $139.77 |
| Connecticut | $243,750 | $117.19 | 112.7 | $103.99 |
| Delaware | $243,890 | $117.25 | 101.9 | $115.06 |
| District of Columbia | $154,040 | $74.06 | 138.8 | $53.36 |
| Florida | $267,380 | $128.55 | 102.2 | $125.78 |
| Georgia | $269,550 | $129.59 | 92.5 | $140.10 |
| Hawaii | $326,890 | $157.16 | 185 | $84.95 |
| Idaho | $262,710 | $126.30 | 99.9 | $126.43 |
| Illinois | $220,020 | $105.78 | 94.7 | $111.70 |
| Indiana | $323,600 | $155.58 | 91 | $170.97 |
| Iowa | $273,160 | $131.33 | 89.7 | $146.41 |
| Kansas | $248,050 | $119.26 | 88.8 | $134.30 |
| Kentucky | $331,860 | $159.55 | 92.5 | $172.49 |
| Louisiana | $312,630 | $150.30 | 92.3 | $162.84 |
| Maine | $367,590 | $176.73 | 113 | $156.40 |
| Maryland | $228,860 | $110.03 | 115.4 | $95.35 |
| Massachusetts | $247,150 | $118.82 | 141.2 | $84.15 |
| Michigan | $206,170 | $99.12 | 90.1 | $110.01 |
| Minnesota | $325,680 | $156.58 | 94.6 | $165.52 |
| Mississippi | $234,660 | $112.82 | 87.3 | $129.23 |
| Missouri | $237,330 | $114.10 | 89 | $128.20 |
| Montana | $385,010 | $185.10 | 95.5 | $193.82 |
| Nebraska | $291,430 | $140.11 | 92.6 | $151.31 |
| Nevada | $251,310 | $120.82 | 100.2 | $120.58 |
| New Hampshire | $307,550 | $147.86 | 111.4 | $132.73 |
| New Jersey | $260,100 | $125.05 | 115.1 | $108.64 |
| New Mexico | $318,330 | $153.04 | 93.7 | $163.33 |
| New York | $256,500 | $123.32 | 125.1 | $98.58 |
| North Carolina | $247,750 | $119.11 | 97.8 | $121.79 |
| North Dakota | $406,630 | $195.50 | 91.4 | $213.89 |
| Ohio | $286,080 | $137.54 | 94.3 | $145.85 |
| Oklahoma | $248,930 | $119.68 | 86 | $139.16 |
| Oregon | $316,640 | $152.23 | 111.8 | $136.16 |
| Pennsylvania | $237,190 | $114.03 | 97.2 | $117.31 |
| Rhode Island | $236,360 | $113.63 | 110.6 | $102.74 |
| South Carolina | $286,140 | $137.57 | 94.7 | $145.27 |
| Tennessee | $312,220 | $150.11 | 90.3 | $166.23 |
| Texas | $257,240 | $123.67 | 92.1 | $134.28 |
| Utah | $240,190 | $115.48 | 102.2 | $112.99 |
| Vermont | $331,300 | $159.28 | 113.6 | $140.21 |
| Virginia | $266,010 | $127.89 | 100.8 | $126.88 |
| Washington | $293,760 | $141.23 | 114.1 | $123.78 |
| West Virginia | $228,870 | $110.03 | 88.3 | $124.61 |
| Wisconsin | $364,840 | $175.40 | 97.7 | $179.53 |
| Wyoming | $321,630 | $154.63 | 93.7 | $165.03 |
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