Oklahoma City, Okla., topped the list of metro areas with the highest physician compensation adjusted for cost of living in 2026, displacing Rochester, Minn., which held the top spot last year, according to Doximity’s 2026 Physician Compensation Report released August 25.
Several Midwestern and Southern cities cracked the top 10 this year — including Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Memphis, Tenn., and Virginia Beach, Va. — due to a combination of relatively affordable living costs and rising physician pay. Boston and Washington, D.C. topped the list of lowest adjusted compensation for the third consecutive year, joined by Baltimore, Denver and San Francisco, where higher living expenses continue to erode physician earning power despite nominal pay increases.
The report drew on salary data from more than 23,000 physician responses collected in 2025.
Here are the 10 metro areas with the highest average physician compensation adjusted for cost of living:
- Oklahoma City
- Rochester
- Little Rock, Ark.
- Omaha, Neb.
- Louisville, Ky.
- Kansas City, Mo.
- Indianapolis
- Milwaukee
- Memphis
- Virginia Beach
Here are the 10 metro areas with the lowest average physician compensation adjusted for cost of living:
- Boston
- Washington, DC
- Baltimore
- Denver
- Providence, R.I.
- New York City
- Miami
- San Francisco
- Ann Arbor, Mich.
- Durham-Chapel Hill, N.C.
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