While gastroenterologists are among the highest-paid physician specialists in 2025, their wages suffered a 3% decline between 2023 and 2024.
Additionally, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ inflation calculator, the average salary for GIs in 2015, $370,000, has the same buying power as $502,930.04 in 2025. In 2025, GIs are earning an average salary of $495,000, falling slightly below 2015 earnings, based on current inflation rates.
Becker’s connected with two gastroenterologists to discuss whether current compensation trends are keeping pace with inflation and other economic factors.
Editor’s note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Omar Khokhar, MD. Partner at Illinois Gastro Health (Bloomington): While we are the top tier of compensated specialties, our compensation has not adjusted for inflation. Further, the cost of practicing (wages, supplies, rent, malpractice insurance) is increasing while reimbursement is declining. We need to reframe GI compensation with a perspective that looks at how much we save the healthcare ecosystem by prevention and early detection of digestive cancers.
Pooja Singhal, MD. Gastroenterologist at Oklahoma Gastro Health and Wellness (Oklahoma City): I do not feel gastroenterologists are fairly compensated at all. Due to continued cuts in reimbursements for procedures, gastroenterology remains a field that has not seen any increase in reimbursement over the last 20 years. Given the three years of residency and additional three years of fellowship training to acquire necessary education and skills, the reimbursement for procedural skills should be in accordance with inflation.
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