Gastroenterologists are drawing the biggest starting offers of any specialty, but they rank in the middle on lifestyle and above average on burnout.
Pay: Gastroenterology was the highest-paid specialty in AMN Healthcare’s 2026 recruiting review, with an average starting offer of $654,000, up 18.5% year over year. It displaced orthopedic surgery, whose average offer fell 12% to $507,000. AMN’s figures are based on 1,293 search engagements from April 2025 through March 2026.
Average pay for practicing gastroenterologists tells a flatter story. It slipped to $531,345 in 2025 from $537,870 in 2024, down about 1.2%, according to Doximity’s 2026 and 2025 reports. GI ranks 14th of 51 specialties on Doximity’s list.
Lifestyle: GI ranks 20th of 36 specialties on Marit Health’s Lifestyle Balance Index, with a score of 0.94, just below the all-specialty average of 1.0. Gastroenterologists report working 46.7 hours a week, about one more than the 45.6-hour average, and take 5.2 weeks of PTO.
Burnout: 43.5% of gastroenterologists reported burnout in 2025, above the 41.9% rate for all physicians, according to AMA data. Overall physician burnout has fallen for three straight years, from 48.2% in 2023.
| Measure | Gastroenterology | All physicians |
| Average starting offer (AMN) | $654,000 | Orthopedic surgery: $507,000 |
| Average pay, 2025 (Doximity) | $531,345 | Up 2% overall |
| Lifestyle index (Marit) | 0.94, 20th of 36 | 1.0 |
| Weekly hours (Marit) | 46.7 | 45.6 |
| PTO (Marit) | 5.2 weeks | 5 weeks |
| Burnout, 2025 (AMA) | 43.5% | 41.9% |
The recruiting premium lands as Medicare pressures GI reimbursement. CMS has proposed 2027 ASC cuts of about 3% for colonoscopy and upper endoscopy codes.
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