100+ physician pay stats to know

Salary and compensation varies for physicians, depending on the region, specialty and more.

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Here are more than 100 statistics and figures on physician pay from Physician Thrive’s 2024 compensation report and Medscape’s “Physician Compensation Report 2024.”

The top 10 states with the highest median salaries

  • Wisconsin: $397,000
  • Indiana: $372,000
  • Georgia: $363,000
  • Connecticut: $362,000
  • Missouri: $361,000
  • New Jersey: $360,000
  • South Carolina: $360,000
  • Florida: $359,000
  • California: $358,000
  • Michigan: $356,000

The 10 metro areas with the highest salaries

  • Charlotte, N.C.: $430,890
  • St. Louis: $426,370
  • Oklahoma City: $425,096
  • San Jose, Calif.: $418,600
  • Minneapolis: $425,634
  • Sacramento: $425,059
  • Phoenix: $422,735
  • Indianapolis: $419,359
  • Salt Lake City: $408,044
  • Atlanta: $407,863 

The 10 metro areas with the lowest salaries

  • Washington, D.C.: $342,139 
  • Baltimore: $346,260 
  • Boston: $347,553
  • San Antonio: $347,692
  • Raleigh, N.C.: $351,732
  • Providence, R.I.: $354,342
  • Virginia Beach, Va.: $354,587 
  • Denver: $357,010
  • Philadelphia: $358,443
  • Birmingham, Ala.: $361,463

Median salaries for 30 physician specialties

  • Neurosurgery: $788,000
  • Thoracic surgery: $707,000
  • Orthopedic surgery: $624,000
  • Plastic surgery: $571,000
  • Vascular surgery: $558,000
  • Oral and maxillofacial surgery: $557,000
  • Radiation oncology: $547,000
  • Cardiology: $544,000
  • Urology: $506,000
  • Radiology: $504,000
  • Ophthalmology: $388,000
  • Pulmonology: $378,000
  • Emergency medicine: $352,000
  • Pathology: $339,000
  • OB/GYN: $337,000
  • Neurology: $313,000
  • Nephrology: $312,000
  • Psychiatry: $309,000
  • Physiatry (PM&R): $306,000
  • Rheumatology: $299,000
  • Internal medicine: $294,000
  • Pediatric emergency medicine: $288,000
  • Infectious disease: $288,000
  • Endocrinology: $276,000
  • Preventive medicine: $275,000
  • Geriatrics: $275,000
  • Family medicine: $255,000
  • Pediatrics: $243,000
  • Peds infectious disease: $221,000
  • Peds endocrinology: $218,000

Top 11 average incentive bonuses by specialty

  • Orthopedics/orthopedic surgery: $134,000
  • Cardiology: $88,000
  • Radiology: $80,000
  • General surgery: $75,000
  • Anesthesiology: $68,000
  • OB/GYN: $57,000
  • Emergency medicine $37,000 
  • Psychiatry: $37,000
  • Family medicine: $34,000
  • Internal medicine: $33,000 
  • Pediatrics: $31,000

23 specialties who gained pay

  • Physical medicine and rehabilitation: 11% increase
  • Neurology: 10% increase
  • Nephrology: 9% increase
  • Allergy and immunology: 9% increase
  • Dermatology: 8% increase
  • Pathology: 8% increase
  • Emergency medicine: 8% increase
  • Family medicine: 6% increase
  • Ophthalmology: 6% increase
  • Anesthesiology: 5% increase
  • Public health and preventive medicine: 5% increase
  • Pulmonary medicine: 5% increase
  • Psychiatry: 5% increase
  • OB/GYN: 4% increase
  • Pediatrics: 4% increase
  • Cardiology: 3% increase
  • Radiology: 3% increase
  • Internal medicine: 3% increase
  • General surgery: 3% increase
  • Gastroenterology: 2% increase
  • Urology: 2% increase
  • Rheumatology: 2% increase
  • Oncology: Less than 1% increase

Six specialties who lost pay

  • Plastic surgery: 13% decrease
  • Otolaryngology: 5% decrease
  • Diabetes and endocrinology: 4% decrease
  • Orthopedics: 3% decrease
  • Infectious diseases: 1% decrease
  • Critical care: 1% decrease

Physician earnings across nine regions

  • West North Central: $404,000
  • East South Central: $375,000
  • East North Central: $367,000
  • West: $363,000
  • South Atlantic: $362,000
  • West South Central: $361,000
  • Pacific: $357,000
  • New England: $355,000
  • Mid-Atlantic: $351,000
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