Burnout among employed physicians is nearly universal, and a growing share are eyeing the exit — whether that means a new job, a different career or collective bargaining, according to the 2026 PAI Employed Physician Survey.
Eighty-eight percent of physicians report some level of professional burnout, and 44% are actively looking for a new job or considering it. Among that group, the top reasons cited are inadequate compensation (59%) and issues with management (49%), followed by personal reasons (42%) and limited career advancement (37%). One in seven physicians (14%) plans to leave clinical practice altogether before retiring, most often citing professional dissatisfaction (54%).
The findings also point to growing openness to organized labor: 47% of physicians say they would likely consider joining a trade union if given the option, versus 25% who say they’re unlikely to. Physicians who’d consider a union point to compensation and benefits (85%) and contract negotiations (77%) as the top things they’d want a union to improve, followed by hours and scheduling (66%) and staffing levels (62%).
The pressure is heaviest on the youngest physicians in the workforce. Thirty-six percent of physicians under 40 report significant burnout, either regularly, persistently or completely burned out, compared with 26% of physicians 61 and older. Physicians under 40 are also the most likely to be actively job-hunting (23%, versus 12% of those 61 and older) and the most open to unionizing (51%, versus 36% of the oldest cohort).
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