Also in 2021, orthopedic surgeons saw the biggest average drop in salary among specialists while physician assistants saw the biggest average increase, according to an Aug. 9 report by physician search and consulting firm Merritt Hawkins.
Nine specialties recorded increases in average starting salaries and eight specialties saw decreases, according to the report.
Editor’s note: Figures are based on 2,458 permanent physician and advanced practitioner search assignments that were ongoing or conducted by Merritt Hawkins/AMN Healthcare’s physician staffing companies from April 2020 to March 2021.
Physician pay decreased for these nine specialties:
1. Orthopedic surgery: -13 percent — from $626,000 to $546,000
2. Obstetrics/gynecology: -11 percent — from $327,000 to $291,000
3. Dermatology: -10 percent — from $419,000 to $378,000
4. Pulmonology: -10 percent — from $430,000 to $385,000
5. Anesthesiology: -8 percent — from $399,000 to $367,000
6. Cardiology (interventional): -5 percent — from $640,000 to $611,000
7. Radiology: -5 percent — from $423,000 to $401,000
8. Hematology/oncology: -4 percent — from $403,000 to $385,000
9. Gastroenterology: -1 percent — from $457,000 to $453,000
Physician pay increased for these eight specialties:
1. Physician assistants: +14 percent — from $112,000 to $128,000
2. Neurology: +13 percent — from $295,000 to $332,000
3. Nurse practitioners: +12 percent — from $125,000 to $140,000
4. Noninterventional cardiology: +9 percent — from $409,000 to $446,000
5. Pediatrics: +7 percent — from $221,000 to $236,000
6. Certified registered nurse anesthetists: +3 percent — from $215,000 to $222,000
7. Family medicine: +1 percent — from $240,000 to $243,000
8. Psychiatry: +1 percent — from $276,000 to $279,000
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