With healthcare workforce shortages persisting as a significant problem for hospitals and health systems, it is important to look at how physician compensation has been evolving.
According to HHS, the seven-day average of hospitals reporting critical staffing shortages peaked at 22 percent in the second week of January. Though that number has decreased significantly since then, currently under 10 percent, staffing shortages are still a significant barrier for hospitals and health systems. Healthcare employment is still down by 176,000 from its level in February 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Despite compensation declining for physicians individually, according to a recent Medscape report, compensation increased overall. This is also the first time in 11 years Medscape reported an increase in income across all specialties.
The following statistics provide a view of physician compensation.
Note: Several surveys were used to compile this report. More information is provided at the end of the report.
Average incentive bonus
Orthopedics: $126,000
Ophthalmology: $100,000
Cardiology: $85,000
Gastroenterology: $74,000
Urology: $73,000
Anesthesiology: $68,000
Radiology: $66,000
Pathology: $54,000
Emergency medicine: $51,000
OB-GYN: $49,000
Physical medicine and rehabilitation: $48,000
Surgery, general: $46,000
Psychiatry: $33,000
Family medicine: $30,000
Internal medicine: $29,000
Neurology: $29,000
Pediatrics: $28,000
Highest-paying physician specialties
Plastic surgery: $576,000
Orthopedics: $557,000
Cardiology: $490,000
Otolaryngology: $469,000
Urology: $461,000
Annual compensation for 29 physician specialties
Plastic surgery: $576,000 (10 percent increase from 2021)
Orthopedics: $557,000 (9 percent increase from 2021)
Cardiology: $490,000 (7 percent increase from 2021)
Otolaryngology: $469,000 (12 percent increase from 2021)
Urology: $461,000 (8 percent increase from 2021)
Gastroenterology: $453,000 (12 percent increase from 2021)
Dermatology: $438,000 (11 percent increase from 2021)
Radiology: $437,000 (6 percent increase from 2021)
Ophthalmology: $417,000 (10 percent increase from 2021)
Oncology: $411,000 (2 percent increase from 2021)
Anesthesiology: $405,000 (7 percent increase from 2021)
Surgery, general: $402,000 (8 percent increase from 2021)
Emergency medicine: $373,000 (5 percent increase from 2021)
Critical care: $369,000 (1 percent increase from 2021)
Pulmonary medicine: $353,000 (6 percent increase from 2021)
OB-GYN: $336,000 (8 percent increase from 2021)
Pathology: $334,000 (6 percent increase from 2021)
Nephrology: $329,000 (6 percent increase from 2021)
Physical medicine and rehabilitation: $322,000 (7 percent increase from 2021)
Neurology: $301,000 (4 percent increase from 2021)
Allergy and immunology: $298,000 (9 percent increase from 2021)
Rheumatology: $289,000 (5 percent increase from 2021)
Psychiatry: $287,000 (4 percent increase from 2021)
Internal medicine: $264,000 (6 percent increase from 2021)
Infectious diseases: $260,000 (6 percent increase from 2021)
Diabetes and endocrinology: $257,000 (5 percent increase from 2021)
Family medicine: $255,000 (8 percent increase from 2021)
Pediatrics: $244,000 (10 percent increase from 2021)
Public health and preventive medicine: $243,000 (3 percent increase from 2021)
Earnings for male and female physicians
Primary care — women: $228,000; men: $285,000 (25 percent more than their female counterparts)
Specialists — women: $307,000; men: $402,000 (31 percent more than female specialists)
Top-earning states for physicians
Kentucky: $364,000
Tennessee: $364,000
Alabama: $358,000
Missouri: $357,000
Oregon: $352,000
Indiana: $350,000
North Carolina: $348,000
Connecticut: $346,000
Texas: $346,000
Florida: $346,000
Increases for median provider compensation, by percentage
Orthopedic surgery: 4.7 percent
General surgery: 4.5 percent
OB-GYN (general): 4.5 percent
Hematology and medical oncology: 4.3 percent
Cardiology: 4.2 percent
Gastroenterology: 4.2 percent
Neurology: 3.7 percent
Family medicine: 3.5 percent
Internal medicine: 3.5 percent
Emergency medicine: 1.8 percent
Pediatrics and adolescent-general: 1 percent
Regions with highest pay increases, by specialty
Southern
Primary care: 7.29 percent increase
Advanced practice provider: 7.49 percent increase
Midwest
Surgical specialist: 4.58 percent increase
Western
Nonsurgical specialist: 3.72 percent increase
Highest paying states, by specialty
Primary care: Mississippi, South Dakota, Tennessee, Arkansas, North Dakota
Surgical specialist: Nevada, South Dakota, South Carolina, Mississippi, Wyoming
Nonsurgical specialist: Mississippi, Indiana, Iowa, South Dakota, Utah
Advanced practice provider: Arizona, Alaska, California, Montana, Washington
Lowest paying states, by specialty
Primary care: Arizona, Maryland, District of Columbia, Maine, Nevada
Surgical specialist: Idaho, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Arizona, Massachusetts
Nonsurgical specialist: Idaho, Arizona, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine
Advanced practice provider: Idaho, Alabama, Indiana, South Dakota, Maryland
Specialties that saw the greatest increases in pay
Ophthalmology: 6.97 percent
Orthopedic surgery (general): 6.88 percent
Family medicine (without obstetric medicine): 5.60 percent
Gastroenterology: 4.66 percent
Internal medicine (general): 4.57 percent
Statistics are based on the following:
Average incentive bonus is from Medscape's 2022 "Physician Compensation Report." For the report, Medscape collected responses from more than 13,000 physicians in more than 29 specialties. Data was collected between Oct. 5, 2021, and Jan. 19, 2022. The incentive bonus is one element of physicians' income considered in the report.
Highest-paying physician specialties are based on Medscape's 2022 "Physician Compensation Report." For the report, Medscape collected responses from more than 13,000 physicians in more than 29 specialties. The data was collected between Oct. 5, 2021, and Jan. 19, 2022. For employed physicians, the figures include salary, bonus and profit-sharing contributions. For self-employed physicians, the figures include earnings after taxes and deductible business expenses before income tax. Only full-time salaries were included in the results.
Annual compensation for 29 physician specialties is based on Medscape's 2022 "Physician Compensation Report." For the report, Medscape collected responses from more than 13,000 physicians in more than 29 specialties. The data was collected between Oct. 5, 2021, and Jan. 19, 2022. The 2022 annual physician compensation by specialty is presented with the percent changes from the 2021 edition of the Medscape report, which is based on data collected from Oct. 6, 2020 to Feb. 11, 2021. The 2022 report reflects salary, bonus and profit-sharing contributions for employed physicians, and earnings after taxes and pre-income tax deductible business expenses for self-employed physicians. Only full-time salaries are used in calculations. Note: Percentages are rounded.
Earnings for male and female physicians are based on Medscape's 2022 "Physician Compensation Report." For the report, Medscape collected responses from more than 13,000 physicians in more than 29 specialties. The data was collected between Oct. 5, 2021, and Jan. 19, 2022.
Top-earning states for physicians are based on Medscape's 2022 "Physician Compensation Report"." To determine the top-earning states for physicians, Medscape collected responses from more than 13,000 physicians in more than 29 specialties from Oct. 5, 2021, through Jan. 19, 2022.
Increases for median provider compensation are based on a survey from the Medical Group Association. The survey is based on 2021 data from 383 medical groups, representing more than 183,000 providers from 177 physician, advanced practice clinician and other specialties. Compensation includes base salary plus variable compensation and voluntary compensation reductions. It excludes retirement benefits, pension, SERP or tax-deferred profit-sharing plans.
Regions with highest pay increases, highest and lowest paying states, and highest paid specialties are based on the Medical Group Management Association's report, "Provider Pay and the Pandemic: Realizing Recovery." For the report, more than 192,000 physicians and nonphysician providers participated in a voluntary survey across more than 7,700 physician-owned and hospital-owned organizations. Median total compensation includes total Medicare wages as well as 401(k), life insurance and other pre-tax deductions (employee contributions).