Montana is the best state to practice medicine, according to personal finance site WalletHub.
WalletHub determined the best and worst states for physicians to practice by ranking the states and Washington, D.C., across 19 key metrics, considering factors including the average annual wage and quality of the public healthcare system.
Montana earned the top spot and was ranked 11th for physician opportunity and competition and 4th for its medical environment, which includes metrics such as hospital safety and the cost of malpractice insurance.
Hawaii, the state named the worst to practice, was ranked 51st for physician opportunity and competition and 43rd for its medical environment. It also has the second-lowest average annual salary for physicians when adjusted for cost of living.
Here are the 10 best states for physicians to practice:
1. Montana
2. South Dakota
3. Idaho
4. Wisconsin
5. Minnesota
6. Louisiana
7. Utah
8. Nebraska
9. Iowa
10. Indiana