118 statistics on physician compensation: 2023

Physician pay increases have not kept up with inflation rates in recent years, with average physician compensation declining by 2.4 percent in 2022 — compared with an increase of 3.8 percent the prior year, according to Doximity's 2023 "Physician Compensation Report."

Considering the peak inflation rate of 9.1 percent last year, most physicians in the U.S. saw a sizable reduction in real income, while 67 percent of physicians are considering leaving their roles as overworking continues to be a challenge.

Here are 118 stats on physician compensation in 2023:

Note: This report was compiled using data from 2023 physician compensation reports published by Medscape, Physicians Thrive and Doximity.

Twenty specialties with the highest average annual compensation: 

Neurosurgery — $788,313

Thoracic surgery — $706,775

Orthopedic surgery — $624,043

Plastic surgery — $571,373

Vascular surgery — $557,632

Oral and maxillofacial surgery — $556,642 

Radiation oncology — $547,026

Cardiology — $544,201

Urology — $505,564

Radiology — $503,564

Gastroenterology — $496,667

Otolaryngology (ENT) — $488,536

Dermatology — $468,509

Anesthesiology — $462,506

General surgery — $451,489

Ophthalmology — $449,315

Oncology — $447,312

Colon and rectal surgery — $445,685

Pulmonology — $400,650

Nuclear medicine — $392,196

Twenty specialties with the lowest average annual compensation: 

Pediatric endocrinology — $218,266

Pediatric infectious disease — $221,126

Pediatric rheumatology — $226,186

Pediatric hematology and oncology — $237,005

Pediatric nephrology — $238,208

Pediatrics — $242,832

Medical genetics — $244,107

Pediatric pulmonology — $263,742

Medicine/pediatrics — $270,396

Family medicine — $273,040

Child neurology — $273,167

Preventive medicine — $275,068

Geriatrics — $275,704

Endocrinology — $276,548

Pediatric gastroenterology — $282,853

Pediatric emergency medicine — $287,635

Infectious disease — $288,607

Occupational medicine — $292,814

Internal medicine — $293,894

Rheumatology — $299,790

Physician pay increased in 22 specialties compared to 2022. 

Nine specialties with the highest percentage increase in pay:

Oncology: 13 percent

Gastroenterology: 11 percent

Radiology: 11 percent

Anesthesiology: 11 percent

Critical care and urology: 10 percent 

Psychiatry: 8 percent

Plastic surgery: 7 percent

Ophthalmology: 7 percent

Pulmonary medicine: 7 percent

Overall, physician compensation rose to an average of $352,000 — an increase of 4 percent from 2022.

Seven specialties with a decrease or no change in pay:

Ophthalmology: 7 percent

Emergency medicine: 6 percent

Nephrology: : 5 percent

Physical medicine and rehabilitation: 5 percent

Allergy and immunology: 5 percent

Rheumatology: 3 percent

Family medicine: No change

Physician compensation growth across employment settings:

Single specialty group: $438,959 (-7 percent)

Solo practice: $428,112 (+3 percent)

Multispecialty group: $421,159 (-7 percent)

Health system: $400,207 (+1.4 percent)

Hospital: $398,954 (-1 percent)

Industry/pharmaceutical: $392,534 (-8 percent)

Health maintenance org.: $387,393 (+3.4 percent)

Academic: $347,013 (-9 percent)

Government: $269,189 (+1.8 percent)

Urgent care center: $264,727 (-1 percent)

Average incentive bonuses for 17 specialties:

Orthopedics/orthopedic surgery: $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/rehabilitation: $48,000

General surgery: $46,000

Psychiatry: $33,000

Family Medicine: $30,000

Internal Medicine: $29,000

Neurology: $29,000

Pediatrics: $28,000

Ten metropolitan areas with the highest jumps in physician pay:

Charlotte, N.C.: 12.9 percent

Virginia Beach, Va.: 12.1 percent

St. Louis: 10.5 percent

Tampa, Fla.: 8.1 percent

Hartford, Conn.: 7.8 percent

Buffalo, N.Y.: 7.4 percent

Sacramento, Calif.: 7.1 percent

Orlando, Fla.: 7 percent

Nashville, Tenn.: 6.9 percent

Boston: 6.1 percent

Five specialities with the largest gender pay gaps for physicians: 

Oral/maxillofacial surgery: Women earn 28.8 percent less

Allergy and immunology: Women earn 21.1 percent less

Otolaryngology: Women earn 20.1 percent less

Pediatric nephrology: Women earn 20 percent less 

Thoracic surgery: Women earn 19.5 percent less 

Five specialties with the smallest gender pay gaps for physicians: 

Pediatric Rheumatology: Women earn 7.8 percent less 

Pediatric infectious disease: Women earn 10.1 percent less

Pediatric hematology and oncology: Women earn 11.3 percent less 

Hematology: Women earn 12.1 percent less 

Pediatric cardiology: Women earn 12.5 percent less 

Five cities with the highest average pay for female physicians: 

Minneapolis: $347,426

Sacramento, Calif.: $341,107

Tampa, Fla.: $339,595

Buffalo, N.Y.: $335,505

Charlotte, N.C.: $331,556

Five cities with the lowest average pay for women physicians: 

Baltimore: $262,109

Louisville, Ky.: $276,509

Providence, R.I.: $276,927

Birmingham, Ala.: $278,488

Memphis, Tenn.: $278,699

Physician pay by race

On average, white physicians earn $358,000 annually, while Black physicians earn $311,000 and Asian American physicians take home $311,000.

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