Average base salaries for 20 recruited medical specialties 

Orthopedic surgeons and radiologists saw the greatest year-over-year gains to base salaries offered to recruits, according to Merritt Hawkins' 2020 Review of Physician and Advanced Practitioner Recruiting Incentives. 

Data is based on a representative sample of 3,251 permanent physician and advanced practitioner search engagements Merritt Hawkins/AMN Healthcare's physician staffing companies conducted from April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020.

Thirty-six percent of those searches were conducted for hospitals; 32 percent for group practices; and 18 percent for academic settings. Remaining settings include urgent care, federally qualified health centers, Indian Health Service and concierge medicine. 

The following figures reflect base salaries or guaranteed income only. Production bonuses and benefits are excluded. Specialties are presented in descending order based on the most requested searches. (Merritt Hawkins conducted 448 family practice searches, for instance, and 37 pulmonology searches.)

 

Family Practice

Average: $240,000

High: $325,000

Low: $140,000

Year-over-year difference: -0.4 percent 

 

Nurse Practitioner 

Average: $126,000

High: $234,000

Low: $90,000

Year-over-year difference: +1.6 percent

 

Psychiatry

Average: $276,000

High: $400,000

Low: $185,000

Year-over-year difference: +1.1 percent

 

Radiology

Average: $423,000

High: $577,000

Low: $275,000

Year-over-year difference: +9.3 percent 

 

Internal Medicine

Average: $255,000

High: $400,000

Low: $175,000

Year-over-year difference: -3.4 percent

 

OB-GYN

Average: $327,000

High: $600,000

Low: $200,000

Year-over-year difference: +2.8 percent

 

Cardiology (non-invasive) 

Average: $409,000

High: $575,000

Low: $300,000

Year-over-year difference: -7.3 percent 

 

Cardiology (invasive) 

Average: $640,000

High: $750,000

Low: $500,000

Year-over-year difference: -1.2 percent

 

Hematology/Oncology

Average: $403,000

High: $612,000

Low: $220,000

Year-over-year difference: +2.5 percent

 

Physician Assistant

Average: $112,000

High: $145,000

Low: $90,000

Year-over-year difference: +1.8 percent

 

Anesthesiology 

Average: $399,000 

High: $535,000

Low: $280,000

Year-over-year difference: -1.2 percent

 

Hospitalist 

Average: $254,000

High: $349,000

Low: $170,000

Year-over-year difference: -5.2 percent

 

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist

Average: $215,000

High: $260,000

Low: $170,000

Year-over-year difference: +9.1 percent

 

Gastroenterology

Average: $457,000

High: $600,000

Low: $300,000

Year-over-year difference: -7.7 percent

 

Neurology 

Average: $295,000

High: $450,000

Low: $255,000

Year-over-year difference: -6.9 percent

 

Orthopedic Surgery 

Average: $626,000

High: $850,000

Low: $425,000

Year-over-year difference: +16.7 percent

 

Pediatrics 

Average: $221,000

High: $300,000

Low: $170,000

Year-over-year difference: -8.7 percent

 

Urology 

Average: $477,000

High: $625,000

Low: $300,000

Year-over-year difference: +2.8 percent

 

Dermatology

Average: $419,000

High: $700,000

Low: $300,000

Year-over-year difference: -0.2 percent

 

Pulmonology/Critical Care 

Average: $430,000 

High: $500,000

Low: $350,000

Year-over-year difference: +7.7 percent 

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