Physician burnout has declined for the third straight year, but roughly half of physicians still say they’re feeling overworked, according to Doximity’s 2026 Physician Compensation Report.
Doximity, a digital platform for U.S. medical professionals, released the report Aug. 25. The findings are based on a survey of physicians conducted in June on how AI is changing physician careers and pay, along with salary data from more than 23,000 physicians collected in 2025, according to a company news release.
Physicians were asked to identify the factors contributing to burnout, with the share citing each factor falling nearly across the board from 2024 to 2026:
- Feelings of overwork or burnout: 52% in 2026, down from 63% in 2025 and 67% in 2024
- Diminished job satisfaction: 42% in 2026, down from 48% in 2025 and 60% in 2024
- Negative or deteriorating workplace culture: 41% in 2026, down from 43% in 2025 and 54% in 2024
- Thoughts of leaving clinical practice: 33% in 2026, down from 39% in 2025 and 50% in 2024
- Unsustainable work hours: 31% in 2026, down from 32% in 2025 and 39% in 2024
- Unsustainable patient caseload: 31% in 2026, down from 32% in 2025 and 41% in 2024
- Concerns about medical errors: 29% in 2026, down from 34% in 2025 and 39% in 2024
- Inability or limited ability to accept new patients: 29% in 2026, unchanged from 2025 and up from 27% in 2024
- Outbursts or threats from patients: 24% in 2026, down from 29% in 2025 and 37% in 2024
- Anxiety or depression: 20% in 2026, down from 24% in 2025 and 27% in 2024
Physicians were also asked how they would describe the impact of the physician shortage on their clinical practice:
- Moderate: 39%
- Mild: 28%
- Severe: 18%
- Not directly impacted: 15%
