Physician compensation rose more in 2025 than in any year over the past decade, largely due to clinician supply and demand imbalances, according to a survey from SullivanCotter.
Published Oct. 15, the survey is based on data from more than 500 healthcare organizations representing approximately 231,300 physicians across 232 specialties. It found that median physician total cash compensation — base salary plus incentives — grew year over year across all major specialty categories.
Among those, adult medical specialties saw the largest year-over-year increase at 7.5%, as physician workforce expectations continue to evolve.
Here are four more findings from the release:
1. Over the past five years, primary care specialties saw the largest overall increase in median physician total cash compensation, at 21.8%.
2. Base salary and work relative value unit productivity remain the most common compensation plan components in primary care, medical and surgical specialties.
3. Nearly 75% of survey respondents incorporate individual productivity and patient experience measures into physician incentive pay.
4. Sign-on bonuses are particularly attractive for physician recruiters, as 90% of survey respondents employed them, while 52% used student loan repayment.
“This year’s survey data reveals the most significant increase in total cash compensation this decade as employers contend with physician supply and demand imbalances, specialty-specific market pressures and evolving workload expectations,” Dave Hesselink, managing principal at SullivanCotter, said in a statement shared with Becker’s. “These market forces have combined to make the current recruitment environment very competitive.”
Read more about the survey here.
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