Rhode Island is the most competitive state for physicians, while Montana is the least, according to a March 18 WalletHub ranking.
WalletHub compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia to find the best and worst states for physicians across two key dimensions: opportunity and competition, and medical environment. To determine opportunity and competition, the personal finance website analyzed physicians’ average annual wage, average monthly starting salary, hospitals per capita, insured population rate, employer-based insurance rate, projected share of elderly population, current and projected competition, share of medical residents retained, number of CME credits required and presence of interstate medical licensure compact law.
Each metric was graded to create a 100-point scale, with 100 representing the most favorable practice conditions for physicians. Opportunity and competition scores accounted for 70 points.
Here are the states with the most and least competition in 2025:
Most
Rhode Island
New Jersey
District of Columbia
Alaska
Hawaii
Oregon
California
Maryland
Connecticut
Virginia
Least
Montana
Iowa
South Dakota
Louisiana
North Dakota
Indiana
Missouri
Idaho
Wisconsin
Alabama
WalletHub also projected competition by 2032. It found the lowest competition would be in Mississippi, Missouri, Louisiana, Nevada and Alabama. The highest competition, it predicts, will be in Nebraska, North Dakota, New York, Rhode Island and the District of Columbia.
