Orthopedists are the #1 earners again

phys compensationMedscape’s 2015 Physician Compensation Report (Medscape)

Nearly 20,000 physicians across 25 specialties responded to Medscape’s 2015 Compensation Survey.

The top three earners this year are Orthopedics (421k), Cardiology (376k), and Gastroenterology (370k). When compared with Medscape’s 2014 Compensation Report, Urology (344k) dropped from the #3 spot to the #7 spot. Other notable salary highlights include:

♦ The lowest earners saw a bit of change with HIV/ID moving from the very last spot, up 5 slots at 213k.
♦ The bottom earners are Diabetes & Endocrinology and Internal Medicine tied with 196k, Family Medicine (195k) and Pediatrics (189k).
♦ The greatest increases were seen in HIV/ID (up 22%), Pulmonary Medicine (15%), and Emergency Medicine (12%) and Pathology (12%).
♦ Of interest, Family Medicine jumped 10%.

How Much Do Physicians Earn?

1. Orthopedics 421K
2. Cardiology 376k
3. Gastroenterology 370k
4. Anesthesiology 358k
5. Plastic Surgery 354k
6. Radiology 354k
7. Urology 344k
8. Dermatology 339k
9. General Surgery 317k
10. Emergency 306k
11. Oncology 302k
12. Pulmonary 296k
13. Ophthalmology 292k
14. Critical Care 283k
15. Pathology 267k
16. Ob/Gyn 249k
17. Allergy 247k
18. Nephrology 243k
19. Neurology 229k
20. Psychiatry 216k
21. HIV/ID 213k
22. Rheumatology 203k
23. Internal Medicine 196k
24. Diabetes/Endo 196k
25. Family Medicine 195k
26. Pediatrics 189k

Decreases in Compensation:

Rheumatology and Urology were the only two specialties that experienced a decrease in average compensation at 4% and 1%, respectively.

Primary Care vs Specialties:

♦ On average, PCPs earned 195k, compared to specialty salaries of 284k.

Who Would Choose Medicine Again?

PCPs, the 2nd lowest paid, are ranked first (73%).
Orthopedics, the highest paid, are ranked last (50%).

Top 10 Earning States for Physicians Overall:

1. North Dakota (330k)
2. Alaska (330k)
3. Wyoming (312k)
4. Wisconsin (309k)
5. Oklahoma (304k)
6. New Hampshire (300k)
7. Minnesota (288k)
8. West Virginia (287k)
9. Washington (286k)
10. Indiana (286k)

View the 10 lowest-earning states.

Additional Highlights:

♦  Lowest earners still live in the Mid-Atlantic (254k) and Northeast (253k).
♦  Highest earners now live in the Northwest (281k) and North Central (270k), spots previously held by the Great Lakes and North Central region.
♦  Salaries for men vs women who are self-employed are 324k and 259k.
♦  Salaries for men vs women who are employed are 249k and 203k.

View our highlights from Medscape’s 2014 Compensation Report.

Source: Medscape Physician Compensation Report 2015

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