The MedScape Physician Compensation Report, the most comprehensive physician salary survey in the United States, was recently published using data from more than 200,000 physicians from over 29 specialties.
The average overall physician salary, including specialties and primary care, is $299,000. This represents a modest increase from last year: in 2017, primary care physicians earned 217,000, compared with 223,000 in 2018. Specialists earned 316,000 in 2017 compared with 329,000 in 2018.
Average Annual Salary by Specialty
Other findings from the survey include:
- The top three earning specialties from 2017 (Plastic Surgery, Orthopedics, Cardiology) are the same in 2018.
- The lowest-earning specialty in 2018 is Public Health & Preventative Medicine ($199,000)
- Males earned 18% more than women in 2018 compared with 16% in 2017.
- Physician income overall has increased over the last 7 years.
Men vs. Women
Men vs. Women Specialties
Increases and Decreases in Salary
Salary By Race/Ethnicity
Source: Adapted from Medscape’s 2017 Physician’s Compensation Report
