Last week we announced our third annual physician compensation report, and the results were eye-opening. We’ve designed this to be one of the most complete views into physician compensation available, drawing on responses from more than 90,000 licensed U.S. doctors across the country. The study provides an overview of compensation trends, and for the first time, a glimpse into how physician compensation is changing year-over-year. The report details how physician pay compares across metropolitan areas, medical specialties, and gender.
Here is a snapshot and some highlights of this year’s findings. And if you’re a physician, click here to download a full copy of the report, and here to take a look at Doximity's interactive salary map.
Milwaukee, Dallas, and Los Angeles still reign; New Orleans on the rise
Milwaukee, Dallas, and Los Angeles were the only cities to again appear on the list of highest compensation from 2017. Of those three, only Milwaukee saw an overall increase in compensation; the others experienced a decline. These numbers reflect all specialties averaged together.
The top 10 metro areas in which physicians had the highest average annual salary in 2018 are:
| MSA | Average Salary | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI | $395,363 |
| 2. | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $384,651 |
| 3. | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $371,296 |
| 4. | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $369,889 |
| 5. | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $368,205 |
| 6. | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $362,472 |
| 7. | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $362,267 |
| 8. | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $356,390 |
| 9. | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $354,129 |
| 10. | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $352,129 |
The 10 metro areas in which physicians had the lowest average annual salary in 2018 are:
| MSA | Average Salary | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $305,634 |
| 2. | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $305,216 |
| 3. | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | $303,454 |
| 4. | Austin-Round Rock, TX | $299,297 |
| 5. | Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV | $297,776 |
| 6. | New Haven-Milford, CT | $295,554 |
| 7. | Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC | $294,491 |
| 8. | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $276,224 |
| 9. | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $267,013 |
| 10. | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $266,180 |
Physician Compensation by Medical Specialty
The top 10 specialties with the highest average annual salary in 2018 are:
| Specialty | Average Salary | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Neurosurgery | $616,823 |
| 2. | Thoracic Surgery | $584,287 |
| 3. | Orthopedic Surgery | $526,385 |
| 4. | Radiation Oncology | $486,089 |
| 5. | Vascular Surgery | $484,740 |
| 6. | Dermatology | $455,255 |
| 7. | Cardiology | $453,515 |
| 8. | Plastic Surgery | $433,060 |
| 9. | Gastroenterology | $431,767 |
| 10. | Radiology | $428,572 |
On the flip side, physicians working in pediatrics were among the lowest-paid in 2018. In fact, the four medical specialties with the lowest average annual compensation all dealt with pediatrics.
The 10 specialties with the lowest average annual salary in 2018 are:
| Specialty | Average Salary | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Pediatric Infectious Disease | $185,892 |
| 2. | Pediatric Endocrinology | $201,033 |
| 3. | Pediatrics | $222,942 |
| 4. | Pediatric Hematology & Oncology | $222,953 |
| 5. | Family Medicine | $242,352 |
| 6. | Endocrinology | $245,777 |
| 7. | Preventive Medicine | $250,375 |
| 8. | Medicine/Pediatrics | $253,544 |
| 9. | Geriatrics | $259,425 |
| 10. | Infectious Disease | $261,609 |
Pay for Female Physicians Increases in 2018, Narrowing the Gender Wage Gap in Medicine for the First Time
The gender pay gap, the difference in compensation between men and women of the same title or role, affects women from every background, of all ages and levels of education, in every U.S. state. But when we take a closer look at medicine, it gets worse.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the national gender gap across industries and occupations to be an average of 19% less, or, women taking home .81 cents on the dollar. In comparison, the average national gender pay gap among physicians is 24.7% less as of 2018.
In this year’s report, we found that for the first time since conducting this study, the gender pay gap has shrunk. In fact, pay for male physicians has remained flat since 2017, while female physician pay has increased.
In addition, this year’s report also found that after years of steady pay increases, the national physician wage average has plateaued for the first time since 2016.
Here is a breakdown of physician pay when examining gender:
Cities with the smallest gender wage gaps in 2018:
Birmingham, AL (9 percent wage gap)
Bridgeport, CT (10 percent)
Milwaukee, WI (14 percent)
Seattle, WA (15 percent)
Jacksonville, FL (16 percent)
Cities with the largest gender wage gap in 2018:
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY (40 percent)
New Orleans, LA (32 percent)
Austin, TX (31 percent)
Hartford, CT (31 percent)
Dallas, TX (31 percent).
Cities where female physicians earn the highest average annual salary are:
Milwaukee, WI ($351,247)
Bridgeport, CT ($319,577)
Seattle, WA ($306,310)
Minneapolis, MN ($303,416)
Riverside, CA ($302,937)
Female physicians earn the lowest average annual salary in these metros:
Providence, RI ($220,482)
Durham, NC ($226,594)
Louisville, KY ($230,754)
Virginia Beach, VA ($232,172)
Austin, TX ($232,333)
As women continue to represent the majority of the medical school applicants, our findings show that the gender pay gap is quickly shrinking across several MSAs. In just one year, the gender pay gap dropped from 27.7 percent in 2017 to 25.2 percent in 2018.
“Although pay for female physicians has improved substantially, there is still significant progress that needs to be made,” said Mandy Armitage, M.D., Director of Medical Content at Doximity.
To review all findings from the 2019 Doximity Physician Compensation report, please click here.