What is the Salary of a Doctor?

Answering the question, "what is the salary of a doctor" is a little tricky. While many medical students will choose to become general practitioners, others will become specialists, focusing on specific types of medical problems. While all doctors complete medical school and residency, the requirements for entering into a specialty will involve further education and training. And, just as the training requirements vary by specialty, so do doctor salaries. A family doctor salary, pediatrician salary and surgeon salary will all be quiet different, but they are all "doctor salaries." PayScale's report comparing median Doctor Salaries by Specialty provides several examples of different doctor salaries. We can see that the median medical doctor salary is significantly higher for anesthesiologists and surgeons.

There is no question that doctor salaries tend to be high, but doctors also face high medical school and insurance costs. And, it can take many years before medical doctors are ready to establish a practice. Given the commitment that becoming a doctor entails, it's not surprising that many pre-med students have questions and concerns about doctor salaries. How do medical doctor salaries compare with a List of Salaries for Careers Requiring a Ph.D.? What are typical Physician Starting Salaries? What is the relationship between Medical School and Doctor Salaries? These common questions can all be answered with PayScale's medical doctor salary data.

Medical Doctor Salary Data

The Medical Doctor Salary by State chart shows that doctor salaries don't vary much from one state to the next, but there is variation in Doctor Salaries by City. PayScale's salary survey of individuals who have earned a Doctor of Medicine degree shows that Atlanta currently offers one of the highest median doctor salaries. For an international perspective on doctor salaries, take a moment to compare Doctor Salaries in Canada. You'll see that the median family doctor salary is currently higher than many other medical doctor salaries in Canada. At the other end of the spectrum, emergency room doctor salaries are among the lowest. Doctor Salary Data for the UK shows that family doctors are among the lowest paid there, while neurologists earn some of the highest medical salaries. In all locations, years of experience tend to have a big impact on a medical doctor's salary. Take a look at the report measuring Doctor Salaries by Years of Experience to see how the median doctor salary can change over the course of 20 years.

Doctor Salaries: Median vs. Mean

PayScale's Dr. Salary can't write you a prescription, but he can improve your salary research. Learn why asking "what is the median doctor salary" is a better question than "what are average doctor salaries" by reading the Ask Dr. Salary article, "Why is Median Better than Mean for a Typical Salary?"

Medical Doctor Salary Links

What is the Salary of a Doctor in the UK?
What is the Salary of a Doctor in Canada?
Medical Doctor Salary by Employer Type
Medical Doctor Salaries by Hospital Setting