Salary Survey Report for People with Jobs as Physicians / Doctors

Physician Salaries by Specialty

Being a physician is one of the most stressful, time-consuming jobs around. It's also one of the most highly specialized. An emergency room physician and a family practice physician are both doctors, but they may do very different things over the course of an average day. Viewing physician salaries by specialty can shed some light on average physician salaries by providing a more detailed look at what different doctors actually earn. According to the Physician Salary by Specialty chart above, median physician family practice salaries are around $129,000. Average physician salaries for emergency room doctors, on the other hand, tend to be in the $173,000 range. Take a look at the report on a Family Doctor's Average Salary to compare average physician salaries for family doctors by employer type, years experience, location, and more.

Measuring physician salaries by specialty will only provide part of the story. Emergency room doctors may have the highest average physician salaries, but they also work long hours in the ER, one of the most stressful work environments around. Compare ER physician salaries with the salary of a pediatrician. Many pediatricians have private practices and can choose their own hours; they also have the chance to pursue a passion for working with children. The opportunity to help children may be one reason why many doctors choose to specialize in pediatrics even though it offers one of the lower physician salaries by specialty. If you're planning to become a doctor, it's important to research physician salaries by specialty in order to make informed decisions about your career. But in the end, there's more to life than just earning the highest possible physician salary; choosing a rewarding field is just as important as salary. Use PayScale's physician salary data to make sure you're being well compensated to do the job you love.

Average Physician Salaries

Even with wide variation in physician salaries by specialty, physicians are usually thought to be very well-paid. This is hard to argue with, considering that the median Surgeon's Salary ranges from almost $197,000 to $291,269. Neurosurgeons have some of the highest average physician salaries. For a different take on physician salaries, Dr. Salary compares average physician salaries with those of pro football players in the Ask Dr. Salary article, "Pro Football Salaries vs. Surgeon Salaries: The Salary Super Bowl."

More Physician Salaries by Specialty

OB/GYN Yearly Salary
Cardiologist Starting Salaries
Urologist Salary
Salaries for Sports Medicine Physician