Physician Salary Calculator

⏱ 4 min read · Last updated 2026-09-03

Physician salary calculator estimates annual US physician compensation by specialty, employment type, region, and experience. Physicians earn $240,000–$600,000+; primary care averages $255,000–$290,000 and procedural specialists average $460,000–$595,000. Residents, attendings, and recruiters use it for offer negotiation. To estimate your physician salary, select a specialty below.

↓ Jump to calculator

Quick scenarios

Display Currency Non-USD amounts use approximate rates — verify before publish

Medical Specialty Primary care: $244K–$295K median · Procedural/surgical: $450K–$595K+

Employment Type Private practice typically earns 10–20% more; employed offers benefits worth $40K–$70K+

Geographic Region High-cost metros pay ~8% above median; rural areas often add NHSC loan repayment

Years Post-Residency yrs Compensation grows ~15–25% over the first decade post-residency

✓ Your inputs are saved automatically on this device.

Select a medical specialty above and click Calculate to see your estimated annual physician salary.

Physician Salary Estimation Formula (MGMA 2024)

Estimated Salary = Base_specialty × Emp_mod × Region_mod × Exp_mod
Hourly Equivalent = Estimated Salary ÷ 2,080
Range = [Estimated Salary × 0.90, Estimated Salary × 1.10]

Base_specialty = MGMA 2024 median compensation for the selected specialty · Emp_mod = 1.00 (employed) | 1.13 (private practice) · Region_mod = 0.92–1.08 by market tier · Exp_mod = 0.87 (0–2 yr) to 1.14 (20+ yr)

What Is a Physician Salary Calculator?

A physician salary calculator estimates annual physician compensation in the United States by applying MGMA and BLS benchmark data across medical specialty, employment type, regional market tier, and years of post-residency clinical experience.

Physician compensation in the United States varies more dramatically than almost any other profession. Primary care physicians — including family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics — typically earn $244,000–$295,000 annually. Procedural and surgical specialists, including orthopedic surgeons, cardiologists, and anesthesiologists, earn $460,000–$595,000+. The single largest driver of this variation is specialty choice, which accounts for more than 60% of total pay variance across the physician workforce.

This calculator models physician salary using MGMA 2024 provider compensation benchmarks and BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, adjusted by employment type and geographic market multipliers derived from published MGMA regional data. Outputs are modeled estimates appropriate for physician salary negotiation, career planning, and financial projections — not official salary guarantees. Every result displays a ±10% confidence range reflecting real-world variability in employer offers, group size, and wRVU volume.

How to Calculate Physician Salary — Step by Step

Physician salary calculation uses a four-variable multiplicative model anchored to MGMA 2024 specialty medians, adjusted for employment structure, geography, and career stage.

Select your medical specialty. This sets the base median salary from MGMA 2024 data. Family medicine base: $264,000; orthopedic surgery base: $588,000 — a 2.2× span driven by procedural reimbursement rates under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.
Choose employment type. Employed health system = 1.00× modifier. Private practice or partnership = 1.13× modifier, reflecting revenue-sharing arrangements in group and solo practices where overhead (35–45%) is self-managed.
Select your region tier. High-cost metros (CA, NY, MA, WA) = 1.08×; national average = 1.00×; mid-tier markets (TX, FL, CO) = 0.97×; rural/underserved = 0.92× base pay, though rural physicians frequently receive NHSC loan repayment adding $50,000–$100,000 in effective compensation.
Enter years post-residency. Modifiers range from 0.87× for new attendings (0–2 years) to 1.14× for senior physicians (20+ years), reflecting board certification premiums, subspecialty training, negotiating leverage, and practice-ownership share accumulation.
Multiply through the formula. Estimated Salary = Base × Emp × Region × Experience.
Read the ±10% range. This accounts for employer-level variation in wRVU conversion rates, bonus structures, and local physician supply-demand dynamics.

Step-by-Step Formula Reference

Step 1: Base_adj = Base_specialty × Emp_mod
Step 2: Regional_adj = Base_adj × Region_mod
Step 3: Estimated Salary = Regional_adj × Exp_mod
Prefill example: ?prefill=specialty:cardiology,employment:employed,region:national-avg,experience:11-15

Physician Salary Formula Reference and Specialty Benchmarks

Physician salary benchmarks are most reliable when sourced from MGMA; this calculator uses MGMA 2024 as the primary anchor because it surveys the largest physician group sample in the United States, covering more than 185,000 providers annually across all major specialties.

Table 1 — MGMA 2024 Physician Salary Benchmarks by Specialty (US, All Employment Types Combined)
Specialty	Base Median	P25 Range	P75 Range
Family Medicine	$264,000	$232,000	$296,000
Internal Medicine	$274,000	$244,000	$308,000
Pediatrics	$244,000	$214,000	$275,000
Hospitalist	$295,000	$265,000	$328,000
Emergency Medicine	$395,000	$340,000	$448,000
Psychiatry	$308,000	$268,000	$352,000
Neurology	$322,000	$282,000	$370,000
Anesthesiology	$479,000	$398,000	$558,000
Radiology	$521,000	$432,000	$628,000
Dermatology	$434,000	$362,000	$516,000
Gastroenterology	$487,000	$408,000	$572,000
Cardiology	$512,000	$422,000	$624,000
Oncology / Hem-Onc	$462,000	$386,000	$548,000
Urology	$457,000	$382,000	$542,000
General Surgery	$451,000	$374,000	$540,000
Orthopedic Surgery	$588,000	$486,000	$724,000

Table 2 — Employment Type and Experience Modifiers Applied in This Calculator
Variable	Value	Modifier	Rationale
Employed health system	—	1.00×	Baseline; benefits add $40K–$70K in total comp
Private practice / partner	—	1.13×	Revenue-sharing premium net of overhead responsibility
High-cost metro	CA, NY, MA, WA, IL	1.08×	Cost-of-living and physician demand premium
National average	All markets	1.00×	MGMA national median baseline
Mid-tier market	TX, FL, CO, GA, VA	0.97×	Competitive markets with lower COL
Rural / underserved	HPSA-designated	0.92×	Lower base; NHSC repayment offsets gap
0–2 yrs post-residency	New attending	0.87×	Pre-board-certification discount; limited leverage
3–5 years	—	0.94×	Post-boards premium; building panel/volume
6–10 years	—	1.00×	Calibration baseline (MGMA median cohort)
11–15 years	—	1.07×	Partnership track / subspecialty premium
16–20 years	—	1.11×	Senior physician; leadership stipends common
20+ years	Senior physician	1.14×	Practice equity, CMO/department chair premium

Worked Example: Emergency Medicine Physician Salary Calculation

Emergency medicine physician salary calculations illustrate how specialty base, employment type, region, and experience compound through the multiplicative model to produce a final estimated compensation figure.

Scenario: Emergency medicine physician, private practice group, high-cost metro (Los Angeles), 8 years post-residency.

Base specialty salary (MGMA 2024 median): Emergency medicine = $395,000
Apply employment modifier (private practice, 1.13×): $395,000 × 1.13 = $446,350
Apply region modifier (high-cost metro, 1.08×): $446,350 × 1.08 = $482,058
Apply experience modifier (6–10 years, 1.00×): $482,058 × 1.00 = $482,058
Estimated annual physician salary: ≈ $482,000
±10% confidence range: $433,800 – $530,300 [MGMA 2024; BLS OES SOC 29-1062]
Hourly equivalent: $482,000 ÷ 2,080 = $232/hr
Approximate monthly net (~32% effective tax): ($482,000 × 0.68) ÷ 12 = $27,313/month

Comparison — same physician, employed at national average: $395,000 × 1.00 × 1.00 × 1.00 = $395,000. The private-practice, high-cost advantage adds roughly $87,000/year before accounting for overhead costs (35–45% of collections) and the value of employer-paid malpractice ($20,000–$40,000/year).

What Drives Physician Compensation the Most?

Medical specialty choice is the single largest determinant of physician compensation, accounting for more than 60% of total pay variation across the physician workforce, per MGMA 2024 data.

The specialty premium reflects three structural forces. First, CMS wRVU (work relative value unit) reimbursement systematically favors procedural and technical services over cognitive evaluation-and-management visits, which is why interventional cardiologists earn 2× family medicine physicians at identical career stages. Second, surgical specialty training is longer — orthopedic surgery residency plus fellowship often runs 6–7 years past medical school, creating supply constraints that push compensation up. Third, high-overhead specialties (anesthesiology, gastroenterology) command premium rates because facility and equipment costs require high revenue generation.

Employment structure is the second major driver, contributing a 10–20% gap between private practice and employed physicians in the same specialty. Private practice physicians capture revenue share rather than a fixed salary, but they also bear overhead (35–45% of collections), malpractice tail premiums ($30,000–$80,000 at departure), and administrative burden. Total compensation — not base salary — is the valid comparison metric. For allied health context, see the registered nurse salary calculator and nurse practitioner salary calculator, which show how physician compensation compares across the clinical team.

Geographic market tier influences physician compensation by 8–16% in either direction. Rural and Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) markets frequently offer NHSC loan repayment awards of $50,000–$100,000+ that effectively equalize or exceed urban take-home pay for physicians carrying significant medical school debt. [HRSA NHSC, 2024; MGMA Physician Compensation Report, 2024]

5 Expert Tips and 4 Common Mistakes in Physician Salary Negotiation

Physician salary negotiation success depends on knowing MGMA benchmark data, understanding total compensation structure, and timing offers strategically against the market cycle.

When to Use the Physician Salary Calculator

Physician salary calculators provide their highest value at five distinct career decision points: specialty selection during residency, first attending contract negotiation, geographic relocation, mid-career renegotiation, and private practice transition planning.

Table 3 — Decision Context vs. Best Calculator Configuration
Decision Point	Best Input Configuration	Key Variable to Vary
Residency specialty selection	Run 3–4 specialties at 6–10 yr experience, employed, national avg	Specialty selector
First attending offer (0–2 yr)	Set experience to 0–2 yr; compare employed vs. private practice	Employment type
Geographic relocation	Hold specialty + experience constant; compare all region tiers	Region tier
Mid-career renegotiation	Match your actual experience tier; compare to MGMA median output	Experience modifier
Private practice transition	Toggle employed → private practice; note 13% delta before overhead	Employment type

Healthcare recruiters and hospital CFOs use physician salary benchmarks to build competitive compensation packages, evaluate regional pay equity across employed medical groups, and model physician staffing costs in pro forma financial projections. For comparative specialty compensation, see the psychiatrist salary calculator and psychologist salary calculator, which sit in adjacent compensation bands.

Financial planners working with physician clients use these benchmarks to model retirement savings trajectories under physician salary constraints, disability insurance coverage needs (typically 60–70% of gross income), and student loan repayment strategy comparisons between PSLF, income-driven repayment, and private refinancing.

Frequently Asked Questions About Physician Salary

What is the average physician salary in the United States?

Physician salary in the US averages $300,000–$350,000 annually across all specialties. Primary care physicians earn $250,000–$290,000; procedural specialists earn $450,000–$600,000+, per MGMA 2024 physician compensation benchmarks.

What is the highest-paying physician specialty?

Orthopedic surgery is consistently the highest-paying physician specialty, with median compensation of $550,000–$650,000 annually. Neurosurgery, cardiovascular surgery, and radiology also rank among the top earners per MGMA 2024 data.

How much does a family medicine physician earn per year?

Family medicine physicians earn $240,000–$275,000 annually in employed settings and $265,000–$310,000 in private practice. Rural and underserved markets often add NHSC loan repayment incentives that effectively raise total physician compensation.

Do employed physicians earn less than private practice physicians?

Employed physicians typically earn 10–20% less base salary than private practice peers in the same specialty, but gain malpractice coverage, benefits, and income predictability that partially offset the base salary difference.

How does years of experience affect physician salary?

Physician salary generally increases 15–25% over the first 10 years post-residency, then stabilizes after year 15. Board certification, subspecialty fellowship training, and leadership roles further accelerate physician compensation growth.

What is MGMA physician compensation data?

MGMA (Medical Group Management Association) physician compensation data is the industry-standard annual survey benchmarking physician salaries by specialty, region, and practice type across thousands of US physician groups.

How much does an emergency medicine physician make?

Emergency medicine physicians earn $350,000–$450,000 annually in employed settings, with private practice compensation 10–15% higher. Regional market, shift volume, and group structure also affect total emergency medicine physician pay.

Which US region pays physicians the most?

High-cost metros — California, New York, Massachusetts — pay physicians 5–10% above national median. Rural and underserved markets frequently offer loan forgiveness programs that can match or exceed urban total physician compensation.

Key Terms in Physician Compensation Explained

Physician compensation uses specialized terminology that differs from general salary structures; understanding these terms is essential for accurate physician salary negotiation and contract evaluation.

MGMA Benchmark: Medical Group Management Association annual physician compensation survey — the primary industry reference standard for physician salary benchmarking in US healthcare, covering 185,000+ providers across all major specialties annually.
wRVU (Work Relative Value Unit): A Medicare productivity metric assigning a numeric value to each physician service based on time, skill, and mental effort. Many physician compensation models pay a rate per wRVU generated, typically $45–$75 for primary care and $60–$90 for procedural specialties.
Employment Type: The practice ownership structure: employed by a hospital or health system (salaried, full benefits) versus private practice or partnership (revenue-sharing, self-managed overhead). The employment type modifier is 1.00× vs. 1.13× in this calculator.
Base Salary: The fixed annual cash component of physician compensation before productivity bonuses, quality incentives, call stipends, or leadership pay. Negotiating a higher base establishes the floor for total physician compensation across the full contract term.
Tail Coverage: Malpractice insurance endorsement covering claims filed after a claims-made policy ends. Tail costs $30,000–$80,000 and is one of the most financially significant and frequently overlooked terms in physician employment contracts.
Region Tier: A geographic compensation adjustment reflecting local cost of living, physician supply-demand balance, and payer mix. High-cost metro physician salaries run 5–10% above national median; rural HPSA markets typically pay 5–8% below before loan repayment incentives.
Total Compensation: The full economic value of a physician employment arrangement: base salary plus productivity bonus, quality incentives, benefits, malpractice, retirement contributions, CME stipend, and loan forgiveness. Total compensation is the only valid comparison metric between physician offers.

Physician Salary Calculator