Great question. While it’s easy to just google and find something, here is some American Medical Group Association referenced data compiled after a compensation survey in 2009. This information seems legit because I got it from the U.S. Dept. of Human & Health Services.
| Medical Specialties | – |
| Allergy | $241,138 |
| Cardiology | $398,034 |
| Cardiology – Branch ** | $446,891 |
| Cardiology – Cath Lab | $471,746 |
| Cardiology – Echo Lab/Nuclear | $414,500 |
| Cardiology – Electrophysiology Pacemaker | $437,000 |
| Critical Care Medicine | $268,250 |
| Dermatology | $350,627 |
| Dermatology – Branch | $334,135 |
| Dermatology – Mohs | $516,468 |
| Endocrinology | $212,281 |
| Family Medicine | $197,655 |
| Family Medicine – Branch | $187,727 |
| Family Medicine with Obstetrics | $202,047 |
| Family Medicine with Obstetrics – Branch | $188,785 |
| Gastroenterology | $389,385 |
| Gastroenterology – Branch | $447,184 |
| Genetics | $193,344 |
| Geriatrics | $211,425 |
| Hematology & Medical Oncology | $315,133 |
| Hematology & Medical Oncology- Medical Oncology Only | $248,623 |
| Hospitalist | $211,835 |
| Hypertension and Nephrology | $246,049 |
| Infectious Disease | $222,094 |
| Intensivist | $273,520 |
| Internal Medicine | $205,441 |
| Internal Medicine – Branch | $189,187 |
| Internal Medicine – Office Only | $168,133 |
| Neurology | $236,500 |
| Occupational/Environmental Medicine | $214,146 |
| Ophthalmology – Medical | $231,493 |
| Orthopedic – Medical | $265,345 |
| Pain Management – Non-Anesthesiology | $260,350 |
| Palliative Care | $186,924 |
| Pediatrics & Adolescent – Adolescent Medicine | $205,395 |
| Pediatrics & Adolescent – Allergy | $195,973 |
| Pediatrics & Adolescent – Branch | $183,892 |
| Pediatrics & Adolescent – Cardiology | $244,944 |
| Pediatrics & Adolescent – Developmental Behavioral | $170,769 |
| Pediatrics & Adolescent – Endocrinology | $185,901 |
| Pediatrics & Adolescent – Gastroenterology | $236,700 |
| Pediatrics & Adolescent – General | $202,832 |
| Pediatrics & Adolescent – Hematology/Oncology | $205,999 |
| Pediatrics & Adolescent – Hospitalist | $167,953 |
| Pediatrics & Adolescent – Infectious Disease | $199,165 |
| Pediatrics & Adolescent – Intensive Care | $256,913 |
| Pediatrics & Adolescent – Internal Medicine | $208,838 |
| Pediatrics & Adolescent – Neonatology | $265,000 |
| Pediatrics & Adolescent – Nephrology | $217,767 |
| Pediatrics & Adolescent – Neurology | $209,955 |
| Pediatrics & Adolescent – Pulmonary | $176,974 |
| Pediatrics & Adolescent – Urgent Care | $196,934 |
| Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation | $236,500 |
| Psychiatry | $208,462 |
| Psychiatry – Child | $214,304 |
| Psychiatry – Inpatient | $218,472 |
| Psychiatry – Outpatient | $184,946 |
| Pulmonary Disease | $278,000 |
| Pulmonary Disease – Sleep Lab | $259,444 |
| Reproductive Endocrinology | $317,943 |
| Rheumatologic Disease | $219,411 |
| Sports Medicine | $214,249 |
| Urgent Care | $215,625 |
| Surgical Specialties | – |
| Bariatric Surgery | $360,000 |
| Cardiac & Thoracic Surgery | $507,143 |
| Cardiovascular Surgery | $509,302 |
| Colon & Rectal Surgery | $366,895 |
| Emergency Medicin e |
$267,293 |
| Emergency Medicine – Pediatrics | $217,551 |
| General Surgery | $340,000 |
| General Surgery – Branch | $309,750 |
| Maternal/Fetal Medicine | $394,121 |
| Neurological Surgery | $548,186 |
| Neurological Surgery – Pediatrics | $612,851 |
| OBGYN – General | $294,190 |
| OBGYN – Branch | $280,606 |
| OBGYN – Gynecological Oncology | $406,000 |
| OBGYN – Gynecology only | $218,607 |
| OBGYN – Obstetrics | $301,773 |
| OBGYN – Urogynecology | $301,777 |
| Oncology – Surgical | $337,475 |
| Ophthalmology | $325,384 |
| Ophthalmology – Branch | $277,975 |
| Ophthalmology – Pediatrics & Adolescent | $283,853 |
| Ophthalmology – Retinal Surgery | $443,827 |
| Oral Surgery | $380,500 |
| Orthopedic Sports Medicine | $484,320 |
| Orthopedic Surgery | $476,083 |
| Orthopedic Surgery – Branch | $483,400 |
| Orthopedic Surgery – Foot & Ankle | $399,445 |
| Orthopedic Surgery – Hand | $465,006 |
| Orthopedic Surgery – Joint Replacement | $580,711 |
| Orthopedic Surgery – Pediatrics | $424,367 |
| Orthopedic Surgery – Spine | $641,728 |
| Orthopedic Surgery – Trauma | $465,773 |
| Otolaryngology | $365,171 |
| Otolaryngology – Branch | $343,698 |
| Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery | $334,250 |
| Pediatric Surgery | $400,591 |
| Plastic & Reconstruction | $388,929 |
| Thoracic Surgery | $405,842 |
| Transplant Surgery – Kidney | $348,000 |
| Transplant Surgery – Liver | $433,333 |
| Transplant Surgery – Medical | $354,158 |
| Trauma Surgery | $399,558 |
| Urology | $389,198 |
| Urology – Branch | $317,322 |
| Vascular Surgery | $403,041 |
| Radiology/Anesthesiology/Pathology Specialties | – |
| Anesthesiology | $366,640 |
| Anesthesiology – Pain Clinic | $379,000 |
| Dermapathology | $333,250 |
| Diagnostic Radiology – M.D.s Interventional | $478,000 |
| Diagnostic Radiology – M.D.s Neuro-Interventional | $458,187 |
| Diagnostic Radiology – M.D.s Non-Interventional | $438,115 |
| Diagnostic Radiology – Mammography | $513,402 |
| Nuclear Medicine (M.D.s Only) | $386,506 |
| Pathology – M.D.s Anatomic | $285,173 |
| Pathology – M.D.s Clinical | $272,500 |
| Pathology – M.D.s Combined | $344,195 |
| Radiation Therapy (M.D.s Only) | $413,518 |
| Midlevel Providers | – |
| Dentistry | $167,389 |
| Podiatry – Medical | $190,596 |
| Podiatry – Surgical | $232,121 |
| Podiatry – Surgical – Branch | $175,565 |
* This information was obtained from the 2009 Medical Group Compensation and Financial Survey published by the American Medical Group Association® (AMGA). For further information, visit AMGA’s Web site at http://www.amga.org/
** Branch is defined as: A physician who practices at a satellite clinic or office removed from the main campus and may be subject to different practice patterns and productivity standards.
A couple notes about this chart, first I didn’t know that according to the government Emergency Medicine is a surgical specialty and being a dentist makes one a mid-level provider. I also didn’t find any statistics related to this chart. So I am unsure if survey responses over/under represent a certain region or demographic. Also, unsure if survey responses are from a fair number of new, current, and soon-to-be retiring practitioners – as the point of one’s career would make a large difference on current income. Next, I do not know if these compensations take into account any physician owned medical building or property (ie: physician hospitals, physician owned MRIs, etc). Lastly, I couldn’t find out if this was net-pay or gross pay or before malpractice premiums pay or something other than those.
Average Take Home
Medical Specialties — $252,106
Surgical Specialties — $390,866
Rads/Anesthesia/Path — $389,041
Mid-Level Providers — $191,418
As I looked at this whole table, I was a little surprised. Not really by the amount physicians made, I had a good idea already, but the fact that just yesterday I posted that physicians are having a hard time keeping their practices open. This data just by itself strikes me as odd that physicians cannot make enough money to keep practicing in some instances.
This makes me wonder, how much are those student loan payments? I am figuring that I’ll be close to $200,000 in debt post-med school. By bringing home a salary of $160,000/year, am I really not going to be able to pay off loans, pay for a family, and pay for a decent mortgage?
Something doesn’t seem like it connects here. Either student loan repayment is VERY expensive (which I guess I wouldn’t really be too surprised by that – the banks definitely know how to steal everyone’s money) or these surveys aren’t accurate in some way. Or it could be something else entirely. Who knows?